Of Human Bondage

Philip focuses on his studies. Since Griffiths is also a medical student, Philip sometimes hears gossip about him. It turns out that Mildred became quite obsessed with Griffiths after they spent time together; Griffiths was uncomfortable with her intensity, as he was hoping for a casual fling. He has broken things off several times, but Mildred often accosts him and tries to persuade Griffiths to renew their relationship. Griffiths finally tells her decisively to leave him alone, and that is the last he hears of her: “She vanished into the vast anonymous mass of the population of London” (396).

Philip progresses to the next phase of his studies and begins to meet with patients under the supervision of a doctor named Dr. Tyrell. Philip enjoys meeting with patients and hearing their stories; many of them are poor and experience ill health as a result of poor living and working conditions. Even when the cases he sees are sad ones, Philip feels invigorated because “there [is] neither good nor bad there. There [are] just facts. It [is] life” (404).

Philip receives a letter from Lawson telling him that Cronshaw is now in London and suggesting that Philip reconnect with the poet. Philip can immediately tell that Cronshaw is seriously ill due to years of excessive drinking. Cronshaw knows that he is dying, and that is why he has returned to London after spending years living in Paris. Philip is surprised by how calmly Cronshaw is facing his impending death.

Philip eventually goes to Cronshaw’s residence and is appalled by the conditions that the poet is living in. Even though Philip has very little money, he offers to get some extra furniture so that Cronshaw can come and live with him. Cronshaw moves in and continues to drink heavily but generally seems content. He is happy because his poems are finally going to be published.

Philip is progressing in his training. He is humiliated one day when a surgeon displays his foot to the other trainees as an example of clubfoot. However, the surgeon later tells Philip that his condition might be improved if Philip had surgery. Meanwhile, Cronshaw is getting worse but refuses to move to a hospital.

One day, Philip comes home and finds that Cronshaw has died quietly. Philip is disturbed by the idea of Cronshaw dying alone. He arranges to give Cronshaw a modest funeral, and some time later, Cronshaw’s poems are published, along with a profile extolling him as a kind of bohemian genius.

Philip continues his training. One day, he meets a patient named Thorpe Athelny who works as a journalist and who has an interest in poetry and literature. He has also lived in Spain. Philip and Athelny get along well, and the latter invites Philip to visit him at home once he leaves the hospital.

Philip goes to visit Thorpe Athelny. He meets Athelny’s partner, Betty, and their nine children. Their eldest child is a daughter named Sally, who is 15. While Athelny is well-educated, he takes pride in the fact that Betty is the daughter of a farmer and that his children are growing up practical and hard-working. Athelny was formerly married to a much wealthier woman but found life with her stifling and eventually separated to pursue a relationship with Betty, who had been a maid in their household.

As Philip and Athelny continue to talk, Philip is sometimes surprised by the older man’s unconventional views. When Athelny introduces Philip to Spanish literature and art, Philip is deeply moved and becomes more determined than ever to visit Spain someday.

Philip enjoys spending time with the cozy and loving Athelny family. They encourage him to come back, and he quickly falls into the routine of visiting them every Sunday. He gets along very well with the children and is heartened to see that the family seems happy and content, even though they have little money.

One night in June, Philip is coming home from the Athelny house. He is surprised to catch sight of Mildred walking along the road from a distance. Philip watches in puzzlement because Mildred seems to repeatedly go up to different men—he then realizes that she is engaging in sex work. Philip rushes up to her and confronts her; he insists on going somewhere where they can talk. Mildred explains that she has the baby with her in London and that she could not find any work. Mildred is very unhappy and also sickly. Philip suggests she and the baby come and live with him. He is, however, very clear that he does not want to renew any kind of romantic or sexual relationship.

Mildred and the baby move into Philip’s small flat; she is going to cook and clean in exchange for staying there. Philip is kind to her and doesn’t want her to feel like a servant, but he also sets clear boundaries, intending to focus on his demanding work.

Philip enjoys having Mildred and the baby stay with him, as it provides him with company. Eventually, Mildred suggests that they go out together, and they spend a very pleasant evening going to the theatre and listening to music. When they get home, Philip reiterates his stance that he does not want anything romantic to happen between him and Mildred, and she seems annoyed.

The next day, Mildred continues to be irritable, and Philip can’t understand why. They eventually settle into a routine: Mildred doesn’t intend to look for work until the autumn, and Philip says she can stay as long as she wants. Mildred sometimes mocks Philip for the affection he shows to her child, while Mildred herself is a competent but not affectionate mother.

In July, Philip invests some money based on a stock tip he receives from a friend and makes a profit. He is delighted since he has been worried about money. Philip plans to have the surgery on his foot and suggests that he and Mildred go on holiday to the seaside afterward.

Philip has his surgery and receives very good care. In August, he, Mildred, and the baby go to Brighton for their holiday. Mildred is annoyed when Philip insists on them getting separate rooms; she complains that he finds her repulsive, while he can’t understand why she is bothered since she is not attracted to him anyway. Philip also finds it somewhat tedious to spend all of his time with Mildred during their holiday.

Athelny writes to Philip; every August, he and his family go to the countryside for a kind of working holiday to pick hops (a blossom often used in beer production). Athelny invites Philip to come and join them, but Philip doesn’t want to bring Mildred. Philip feels hopeful about his plans and looks forward to eventually being fully qualified as a doctor and able to travel.

Philip and Mildred return to London, and he goes back to his medical training. However, he is increasingly worried about money. Mildred is not frugal, and she has also not made much effort to find work. Philip’s stress about money leads to tension between him and Mildred. However, he remains very fond of the child.

Philip and Mildred spend a pleasant Christmas together, and Mildred again makes overtures, wondering again why Philip doesn’t want a romantic relationship with her since he was once so in love with her. Philip admits that he is puzzled himself but insists he no longer feels desire for her.

After Christmas, Mildred becomes increasingly bitter and resentful. She feels insecure and hurt that Philip no longer wants her and also worries that she has no power over him if he doesn’t desire her. Mildred wants to get pregnant because she believes this would leave Philip feeling obligated to marry her. One night in February, when Mildred mistakenly believes that Philip is drunk, she tries to seduce him, but he turns her down again. Mildred becomes enraged and says terrible things to Philip.

The next morning, Philip hurries out to work without seeing Mildred. When he gets home, he is astonished to find that Mildred is gone and has destroyed all of his possessions before leaving. Philip is sad about the child, but when it comes to Mildred, he thinks, “I hope to God I never see her again” (486). Since he cannot afford to replace his furniture and household items, Philip moves into new lodgings, which are even smaller and cheaper.

With the Boer War (1899-1902) occurring, Philip invests in stocks again, but the unpredictable events of the war impact the stock market, and he becomes worried about the risk he has taken. It is eventually confirmed that Philip has lost all of the money he invested. He has next to nothing left and still has several years of medical training to complete before he will begin earning money. Philip writes to his uncle asking him to lend him money, but Mr. Carey refuses.

By June, Philip begins to sell anything he can think of and eats as little as possible. He abruptly stops going to the hospital because he can no longer afford his studies. He vainly tries to look for casual work but cannot find anything. His rent is past due, and he has no way to pay it. Philip considers suicide because he sees no way to improve his situation.

Philip knows he is about to be evicted, and because he is embarrassed, he stops going home and instead spends all of his time wandering around London. He sleeps on benches at night and relies on public washrooms. He applies for a few jobs, but no one wants to hire him. Although he has avoided everyone else, Philip decides to go to the Athelny house the way that he usually would on a Sunday.

At the Athelny house, the family notices that Philip looks pale and sickly. After dinner, Philip and Thorpe Athelny speak in private and Athelny explains that he became concerned about Philip and went to his lodging. Athelny learned there that Philip had not been home in days, and he surmised that Philip had become homeless. Athelny rebukes Philip for not having asked for help and insists that Philip move in with him and his family. Although Philip hesitates, he agrees, relieved and touched by the kindness.