Of Human Bondage

Philip is impoverished, clubfooted, and a failed artist who funds his medical schooling with a trust from a wealthy uncle. He meets Mildred, a waitress, and is discouraged by her crude indifference. His wounded pride spurs him to try to win her attention, setting the story in motion.

Philip invites Mildred to accompany him to the theatre, hoping to spark romance. She agrees because she has nothing else to do. He spends his last money on her, but she breaks the date and an ugly argument follows.

Philip learns that Mildred has apparently run off to marry one of her regular customers, Miller. He initially feels relief at escaping an emotionally burdensome attachment. The moment seeds a pattern of dependence and disappointment to come.

Philip resumes a relationship with Norah Nesbitt, an author he met in France. Their bond is rooted in friendship, but Norah’s love for him is not fully returned. The dynamic leaves Philip emotionally unbalanced and yearning for more.

Mildred returns pregnant, abandoned by Miller, and seeks Philip’s help. He vows to marry her and adopt the child, demonstrating the depth of his unsettled devotion and willingness to make a binding commitment under flawed circumstances.

Philip introduces Mildred to his handsome friend Harry Griffiths, who quickly entrances her. Mildred shifts her affections toward Griffiths and leaves Philip, signaling a rival and a new course for her life. The dynamic widens the emotional battlefield.

Philip becomes a regular at the Athelny family’s Sunday dinners, finding a sense of belonging. He attracts the attention of Athelny’s eldest daughter, Sally, hinting at a potential new connection. The dinners anchor him away from his previous fixation.

Philip spots Mildred homeless on the street and offers her and her baby a place to stay. The relationship remains platonic, but Mildred grows increasingly agitated by what she perceives as his lack of romantic interest. The emotional tension intensifies.

Mildred’s frustration erupts as Philip spurns her physical advances; she chases him from the house. In a fit of rage, she burns his money and trashes his apartment, marking a violent rupture in their connection. The incident deepens Philip’s obsession and isolation.

Philip contracts pneumonia and is cared for by Griffiths, who eventually takes him to the hospital’s charity ward. There, Philip’s fixation remains unresolved as he witnesses Mildred’s plight from a distance. The bond between Phillip and Griffiths becomes a counterpoint to his longing for Mildred.

Mildred dies in the hospital, lifting the burden of Philip’s obsessive pursuit. With the object of his fixation removed, he is freed to reconsider his life and the people around him. The emotional gravity shifts decisively at the end of this chapter.

In the wake of Mildred’s death, Philip redirects his attention toward Sally, signaling a potential new chapter in his life. The redevelopment of his affections closes one fraught arc and opens a different emotional path.