# CXIII explained — Of Human Bondage

> Chapter companion for Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham.

## What happens

Philip begins his duties as a district doctor in the poor South Side of London, attending to childbirths in overcrowded, squalid homes. He observes the harsh realities of poverty: the resentment toward unwanted babies, the constant struggle for work, and the vast cultural gap between the poor and the middle classes. Through his interactions, he gains insight into the lives of the very poor, their resilience, and their indifference to the comforts that the well-to-do consider essential.

## Themes in this chapter

### Class and Social Mobility

Philip observes the vast divide between the poor and the middle classes, noting that the poor do not envy their betters but view them as exploitable.

### Suffering and Disillusionment

The chapter highlights the despair of poverty, including the tragedy of job loss and the resentment toward unwanted children, leading Philip to feel rage at the world's cruelty.

### The Search for Meaning

Philip reflects that existence is only bearable because it is meaningless, a conclusion drawn from witnessing the suffering of the poor.

## Character check-ins

### Philip Carey

Philip serves as a district doctor, attending confinements and learning about the lives of the poor.

## Key lines

> He was thankful not to have to believe in God, for then such a condition of things would be intolerable; one could reconcile oneself to existence only because it was meaningless.

Philip was glad he no longer believed in God, because if he did, the suffering he saw would be unbearable; he could only accept life by seeing it as meaningless.

_Philip's existential reflection on the suffering of the poor._

> The poor did not want large airy rooms; they suffered from cold, for their food was not nourishing and their circulation bad; space gave them a feeling of chilliness, and they wanted to burn as little coal as need be

The poor preferred small, cramped rooms because they felt cold in large spaces due to poor nutrition and circulation, and they needed to conserve coal.

_Philip's observation that the poor's preferences are shaped by their material conditions._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cxiii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/of_human_bondage_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters