Of Human Bondage · Chapter
CXVIII explained
Philip arrives at Ferne for the hop-picking season with the Athelny family.
What happens
Philip arrives at Ferne for the hop-picking season with the Athelny family. He joins them in their rustic hut, shares a simple supper, and the next morning goes bathing with the children. He works in the hop-field alongside Sally and the family, feeling a sense of belonging and contentment.
Themes in this chapter
Isolation and Belonging
Philip feels a sense of home and belonging with the Athelny family in the hop-field, contrasting with his earlier isolation.
Class and Social Mobility
The chapter depicts the rural working-class life of hop-pickers, with Philip participating in their labor and simple pleasures.
Characters to notice
- Philip Carey
Arrives at Ferne to join the Athelny family for hop-picking; feels comfortable and at home.
- Sally Athelny
Appears in a print dress and sunbonnet, described as a rural goddess; attends to Philip's needs and goes bathing with him.
- Thorpe Athelny
Enthusiastic about country life, borrows a cart to meet Philip, cooks kippers, and jokes with the children.
- Mrs. Athelny
Fries bacon, keeps an eye on the children, and shows a hearty country demeanor.
Key passages
“She was like some rural goddess, and you thought of those fresh, strong girls whom old Herrick had praised in exquisite numbers.”
Sally is compared to a rustic goddess, reminiscent of the healthy, vigorous maidens celebrated by the poet Herrick.
Philip's idealized view of Sally in the natural setting.
“We're starved for sun and light in the cities we live in. It isn't life, it's a long imprisonment.”
Athelny laments that city life deprives people of sunlight and freedom, calling it a prison.
Athelny's romanticization of rural life versus urban confinement.