# CXVIII explained — Of Human Bondage

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

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

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