Of Human Bondage · Chapter
II explained
A week after his mother's death, Philip is fetched from Miss Watkin's house by his nurse Emma.
What happens
A week after his mother's death, Philip is fetched from Miss Watkin's house by his nurse Emma. He learns that his mother has died and gone to heaven, and he is taken to meet his Uncle William. Philip enjoys the attention his loss brings, but is also aware of his clubfoot being a source of grief.
Themes in this chapter
Suffering and Disillusionment
Philip experiences the loss of his mother and is confronted with the reality of death, yet he also enjoys the attention his suffering brings.
Isolation and Belonging
Philip is an only child who amuses himself alone, and his clubfoot sets him apart, as noted by the strangers.
Characters to notice
- Philip Carey
Philip is playing in Miss Watkin's drawing-room when Emma arrives to take him home after his mother's death.
- Emma
Emma, Philip's nurse, fetches him from Miss Watkin's and tells him his mother has died.
- Miss Watkin
Henrietta Watkin, Philip's godmother, is overcome with grief at the funeral and speaks of Philip's mother as her greatest friend.
Key passages
“Your mamma is quite well and happy. Your mamma's gone away. You won't ever see her any more.”
Emma tells Philip that his mother is dead and in heaven, and he will never see her again.
Philip learns of his mother's death from his nurse.
“Though crying, he keenly enjoyed the sensation he was causing; he would have been glad to stay a little longer to be made much of, but felt they expected him to go, so he said that Emma was waiting for him.”
Philip is aware of the attention his grief brings and enjoys it, but he leaves when he senses he should.
Philip's complex emotional response to his mother's death includes a desire for sympathy.