Of Human Bondage · Chapter
LXI explained
Philip's obsessive love for Mildred deepens as he showers her with gifts and attention, but she remains cold and indifferent.
What happens
Philip's obsessive love for Mildred deepens as he showers her with gifts and attention, but she remains cold and indifferent. Their relationship is marked by frequent quarrels, jealousy, and Philip's humiliating subservience. After a bitter fight over Mildred going out with another man, Philip manipulates her pity by invoking his clubfoot to win a reconciliation.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Obsession
Philip's love for Mildred is obsessive and self-destructive, marked by jealousy, possessiveness, and a willingness to endure humiliation.
Suffering and Disillusionment
Philip suffers deeply from Mildred's indifference and cruelty, yet he cannot break free, illustrating the painful gap between idealised love and reality.
Characters to notice
- Philip Carey
Deeply in love with Mildred, he is possessive, jealous, and often humiliates himself to win her affection.
- Mildred Rogers
Cold and indifferent to Philip's feelings, she accepts his gifts and attention but shows little affection and often goes out with other men.
Key passages
“You don’t know what it is to be a cripple. Of course you don’t like me. I can’t expect you to.”
Philip uses his clubfoot to manipulate Mildred's pity, claiming she dislikes him because of his disability.
Philip exploits his physical deformity to elicit sympathy and reconcile after a quarrel.
“It’s not much fun to be in love with a girl who has no imagination and no sense of humour.”
Philip reflects on the difficulty of loving Mildred, who lacks the qualities he values.
Philip rationalises Mildred's cruelty by attributing it to her stupidity and lack of imagination.
“I don’t know what you mean by gratitude. If you’re referring to the things you’ve given me you can have them back.”
Mildred dismisses Philip's gifts and his expectation of gratitude, offering to return them.
Mildred's response highlights her transactional view of their relationship and her lack of emotional investment.