Of Human Bondage · Chapter
Chapter LXXX explained
Philip continues his medical studies, observing the attrition of his cohort.
What happens
Philip continues his medical studies, observing the attrition of his cohort. He learns from Ramsden about the aftermath of Mildred's affair with Griffiths: her obsessive pursuit, Griffiths' attempts to break free, and the eventual end of their relationship. Philip feigns indifference but is inwardly affected.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Obsession
Mildred's obsessive pursuit of Griffiths and Philip's lingering emotional turmoil illustrate the destructive side of love.
Suffering and Disillusionment
Philip's feigned indifference masks deep pain; Mildred's humiliation and Griffiths' callousness highlight disillusionment.
Characters to notice
- Philip Carey
Continues medical studies, feigns indifference upon hearing of Mildred and Griffiths' breakup.
- Mildred Rogers
Obsessively pursues Griffiths after their weekend together; eventually rebuffed and vanishes.
- Griffiths
Grows bored with Mildred, avoids her, and finally breaks off contact.
- Ramsden
Griffiths' admirer who relays the story of Mildred's pursuit to Philip.
Key passages
“The unwieldy crowd which had entered the Medical School nearly two years before had thinned out: some had left the hospital, finding the examinations more difficult to pass than they expected, some had been taken away by parents who had not foreseen the expense of life in London, and some had drifted away to other callings.”
The large group that started medical school two years ago had shrunk due to failed exams, financial strain, or career changes.
Describes the attrition among medical students.
“Little by little he discovered the history of Mildred's relations with Griffiths. He listened with a smile on his lips, feigning an equanimity which quite deceived the dull-witted boy who talked to him.”
Gradually, Philip learned the details of Mildred and Griffiths' affair, hiding his true feelings behind a calm facade.
Philip's internal struggle while hearing about Mildred.
“She vanished into the vast anonymous mass of the population of London.”
Mildred disappeared into the faceless crowd of London.
Mildred's disappearance from Philip's immediate circle.