# LXXXI explained — Of Human Bondage

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

## What happens

Philip becomes an outpatient clerk at St. Luke's hospital under Dr. Tyrell. The chapter describes the daily routine of the outpatient department, the patients who come in, and the mix of tragedy and comedy observed. Philip witnesses the harsh realities of illness, poverty, and death, and reflects on the indifferent, factual nature of life.

## Themes in this chapter

### Suffering and Disillusionment

Philip is confronted with the relentless suffering of patients, including a young girl dying of tuberculosis and a man forced to work despite a fatal condition, leading to a disillusioned view of life's harshness.

### Freedom and Determinism

The chapter emphasizes the lack of choice for the poor, who are trapped by their circumstances and unable to change their fate, as seen in the man who must work or let his family starve.

## Character check-ins

### Philip Carey

Philip becomes an outpatients' clerk under Dr. Tyrell, observing the daily stream of patients and the realities of illness and poverty.

### Dunsford

Dunsford is mentioned as a fellow student who also clerks for Dr. Tyrell.

## Key lines

> There was neither good nor bad there. There were just facts. It was life.

In the outpatient room, moral judgments dissolve; only the raw, indifferent facts of existence remain.

_Philip's reflection on the amoral, factual nature of life as observed in the hospital._

> The dilemma had been presented to him a hundred times. Time was pressing and there were many patients to be seen.

Dr. Tyrell had faced this impossible choice many times before, but the crowded clinic left no room for lengthy deliberation.

_Illustrates the systemic indifference and pressure of medical work in a charity hospital._

## Links

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