Of Human Bondage · Chapter
LXXXIV explained
Philip continues to care for the dying poet Cronshaw in his own rooms, enduring the condescension of Leonard Upjohn.
What happens
Philip continues to care for the dying poet Cronshaw in his own rooms, enduring the condescension of Leonard Upjohn. At the hospital, Philip becomes a dresser in surgical outpatients under the brash Mr. Jacobs, who publicly humiliates him by using his clubfoot as a teaching example. Philip later considers the possibility of an operation to improve his foot, while Cronshaw's condition worsens.
Themes in this chapter
Suffering and Disillusionment
Philip endures both the physical decline of Cronshaw and the emotional torment of his own deformity being publicly exposed.
Isolation and Belonging
Philip feels isolated among his peers and resents the callousness of Upjohn and Jacobs, longing for acceptance.
Characters to notice
- Philip Carey
Struggles with the burden of caring for Cronshaw and endures public humiliation about his clubfoot from Mr. Jacobs.
- Cronshaw
Lies dying in Philip's rooms, refusing medical help and insisting on whiskey and cigarettes.
- Leonard Upjohn
Visits Cronshaw frequently but offers no practical help; patronizes Philip and criticizes the setting of Cronshaw's death.
- Jacobs
The assistant-surgeon who uses Philip's clubfoot as a teaching demonstration, causing Philip deep humiliation.
Key passages
“I wish you had left him in Soho. There was a touch of romance in that sordid attic. I could even bear it if it were Wapping or Shoreditch, but the respectability of Kennington! What a place for a poet to die!”
Upjohn complains that Cronshaw's death in a respectable area like Kennington lacks the romantic squalor of Soho or the East End.
Upjohn's aesthetic snobbery contrasts with Philip's practical compassion.
“You don't mind taking off your sock for a moment, Carey?”
Mr. Jacobs publicly asks Philip to remove his sock to show his clubfoot as a teaching example.
This moment forces Philip to relive the shame of his deformity in front of his peers.
“I daresay they are killing me. I don't care. You've warned me, you've done all that was necessary: I ignore your warning. Give me something to drink and be damned to you.”
Cronshaw dismisses Philip's medical advice, insisting on whiskey and cigarettes despite knowing they hasten his death.
Cronshaw's fatalism and defiance reflect his nihilistic worldview.