Of Human Bondage · Chapter
XCVII explained
Philip returns home to find his flat destroyed by Mildred in a fit of rage.
What happens
Philip returns home to find his flat destroyed by Mildred in a fit of rage. She has smashed furniture, torn his drawings, and slashed his belongings. He moves out, taking cheap lodgings near the hospital, and reflects on the absurdity of their relationship and his own deformity. He returns to work, discussing the war with friends and planning to invest in stocks.
Themes in this chapter
Suffering and Disillusionment
Philip experiences the destruction of his home and belongings, leading to a sense of despair and boredom with Mildred; he reflects on the cruelty and absurdity of the situation.
Isolation and Belonging
After the destruction, Philip moves to cheap lodgings, feeling detached from his former life; he finds solace in his work at the hospital, where he is a favorite with patients.
Love and Obsession
Philip's relationship with Mildred ends in violent destruction, highlighting the obsessive and destructive nature of his attachment to her.
Characters to notice
- Philip Carey
Discovers his flat wrecked by Mildred; moves to cheap lodgings; returns to hospital work; reflects on his deformity and the absurdity of the situation.
- Mildred Rogers
Destroys Philip's flat in a rage, slashing furniture, breaking dishes, and ruining his possessions; leaves without a note.
- Macalister
Philip leaves instructions with him to buy stocks; Macalister believes the war will end soon and advises buying before peace is declared.
- Cronshaw
The Persian rug he gave Philip is slashed by Mildred; Philip had told her it contained the answer to a great riddle.
- Frederick Lawson
His portrait of Philip is cut crossways by Mildred during her destruction of the flat.
Key passages
“He wondered how Mildred would behave that evening. It was a nuisance to think that she would probably be surly and refuse to answer his questions.”
Philip dreaded going home, expecting Mildred to be in a bad mood and uncommunicative.
Philip's anticipation of Mildred's behavior reflects the strained and toxic dynamic of their relationship.
“The whole place was wrecked. Everything in it had been wilfully destroyed.”
The flat was completely trashed, with every item intentionally ruined.
Mildred's destructive rampage symbolizes her rage and the final collapse of their relationship.
“He did not think of her with wrath, but with an overwhelming sense of boredom.”
Philip felt not anger but a deep weariness when he thought of Mildred.
Philip's emotional exhaustion marks a turning point, as he becomes indifferent to Mildred rather than consumed by passion.