Of Human Bondage · Chapter
XXIV explained
Professor Erlin gives Philip daily lessons in German, starting with a translation of Shakespeare.
What happens
Professor Erlin gives Philip daily lessons in German, starting with a translation of Shakespeare. The chapter explores the cultural and artistic debates of the time, focusing on the reverence for Goethe as a national poet and the controversy surrounding Henrik Ibsen and Richard Wagner. Professor Erlin vehemently condemns Ibsen's 'A Doll's House' as obscene and dismisses Wagner's 'Siegfried' as a hoax, preferring the works of Donizetti.
Themes in this chapter
Art and Authenticity
The chapter contrasts the perceived authenticity of Goethe's Olympian works with the controversial modernity of Ibsen and Wagner, questioning what constitutes true art.
Suffering and Disillusionment
Professor Erlin's vehement rejection of Ibsen and Wagner reflects a disillusionment with the direction of contemporary culture and a longing for past artistic certainties.
Characters to notice
- Philip Carey
Receives daily German lessons from Professor Erlin and is exposed to contemporary artistic debates.
- Frau Professor Erlin
Attempts to calm her husband during his heated outbursts about Ibsen.
Key passages
“Professor Erlin gave Philip a lesson every day. He made out a list of books which Philip was to read till he was ready for the final achievement of Faust, and meanwhile, ingeniously enough, started him on a German translation of one of the plays by Shakespeare which Philip had studied at school.”
Professor Erlin tutored Philip daily, assigning a reading list leading up to Faust, and cleverly began with a German version of a Shakespeare play Philip already knew.
Highlights the structured yet practical approach to Philip's German education.
“But one mark of a writer’s greatness is that different minds can find in him different inspirations; and Professor Erlin, who hated the Prussians, gave his enthusiastic admiration to Goethe because his works, Olympian and sedate, offered the only refuge for a sane mind against the onslaughts of the present generation.”
A sign of a great writer is that diverse people draw different inspirations from him; Professor Erlin, despite his anti-Prussian sentiments, admired Goethe for providing a calm, rational escape from modern chaos.
Illustrates the subjective nature of artistic appreciation and Erlin's personal use of Goethe as a cultural anchor.
“He shook his fist at her. He was the mildest of creatures and ventured upon no action of his life without consulting her. 'No, Helene, I tell you this,' he shouted. 'I would sooner my daughters were lying dead at my feet than see them listening to the garbage of that shameless fellow.'”
Despite his usual meekness and dependence on his wife, Professor Erlin furiously declared he would rather his daughters be dead than exposed to Ibsen's work.
Shows the extreme moral outrage provoked by Ibsen's play, contrasting Erlin's typical demeanor.
“He could imagine Richard Wagner sitting in his box and laughing till his sides ached at the sight of all the people who were taking it seriously. It was the greatest hoax of the nineteenth century.”
Erlin believed Wagner was a charlatan who must have been amused by audiences taking his operas seriously, calling it the century's biggest trick.
Reflects Erlin's dismissive view of Wagner as a mere entertainer rather than a serious artist.