Philip Carey was born with a clubbed-foot. Many critics believe that this birth defect paralleled Maugham's own trouble with stammering. This handicap acted as a basis for all the anxiety and self-consciousness that shadowed Philip's life. As readers, we shadowed Philip as well, following him from childhood in England, to adulthood in Germany, adventures in Paris, and back to a village on the British coast. Together with Philip, we were drawn into a world of cynicism, passion, hatred, and the yearning to become someone greater.

In the beginning, innocence reigned. As a little boy who was just orphaned, Philip took everything in, not comprehending his situation. There was simplicity in his thoughts and naivete in his actions. He soon developed self-consc

Through Philip's eyes, Maugham has skillfully and flawlessly transcribed the emotions, the maturity, and the life of the universal man. Throughout this book, we were actually able to "see" the threads weaving Philip's life together. There were many times when I was disgusted at Philip's behavior, granted, but it gave us an unprejudiced view of ourselves, and in this, I agree with Theodore Dreiser when he wrote that "[Of Human Bondage] sings, it has color. It has rapture. In viewing it one finds nothing to criticize or regret."

in The Critic as Artist: Essays on Books 1920-1970, edited by Gilbert A. Harrison,

Much of this book concentrated on Philip's adolescence. A lot of what he felt mirrors my life right now as a teenager. I felt the same wonder when Philip first fell in love and the same anger when Philip's aunt and uncle restricted him from going to Germany and France. There is a connection with Philip through his honesty and passion. Reading this novel made me feel that I am not alone in my teenage angst and made me see that due to my endless complaints and demands, I hurt may have hurt many people in the process. In Philip's case, I stopped feeling sorry for him and began to think him selfish. When he didn't have enough money to start his life in Paris, his aunt gave him all her life savings because of her love for him. Philip only showed momentary gratitude, however, before forgetting all about her and looking forward to his new life. This was what Maugham wanted us to see: the selfishness that surrounds us and to let us know that we're not all that different from Philip.

Lehmann, John. "Somerset Maugham" (1966; copyright c 1966 by Harrison-Blaine, Inc.),

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Approximate Word count = 1309
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)