Of Human Bondage
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Of Human Bondage (1915) is a bildungsroman by William Somerset Maugham. It is generally agreed to be semi-autobiographical in nature, although Maugham stated in a signed inscription: "This is a novel, not an autobiography, though much in it is autobiographical, more is pure invention." The novel is considered a classic, and is mentioned by Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. Maugham alludes to one of Spinoza's central concepts with the title of his novel, Of Human Bondage.
Unrequited love and love hate relationship
In Of Human Bondage - The main character Philip Carey becomes enticed by a woman named Mildred Rogers, who does not care an ounce for Philip. He becomes masochistic, willing to put himself in the line of pain to gain Mildred's affection. In the end, he realizes that this is a one-sided love and that he is controlled by his own passions. Mildred is a tawdry waitress at a local cafe. After they break apart and come back together a few times, mostly when she is in desperate need of money. It is an example of a love-hate relationship fueled by a strong physical attraction, also termed as passionate love.
Film versions
- Of Human Bondage - Filmed in 1934 with Leslie Howard as Philip and Bette Davis as Mildred, the girl who torments him through her rejections of him.
- Of Human Bondage - The film was directed by Edmund Goulding in 1946 with Paul Henreid and Eleanor Parker in the lead roles.
- Of Human Bondage - The 1964 film featured Laurence Harvey and Kim Novak taking the lead roles.
See also
