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Of Human Bondage · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham.

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  1. Chapter 1

    The Day Breaks Gray and Dull

    The novel opens with Philip Carey, a young child, being woken by a servant and brought to his mother's bedside. His mother, who is gravely ill, holds him close and kisses him before the doctor takes him away. It is revealed that she has just given birth to a stillborn child. The doctor and nurse discuss Philip's future, noting that his godmother, Miss Watkin, will take him. The chapter ends with the doctor's grim prognosis for Mrs. Carey's survival.

  2. Chapter 2

    II

    A week after his mother's death, Philip is fetched from Miss Watkin's house by his nurse Emma. He learns that his mother has died and gone to heaven, and he is taken to meet his Uncle William. Philip enjoys the attention his loss brings, but is also aware of his clubfoot being a source of grief.

  3. Chapter 3

    Chapter III

    Philip's uncle, Mr. Carey, arrives to take him to Blackstable after his mother's death. Philip is told he must leave Emma, his nurse, and can only take one memento of each parent. He chooses a small clock and then enters his mother's bedroom, where he buries his face in her clothes and lies on her bed, unable to accept that she is gone forever.

  4. Chapter 4

    IV

    Philip arrives at the vicarage in Blackstable with his uncle, Mr. Carey. He is greeted by his shy Aunt Louisa, who is uncertain how to treat him. Philip is shown to a small room and joins his aunt and uncle for tea, where he sits on books to reach the table and is given the top of his uncle's egg.

  5. Chapter 5

    V

    Philip learns more about his parents through fragments of conversation and a packet of photographs. His uncle, the Vicar, reflects on his brother Henry's extravagance and his sister-in-law's beauty, while Philip discovers that his mother, knowing she was dying, secretly had photographs taken so that her son would have something to remember her by.

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  1. Chapter 6VI
  2. Chapter 7VII
  3. Chapter 8VIII
  4. Chapter 9IX
  5. Chapter 10Philip Goes to School
  6. Chapter 11XI
  7. Chapter 12XII
  8. Chapter 13Chapter XIII
  9. Chapter 14Chapter XIV
  10. Chapter 15XV
  11. Chapter 16Chapter XVI
  12. Chapter 17XVII
  13. Chapter 18XVIII
  14. Chapter 19XIX
  15. Chapter 20XX
  16. Chapter 21XXI
  17. Chapter 22Heidelberg
  18. Chapter 23XXIII
  19. Chapter 24XXIV
  20. Chapter 25XXV
  21. Chapter 26Chapter XXVI
  22. Chapter 27XXVII
  23. Chapter 28XXVIII
  24. Chapter 29XXIX
  25. Chapter 30The Scandal at Frau Erlin's
  26. Chapter 31XXXI
  27. Chapter 32XXXII
  28. Chapter 33XXXIII
  29. Chapter 34XXXIV
  30. Chapter 35XXXV
  31. Chapter 36XXXVI
  32. Chapter 37XXXVII
  33. Chapter 38XXXVIII
  34. Chapter 39XXXIX
  35. Chapter 40XL
  36. Chapter 41XLI
  37. Chapter 42XLII
  38. Chapter 43XLIII
  39. Chapter 44XLIV
  40. Chapter 45XLV
  41. Chapter 46XLVI
  42. Chapter 47XLVII
  43. Chapter 48XLVIII
  44. Chapter 49XLIX
  45. Chapter 50The Doubt of a Painter
  46. Chapter 51LI
  47. Chapter 52LII
  48. Chapter 53LIII
  49. Chapter 54LIV
  50. Chapter 55LV
  51. Chapter 56LVI
  52. Chapter 57LVII
  53. Chapter 58LVIII
  54. Chapter 59LIX
  55. Chapter 60LX
  56. Chapter 61LXI
  57. Chapter 62LXII
  58. Chapter 63LXIII
  59. Chapter 64LXIV
  60. Chapter 65LXV
  61. Chapter 66LXVI
  62. Chapter 67LXVII
  63. Chapter 68LXVIII
  64. Chapter 69Chapter LXIX
  65. Chapter 70LXX
  66. Chapter 71LXXI
  67. Chapter 72LXXII
  68. Chapter 73LXXIII
  69. Chapter 74LXXIV
  70. Chapter 75LXXV
  71. Chapter 76LXXVI
  72. Chapter 77LXXVII
  73. Chapter 78LXXVIII
  74. Chapter 79LXXIX
  75. Chapter 80Chapter LXXX
  76. Chapter 81LXXXI
  77. Chapter 82LXXXII
  78. Chapter 83LXXXIII
  79. Chapter 84LXXXIV
  80. Chapter 85LXXXV
  81. Chapter 86LXXXVI
  82. Chapter 87LXXXVII
  83. Chapter 88LXXXVIII
  84. Chapter 89LXXXIX
  85. Chapter 90XC
  86. Chapter 91XCI
  87. Chapter 92XCII
  88. Chapter 93XCIII
  89. Chapter 94XCIV
  90. Chapter 95XCV
  91. Chapter 96XCVI
  92. Chapter 97XCVII
  93. Chapter 98XCVIII
  94. Chapter 99XCIX
  95. Chapter 100C
  96. Chapter 101CI
  97. Chapter 102CII
  98. Chapter 103CIII
  99. Chapter 104CIV
  100. Chapter 105CV
  101. Chapter 106CVI
  102. Chapter 107CVII
  103. Chapter 108CVIII
  104. Chapter 109CIX
  105. Chapter 110Chapter CX
  106. Chapter 111CXI
  107. Chapter 112CXII
  108. Chapter 113CXIII
  109. Chapter 114CXIV
  110. Chapter 115CXV
  111. Chapter 116CXVI
  112. Chapter 117CXVII
  113. Chapter 118CXVIII
  114. Chapter 119CXIX
  115. Chapter 120CXX
  116. Chapter 121Chapter CXXI
  117. Chapter 122CXXII