# Class and Social Mobility in Of Human Bondage

> Theme guide for Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham.

Philip's experiences across different social strata—from the vicarage to bohemian Paris to working-class London—highlight the constraints and absurdities of class distinctions and the struggle for financial independence.

## Where it surfaces

- [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/vi): The social hierarchy is evident in the Careys' interactions with tradesmen, the churchwarden, and the wealthy Mr. Wilson, who married his cook.
- [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xv): The appointment of Perkins, son of a linendraper, as headmaster challenges the school's rigid class distinctions; the masters' disdain highlights the tension between inherited status and merit.
- [Chapter XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xvi): Mr. Perkins' plan to attract boys from London reflects tensions between traditional provincial values and the desire for social and educational advancement.
- [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xxv): The contrast between Philip's comfortable life and Monsieur Ducroz's destitution highlights class disparities.
- [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xxvii): Philip's attempt to define a 'gentleman' reveals the class assumptions of English society, and Weeks' American perspective challenges them.
- [XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xxxiii): Philip's decision to become a chartered accountant reflects the shifting professional landscape and his need to secure a respectable place in society.
- [XXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xxxvi): Philip's discomfort with his shabby clothes and Watson's condescension highlight class distinctions and Philip's uncertain social position.
- [XXXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xxxviii): The tension between Philip as an articled clerk and lower clerks like Thompson highlights class divisions and the struggle for advancement.
- [XLIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xlix): Albert Price's petty concerns and the sordid lives of the dancers illustrate the constraints of class and the struggle for dignity.
- [LI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/li): Foinet's discourse on money and dignity underscores the class anxieties and economic pressures that shape Philip's choices.
- [LVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lvii): Philip is acutely aware of Mildred's commonness and vulgarity, highlighting the class differences between them and his discomfort with her social manners.
- [LVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lviii): Mildred's pretensions about her family's gentility and her disdain for shop work reflect class anxieties.
- [LXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lxiii): Mildred's decision to marry Miller for financial security reflects the social pressures and limited options for women of her class.
- [LXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lxviii): Philip's financial worries and desire to make money through stock tips reflect his precarious social position and aspirations.
- [Chapter LXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lxix): Mildred's concern with appearing respectable (claiming her husband is an officer in India) and Philip's financial struggles highlight class anxieties and the precariousness of social standing.
- [LXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lxxvi): Mildred's financial dependence on Philip and her inability to secure work highlight the limited social mobility for women of her class.
- [LXXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lxxxvi): Athelny, a well-educated man, is a charity patient in the hospital, illustrating the fluidity and contradictions of social class.
- [LXXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lxxxvii): Athelny's eccentric lifestyle and claims of aristocratic lineage contrast with his modest, shabby home.
- [LXXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lxxxix): Athelny's varied and unsuccessful occupations and his current job as a press-representative highlight the precariousness of social mobility.
- [XCI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xci): Mildred's shame about service and Philip's insistence on a business arrangement reflect class tensions and social mobility struggles.
- [XCII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xcii): Mildred's lie to the landlady about being married to Philip underscores her concern with social respectability and the precariousness of her class position.
- [XCV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xcv): Mildred's reluctance to work for low wages and Philip's financial anxieties highlight the precariousness of their lower-middle-class existence, with the stock market seen as a risky path to improvement.
- [XCVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xcvi): Mildred's concern with being a 'lady' and her contempt for Philip's refinement underscore class tensions and her own social aspirations.
- [XCVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xcviii): Philip's fall from a comfortable inheritance to near poverty underscores the precariousness of social mobility and the impact of financial loss on his aspirations.
- [XCIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xcix): Philip's fall from relative comfort to near-destitution highlights the precariousness of social standing and the shame associated with poverty.
- [C](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/c): Philip's middle-class prejudices make the prospect of shop work feel degrading, highlighting the rigid class boundaries of the era.
- [CII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cii): Philip, an educated man with artistic training, must start at the bottom of the retail ladder, illustrating the harsh realities of class and economic necessity.
- [CIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/ciii): Philip's fall from gentleman to shop assistant highlights the rigid class structure and the humiliation of menial labor.
- [CIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/civ): Philip's discomfort and the condescension of other staff ('sidey') reflect the class tensions within the department store hierarchy.
- [CV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cv): Philip's fall from gentleman to shop assistant is highlighted by his coworkers' comments and his own shame at dressing the window.
- [CVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cvii): Philip's rise from shop-walker to designer reflects his precarious social mobility, yet he remains trapped by low wages and fear of unemployment.
- [CVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cviii): Philip's low wages and hope for his uncle's death to fund his return to medicine highlight the constraints of class and the struggle for upward mobility.
- [CXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cxiii): Philip observes the vast divide between the poor and the middle classes, noting that the poor do not envy their betters but view them as exploitable.
- [CXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cxiv): The stark contrast between the squalid room and the stately buildings across the river highlights the chasm between the poor and the secure.
- [CXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cxv): Sally's potential marriage to an electrical engineer represents a chance for upward mobility, contrasting with her family's financial struggles and her mother's emphasis on security.
- [CXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cxviii): The chapter depicts the rural working-class life of hop-pickers, with Philip participating in their labor and simple pleasures.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/themes/class_and_social_mobility
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/themes