# Isolation and Belonging in Of Human Bondage

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

Philip's clubfoot and introspective nature make him feel perpetually apart from others, and the novel traces his painful search for friendship, love, and a place where he can be accepted.

## Where it surfaces

- [The Day Breaks Gray and Dull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/i): Philip's mother's desperate clinging to him and the doctor's decision to remove him foreshadow his future isolation and search for belonging.
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/ii): Philip is an only child who amuses himself alone, and his clubfoot sets him apart, as noted by the strangers.
- [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/iii): Philip is uprooted from his home and the care of Emma, forced to go live with an uncle he barely knows, deepening his sense of loneliness.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/iv): Philip's arrival at the vicarage highlights his sense of displacement and the awkwardness of fitting into a new, unfamiliar household.
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/vi): Philip is isolated in the rigid, uneventful life of the vicarage, where he must adapt to a world of strict routines and social divisions.
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/vii): Philip begins to feel a sense of belonging as he walks hand-in-hand with his uncle and is comforted by Mary Ann's care.
- [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/viii): Philip feels more at home with the servant Mary Ann than with his own family, highlighting his emotional isolation.
- [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/ix): Philip's solitary reading in the hammock and his aunt's refusal to let him play with other children underscore his isolation.
- [Philip Goes to School](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/x): Philip feels isolated and frightened on his first day at school, struggling to fit in and being teased for his clubfoot.
- [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xi): Philip is ostracized and mocked for his deformity, deepening his sense of alienation.
- [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xii): Philip's deformity creates a barrier between him and other boys, leaving him isolated and unable to join in their games or understand their life.
- [Chapter XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xiii): Philip's self-consciousness about his clubfoot and his invented story highlight his sense of apartness from others and his struggle to fit in.
- [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xv): Philip enters a new, traditional environment where he is an outsider; the masters themselves feel alienated by the change in leadership.
- [Chapter XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xvi): Philip's deformity makes him a target, isolating him from his peers and masters, though Mr. Perkins' kindness offers a brief sense of belonging.
- [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xvii): Philip is not popular and is very lonely. His deformity isolates him from games, but he finds comfort in solitary walks and the quiet of the precincts.
- [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xviii): Philip's intellectual habits and sarcasm alienate him from his peers, yet he desperately longs for popularity and finds temporary belonging in his friendship with Rose.
- [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xix): Philip's desperate need for exclusive friendship and his subsequent ostracism highlight his struggle to belong.
- [Heidelberg](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xxii): Philip feels shy and out of place among strangers, but the walk and the beauty of the landscape give him a sense of elation and belonging.
- [Chapter XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xxvi): Philip, left to himself after his companions depart, eagerly seeks connection with Hayward, whose intellectual companionship fills a void.
- [XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xxviii): Philip feels lonely and adrift after abandoning his faith, but also finds a new sense of adventure and self-reliance in his skepticism.
- [The Scandal at Frau Erlin's](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xxx): Cäcilie and Herr Sung's affair isolates them from the household, yet they find belonging in each other against a hostile environment.
- [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xxxii): Philip feels disconnected from his aging uncle and aunt, but is drawn into Miss Wilkinson's world of romantic adventure, seeking a sense of belonging.
- [XXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xxxvi): Philip feels alone in his new lodgings and out of place in the office, struggling to find his footing among unfamiliar people.
- [XXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xxxvii): Philip's profound loneliness in London is a central focus; he envies others' happiness and feels excluded from social life.
- [XL](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xl): Philip feels both out of place and exhilarated among the students, struggling to find his footing in a new social environment.
- [XLI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xli): Philip feels both enchanted by Paris and uncertain in his interactions, particularly with Miss Price, as he seeks his place among the art students.
- [XLIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xliii): Fanny Price is isolated and despised by her peers, yet clings to her identity as an artist, while Philip feels out of place in the new artistic environment.
- [XLIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xliv): Philip finds camaraderie among fellow art students but also experiences tension with Fanny Price, highlighting his struggle to fit in.
- [XLVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xlvi): Fanny Price's isolation is highlighted by her jealousy and her desperate attempt to connect with Philip through their shared sense of deformity.
- [XLVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xlvii): Philip feels left out of the intimate bond between Lawson and Ruth, and his reunion with Hayward underscores his shifting sense of intellectual belonging.
- [XLIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xlix): Fanny's extreme isolation, her unrequited love for Philip, and the impersonal crowd at the dance hall underscore themes of loneliness and the search for connection.
- [LIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/liv): Philip feels older than his classmates but begins to find his place among them through shared work.
- [LV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lv): Philip feels disconnected from his fellow medical students and struggles to form meaningful relationships, echoing his earlier school experiences.
- [LXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lxviii): Philip's illness and Griffiths's care create a bond of intimacy and belonging, contrasting with Philip's usual loneliness.
- [LXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lxxix): Philip's new lodgings and his efforts to create a home reflect his search for stability and belonging after his tumultuous relationship with Mildred.
- [LXXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lxxxiv): Philip feels isolated among his peers and resents the callousness of Upjohn and Jacobs, longing for acceptance.
- [LXXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/lxxxix): Philip, who has led a lonely life, finds a sense of belonging and warmth in the Athelny family circle.
- [XCII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xcii): Philip's insistence on keeping Mildred at a distance and his solitary walks home highlight his ongoing struggle with intimacy and belonging.
- [XCIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xciv): Philip feels drawn to the Athelny family's goodness and warmth, contrasting with his isolated relationship with Mildred.
- [XCVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/xcvii): After the destruction, Philip moves to cheap lodgings, feeling detached from his former life; he finds solace in his work at the hospital, where he is a favorite with patients.
- [C](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/c): Philip feels utterly alone, avoiding former acquaintances and dreading the judgment of those who might help him.
- [CI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/ci): Philip's isolation is broken by the Athelnys' unexpected kindness, offering him a sense of belonging and warmth.
- [CIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/civ): Philip feels 'intolerably alone' amid the forced camaraderie of the social evening, highlighting his profound sense of isolation.
- [CV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cv): Philip feels isolated among his coworkers and finds belonging only in the Athelny household.
- [CXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cxi): Philip feels disconnected from his work and colleagues; his uncle, facing death, reaches out for human comfort, clinging to Philip's hand.
- [CXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cxv): Philip feels a sense of belonging with the Athelny family yet observes Sally's emotional distance and enigmatic nature, highlighting his own isolation.
- [CXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cxvi): Philip lives a solitary life, seeing only the Athelnys, and deliberately avoids old friends like Lawson, yet he is not lonely and finds contentment in his work.
- [CXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cxvii): Doctor South's loneliness and his transfer of affection to Philip highlight the theme of isolation, while Philip's connection with the Athelny family offers a sense of belonging.
- [CXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cxviii): Philip feels a sense of home and belonging with the Athelny family in the hop-field, contrasting with his earlier isolation.
- [CXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cxix): Philip finds a sense of belonging with the Athelnys, participating in their work and social rituals.
- [CXX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/of_human_bondage_se/chapters/cxx): Philip's sense of being 'insignificant and crippled' is countered by Sally's acceptance, offering him a sense of belonging and maternal protection.

## Links

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