Abstract Of Human Bondage is an accurate reflection of Maugham’s contemplation on humanity and his exploration on the meaning of life. The thesis attempts to expound and verify that though Philip Carey, the protagonist, struggles to break off the shackles of humanity bondage, he eventually reconciles with them, accepts the real existence of life and returns to a life of philistinism. It mainly focuses on how the main character deals with his inner self, his relationship with people around him and his relationship with the world where he lives in. It aims to put forward the notion that to attain disillusionment is to accept bondage rationally.56396

Keywords:  disillusion; rationality; compromise; philistinism

摘要《人性的枷锁》反应了作家毛姆对人性的思考和对生命意义的探索，本文试图从小说主人公菲利普同他自身的关系、同他周围人的关系以及同他借以生存的世界的关系角度论证虽然他一直都在挣扎着摆脱人性枷锁的束缚，最终却与之达成和解，回归庸常的生活。唯有接受真实存在的生活的喜悦、苦痛，理智面对伴随其中的种种枷锁的束缚，才能真正醒悟，获得自由。

毕业论文关键词：幻灭；理性；妥协；庸常

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

3. Reasons of Philip’s Compromise with Life 2

3.1 Physiological Defect and Emotional Vacancy 2

3.2 Influence of Different Assortments of People 8

3.3 Era Background and Social Limitations 12

4. Conclusion 14

Works Cited 15

1. Introduction 

William Somerset Maugham is a popular British realistic writer in the end of the 19th century and the early of 20th century. As a transitional writer and in quest of the understanding of the meaning and spirit of freedom, Maugham scammed a large number of philosophical works, of which Spinoza, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, had exerted great influence on him. During his lifetime, Maugham produced a considerable amount of works, of which The Moon and Sixpence, Of Human Bondage and The Razor’s Blade were among the best. Of Human Bondage is generally acknowledged to be Maugham’s masterpiece. It is a semi-autobiographical novel that touches upon the life of the main character Philip Carey, who was alike to Maugham, lost both his parents at an early age and brought up by a paternal uncle who was emotionally cold. Philip’s clubfoot causes him endless humiliation and self-conscience, echoing Maugham’s struggle with his stammer. Most of his ordeals and afflictions stems from his clubfoot, which also serves to shape his sensitivity and unsociability. “Maugham, like Philip, found his experiences at school uniformly unpleasant and chose not to take a degree at a British university, even though all of his relations had done so.” (Smiley, 1991:7) The writer poured his own sentiment into the characters so as to demonstrate vividly his ambivalence about humanity and bondage accompanying it. In fact, inpiduals do not only suffer from their fate bondage, but also benefit from it. The humanity bondage, rather than casting them down, spurs them on. Its two aspects are so intermingled that people can rarely distinguish one from the other. Taking stand from that point, this thesis tends to interpret Maugham’s outlook of life.

2. Literature Review

Maugham showed peculiar disgust and disdain for middle class because of their moral standards, interests and hobbies, and lifestyles. In Of Human Bondage, he approached humanity from different angles, endeavored to reproduce his inner struggles, thus making a stir. Chinese scholar Ma Linxian analyzed religious consciousness in Of Human Bondage. He pointed out that the humanity and the pinity were not a total antinomy, and either of them cared in its unique way, and eventually unified everyone. It was only when the two were consistent that the characters were content, if not, painful. Philip searched for life is a path for redemption. Scholar Li Xueshun dissected Of Human Bondage with naturalism, which attributed to Maugham’s unflappable, stoical attitude towards life. Dr. Liu Cuilan also analyzed this novel with naturalism, but her study was done in a detailed way by piding into five parts: connection between Maugham’s lifetime and Of Human Bondage, nexus between novelistic authenticity and novelist’s visibility, relationship between animality and characters’ behaviors, between conditions and characters’ fate and relationship between objectivity and characters’ language. Scholar Ji Zhaorong interpreted the novel with Chinese Taoism. She concluded that the good in humanity did not antagonize the evil; the character finally acquired peace after impacts on mind and body. Xie Juan applied existentialism to her study of the embodiment of human bondage and Maugham’s life philosophy. What’s more, Mi Haiyan employed deconstructionism to analyze the binary opposition of bondage: ideal and reality, sense and sensibility and meaning and nihility, reaffirming the encapsulation that life was meaningless. Based on their studies, this thesis attempts to demonstrate the main character’s compromise with life and to interpret Maugham’s view on life: pain matters as much as happiness. They come in, both of them, as other details of life come in, to the elaboration of the pattern of life. Life is to be lived rather than to be thinking about, only embracing full dimensions of life can one get utterly free.源'自:吹冰-'论~文'网·www.chuibin.com