Unshackling The Spiritual Bondage: Anatomy Of William Somerset Maugham’s Of Human Bondage

Of Human Bondage is generally acknowledged as one of most importantmasterpieces of Somerset Maugham. It deeply reflected the writer’s outlook of life aswell as his observations and understanding of human nature. Through portraying thecomplex inter world of protagonist Philip, Maugham displayed the struggle of a manin his cruel social surroundings. He put great efforts on giving an objective depictionof the hero’s exploration of the meaning of life and the possibility of unshackling hisdifferent spiritual bondages.During the early20thcentury, the ideology of Western society began a transitionalperiod and the traditional ideas and values of people were shaken due to thefollowing facts: the development of rationalism provided the seeds of disbelief inGod and religion, World War I and the following economic depression shatteredmodern man’s dreams and illusions. Nihilism and Schopenhauer’s pessimism wereequally thriving.Based on a detailed reading of one of his major works Of Human Bondage thisthesis attempts to anatomize the modern spiritual crisis as reflected in this novel andtries to demonstrate Maugham’s ever deepening process of understanding humanity.By displaying the entire process of the central character Philip’s exploration of themeaning of life, his efforts of getting rid of these spiritual bondages turned out to bevain and meaningless in the end, Maugham showed us his own interpretation of lifeand humanity that in this futile world, human being are so powerless and there arevery limited chances for people to unshackle their own spiritual bondages.