On Of Human Bondage From Hegel’s Conflicts Theory

Of Human Bondage is much like a autobiography and the first part of the novel is almost a copy of Maugham’s unhappy childhood. It is not difficult for the readers to find the connections between the novel and the writer’s real life even though Maugham added a lot of his imaginations in it. Thus the protagonist Philip’s changing mind can reflect Maugham’s concerns on human lives to some extent. Through consistent trying and thinking, Philip found the ultra freedom at last.Using Hegel’s conflict theory, this thesis discusses the protagonist Philip in the following parts: the rebuilding of self-consciousness and free wills; the breaking of religion and common ethics; the rebalance between rationality and instinct. Hegel believes that conflicts drives the development of a story and provides possibilities for the character to improve his spirit. The character approaches truth through consistent conflicts and negations. All the bondages Philip met in his life includes: his born crooked-foot and petty bourgeois identity; the religion creed and common ethics; the torment by lust and sense. All these bondages make fierce conflicts with Philip’s free wills, however, he is not overwhelmed by them, and instead he survived and found the ultra freedom. After breaking them all, Philip learns the nature of life and gains peace in his heart. The ultra freedom is rebalance of all the conflicts, seeing through all the illusions of the world first and then getting back into it, feeling it without being cheated by it. Holding the nature of life, he can appreciate everything that fate brings.