One of the reasons we study and appreciate literature is that great novels have very rich contents. Through the love, hate, anger, sorrow, humility of the protagonists, readers are allowed to access experiences normally very difficult to obtain. The lives of various characters tell about human desires and motives, thus examines the fundamental nature of men. In his novel Of Human Bondage, William Somerset Maugham brilliantly and realistically presented the early life of his protagonist, Philip Carey, to explore the true meaning of life and love. .
Philip Carey was born in a typical British middle class family; his father was a doctor and mother was a housewife. Unfortunately, both of his parents died during his childhood, Philip was handed to and raised up in Blackstable by his pious uncle and ineffectual aunt, who has never had experiences with children before. As a result, at age of eighteen, Philip was eager to end his unhappy life at Blackstable and enter the real world. He spent several months to study German, tried to be an accountant, and learnt art in Paris, but failed all of them. Perplexed by the confusing reality, Philip gave up his unreachable dreams and decided to be trained as a doctor in London. There, he met Mildred, a vulgar, brassy cockney waitress, and fell in love with her. Regrettably, Mildred didnt share Philip's feelings; she plays with Philip's feelings, drained his budget, and then left him. Philip was wounded; he thought he lost his meaning of life. However, with his friend Athelny's aids, Philip was able to start afresh and successfully complete his medical degree. Maugham is a master in the portrayal of human emotions; through Philip he examines the common nature of men.
Philip has a clubfoot, which he views as a humiliating misfortune. Throughout the book, he's always conscious of his handicap and worries about how people will think of it. This has cast a significant shadow on his personality.