Of Human Bondage is a lengthy novel: it chronicles the many defining events of the life of Philip Carey. It’s written in the third person omniscient point of view. Despite his ability to paint a full picture of each character, Maugham strays from Philip’s point of view very rarely. Because the novel’s purpose is to chronicle the life of Philip, the narrator will only narrate from another point of view if it’s conducive to our understanding of Philip. When the narrator strays, it’s to contrast Philip's perception of events with the actuality of them, this increases the reader's understanding of the character.
The third person omniscient view is helpful in Of Human Bondage for one particular reason: it allows Maugham to focus on the thoughts of Philip while still providing needed information to the reader that exists outside of the realm of Philip’s mind. The narrator is constantly alerting the reader of Philip’s reactions to different situations. The reader is always aware of how Philip feels about his surroundings, be it the scenery, a person, or a situation. Often a chapter will start with the thoughts of Philip, and the narrator will backtrack later by bringing awareness to the reader of events not previously discussed. This allows Maugham to explore Philip’s thoughts in depth without having to narrate every event that he reacts to.
Maugham uses this point of view to discuss not only events, but to discuss the emotions of other characters as well. With the vast majority of the novel being told about Philip’s thoughts and emotions, it would be difficult to grasp the reality of situations without an understanding of the thoughts of others. When Mildred reveals to Philip that she and Griffiths are seeing each other, Philip mentions that Griffiths has no money in an attempt to deter her from him. Mildred responds that she can make her own living. Without the narrator adding that “she thought of her rent due on Saturday and the baby’s keep, but did not say anything,” (430-431) the reader wouldn’t know that she’s actually quite worried about her finances, despite telling Philip otherwise. This is an important detail, as Mildred knows she can’t keep up her standard of living without financial support.The reader knows then that she wants Philip to think otherwise.
If Maugham had written Of Human Bondage in first person, the reader would be subject to a somewhat distorted narration of events. Philip’s emotions are often so powerful that they are overwhelming, and without an outside perspective the reader would likely develop different opinions on the majority of characters in the novel. The third person omniscient point of view fits this novel well as it allows Maugham to give the reader a full and complete perspective on events when needed.
I agree with this completely. I like how you mention that if the novel had been told in first person Philip's emotions would have interrupted the story in an unpleasant way. This post also makes me want to go back into the novel and note anytime someone said one thing, but thought another, such as Mildred did. It is also true that the author only moves away from Philip's thoughts to help the reader understand Philip better when he is being affected by another's thoughts. Everything you wrote is valid and I like how concise you made the post.
ReplyDeleteYour opening paragraph is really wonderful. It quickly but also fully informs the reader as to how Maugham uses third person in his story and sets up the rest of your post with the reader having context for your analysis. I agree with Annalise that your suggestion of the first person becoming annoying from Philip's emotions. That connection between the character traits and its impact on narration is very strong. You write with very clear wording and structure that makes your blog enjoyable to read.
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