Philip the Trapped Swan in Of Human Bondage

1、Philip the Trapped Swan in Of Human Bondage王静孟庆娟【Abstract】MaughamsOfHumanBondagedevotestothequestofPhilipforthefreedomfromthebondageofphysicaldeformity，emotionalbewildermentandspiritualdisillusion.Strugglinginvain，Philipisaswantrappedinhisinnerworldandhumannature.【Keywords】deformity；freedom；humanbon

2、dage【作者簡介】王静，孟庆娟，山东理工大学外国语学院。OfHumanBondageistheautobiographicalwritingofW.SomersetMaughamHailedasoneofthemostrepresentativeworksthatprobesdeeplyintothenatureofhumanbeings，MaughamsOfHumanBondagedepictsthelifeexperienceoftheheroPhilip，analyzinghowPhiliptriestobreakfromtheshacklesofphysicaldeformity，e

3、motionalbewildermentandspiritualdisillusion，seekingforthefreedomoflife.ThestorybeginswiththedeathofHelenCarey，themuchbelovedmotherofnine-year-oldPhilipCarey.Philiphasaclubfootandhisfatherhaddiedafewmonthsbefore.Noworphaned，heissenttolivewithhisauntanduncle，LouisaandWilliamCarey.Duetothephysicaldefor

4、mity，Philipwasbulliedbyhisclassmates，whichcastashadowonhisheart.Whenhegrewolder，thisdeformitypreventedhimfromlovingandbeinglovednormally.AtfirstanoldspinsterMissWilkinsonseducedhim.ThenawomenpainterFannyPricewhowaswretchedlypoor，wantingofcharm，andilltempered“troubledhimwithherpassion.ButPhilipwasnta

5、wareofherloveuntilshehangedherselfinhungry.Thenanotherwomanappeared.ItwasMildred.Philipfellinlovewithheratthefirstsightandtriedhisbesttodonearlyeverythingforher.Heknewshewasshallow，empty-headedandvain，healsoknew“itwasnotlove，butahungerofthesoul，apainfulyearning，abitteranguishchapter57344，buthejustco

6、uldnthelp，justlikehecouldntresisttheseductionfromMissWilkinson.ThisloveaffairwascertainlyafailurebecauseMildredneverlovedhimseriouslyandwhatsheboughttohimwerehurtandhumiliation.Beingfrustratedanddiscouragedbythefailuresinhislife，Philipattributedallhisunhappinesstohisclubfoot.Hecouldneverbearanyoneca

7、llhim“cripple.Inordertoremedythedefect，Philiplearnedmusic，paintingandthentookupmedicine.Hethoughtthesethingscouldhelpfreehimfromhisdeformity.Buthefailed，becausehisbondageisnotfromhisinborndeformityorphysicalweaknessbutfromhisinnerworldandhisnature.Sincehewasayoungboy，hewasclearlyawareofhisdeformitya

8、ndhadsubconsciouslymadeuseofit.Inchapter13，whenLuardbrokehispen-holder，hemadeupapatheticstorytomakeLuardfeelsosorryforhim.HedidntknowwhybuthefullyKNEWwhathewasdoing.HealsorememberedthatwhenEmmatoldhimofhismothersdeath，heinsistedonspeakinggood-byetotheladiessothattheymightseehisgriefandpityhim.Laterw

9、henMildredwastorefusehimcompletely，hetalkedabouthisdeformityhimself！Thoughhefeltdisgustedwithhimself，hiswordsdidworkMildredshedtearsandacceptedhim.ItstruethatPhilipseemstodeservemuchsympathybecauseofhisdeformity.However，asaboy，heisnotna?ve；asateenager，heisoversensitive，andasayoungman，heisaselfishcow

10、ard.Therealbondagethattortureshimandtrappedhimsolongisnothingelsebuthisownmorbidnature.Duetohisclubfoot，hecouldnotwalkfastneithercouldheplaythegamesboysliked.Inordertoavoidbeingsneeredheisolatedhimselfasmuchaspossible.Asaresult，hebecamesosensitiveandhungeroflovethatthecommonfriendshipfromaboyRosewei

11、ghedtoomuchforhim.Inchapter19，whenRoseforgottheirappointment，Philipwassodisappointed.Hewaitedontheplatformwitheagereyesandasinkingheart.Hethoughthewasboundbyhisdeformitysohetreasuredthetenderfeelingsfromtheouterworldverymuch.Rosedidntmindhisclubfootanddevelopedthefriendshipwithhim.Thisfriendshipmigh

12、tfreePhilipfromhisisolationandbroughthimcompanions.Buthissensitivenessand“adevilinhisheartpreventedhimfromsayingsomegoodwordstoreconcilewithRoseafteraquarrel.Thatishispridedeeplyhiddeninthebottomofhisheart.HejustwantedtoguardhisprideforawhilebutRoses“damncripplecrushedallhishopetobefreedfromloneline

13、ssandhumiliation.Whenhewaslittle，hisclubfootboundhimfromwalkingfastorplayingfreely；whenhewasateenager，over-sensitivenessandpridekepthimfromgettingfriendshipandcompanions；andwhenhegrewolder，hewasboundbythelovewithwomen.Philipislikeaswan.Itsaidthatlong，longago，theswanscouldfly.Theyfliedsowellandsofart

14、hattheyfliedovertheearthfromthisparttotheotherhalfonceayear.Lovingtheirgracefulfigure，thenoblemenofMiddleAgesconsideredtheswansthenoblestamongallthebirds.Theycaughttheswansandkeptthemintheirmanorstoshowoff.Atthattime，therewerethreewaystopreventtheswansfromflying.Onewastocutthefeatherofonewing，onewas

15、tobindthetwowingstogether，andthethirdwastoshortenthedistanceinbreadthbecauseswansshouldrunacurtaindistancetohelpthemselvesfly.Theformertwomethodswoulddamagethebeautyoftheswanoreveninjurethemsothenoblemenadoptedthethirdmethodtokeeptheswansinthelakesorponds.Manyyearspassed，theswansgotusedtothecomforta

16、bleandpeaceablelife.Theyforgotthattheirancestorscouldhaveflownhighandfar.ItsveryinterestingthatMaughamhadgivenPhilipsomanychancestofreehimfromthebondage.Whenhewasyoungandignorant，hisuncleandauntintroducedhimtobooks；whenhefeltlonelyandisolated，hewasconvertedtoreligionandthenRosecametohimwithfriendshi

17、p；whenhewantedtobeindependentandfreer，hegottheopportunitiestolearnartsButPhilipletallthechancesthatmightfreehimpassby.Hewouldnotdevotehimtoreligion.HissarcasticmannerandwordsmadehisfriendshipwithRosebroke.AndwhenNorah，thevivaciousandlovableladysteppedintohislife，herefusedhertoreceiveMildred.Hedrathe

18、rbeaservantorevenaslavetoMildredthantokeepNorahThenameremindspeopleof“NoahintheBiblethatsavesthehumanbeingfromtheFloodandliveahappyandcarefreelifewithher.Hefell，nottothehellbuttotheworldofreality.Duringhispracticeasadoctor，themedicalknowledgeopenedhiseyeswhilethepains，despair，hopes，andcourageofthose

19、peoplehemetmadehimrecognizehowlittlethingsmatteredandhowunimportantlifewaswithallitsfailures.Therealityoftheworldmadehimmatureandstronger.Heseemedtobefreedfromhisdeformity.Themostimportantthingwasthathefreedhimselffromthecarnalandtheblindlovetowomen.ItmaybeseenthatwhenMildredcamebacktohimfromGriffit

20、hs，Philipcouldfacehercalmly.HetooktheresponsibilitytotakecareofMildredandherdaughterandrefuseshertemptationseveraltimes.Itseemedthathehadmadehimselfarealgentleman.WhenPhilipgoesonasmallsummervacationwiththeAthelnys，hefindsthatoneofAthelnysdaughters，Sally，likeshim.ItisSallywhotakestheinitiativetoshow

21、herfondnesstoPhilip.TheyhavesexinamomentofromanticabandonandthenSallythinkssheispregnant.PhilipdecidestomarrySallyandacceptDr.Southsoffer，insteadoftravelingtheworldashehadplanned.PhilipbecomesengagedtoSally，concludingthat“thesimplestpatternthatinwhichamanwasborn，worked，married，hadchildren，anddiedwas

22、likewisethemostperfect.Hestopssearchingforhappinessanddecidestobecontentwithhislot.PhilipsuniowithSallyimpliesthathefallsintoanotherbondageandrevealshisfailureinbecomingacompletemanandfreeinghimselffromthebondagescastbyhisdeformityandthehumannature.Itslongbelievedthattheremustbeaswanineverybodysheart.Itsoarsfreelywithourthoughtsandcreativity.Butbecauseofthebondageofdesires，ambitions，orthepondtoaidflyingbeingtwosmall，manyofushavelostthefreeandvastskyfortheheartstosoar.Philipsclubfootisliketheswanswingsofwhichfeathers