Text analysis "Of Human Bondage"

Text Analysis

Of Human Bondage

The author of the extract under analysis is a well-known English novelist, short-story writer, playwright and essayist Somerset Maugham. Maugham’s education happened at the King’s School in Canterbury and Heidelberg University, Germany, before he went on to study medicine at St Thomas’s Hospital in London. But his hobby was literature and theatre. The experiences of his life in London inspired his first novel “Liza of Lambeth” (1897) that circled around London’s slums and the Cockney lifestyle. Great success as a novelist came with “Of Human Bondage” (1915) which was autobiographical in all but the names he chose. All his best novels are written about artists: in “The Moon and Sixpence” (1919) he tells readers the story of the French painter Paul Gaugin as it would be if the painter were an Englishman, “Cakes and Ale” (1932) is based on some facts from Th. Hardy’s life, the main character of “Theatre” (1937) is a London actress. Somerset Maugham was also a master of the short story. He could convey human relationships and feelings with a startling reality.

The text under analysis is a short story Of Human Bondage. The title of the story reveals its subject matter, but it is only when we have read the whole story we shall understand what underlies this title.

The story is told from the point of view of the author. From the point of view of presentation the text is a 3rd person narration with dialogues of the characters.

Since the text under consideration presents a story it belongs to belles-lettres style, emotive prose substyle. Of Human Bondage formed a style for himself by a close imitation of Sir Thomas Browne; he used elaborate sentences, carefully balanced, and obsolete, resplendent words: it gave his writing an appearance of individuality.

The character drawing is of mixture type. The author describes characters directly through words and indirectly through their actions. There are 2 main characters in the text –Philip and Doctor South and one secondary character the secretary. The secretary was a pleasant little man with a black beard, whom Philip had always found very affable.

Philip was the man , who passed his Surgery and received his diploma at the age of 30, because he had to give the studying up in the middle because of poverty. He received an opportunity to do a locum for a month on the South coast . Philip preserved a sedate exterior, but in his heart he was bubbling over with excitement. He was immensely elated at being engaged as a locum; it made him feel extremely grown up. He was pleased with the change of occupation. He liked the feeling of independence and of responsibility. He was gratified because he seemed able to inspire his patients with confidence. Philip liked to talk to the sailor-men, and when they found that he was not supercilious they told him long yarns of the distant journeys of their youth. He has a good sense of humour and he had some gift for repartee, and he made one or two answers which caused Doctor South to

stop and look at him curiously.

Doctor South was rather a crusty, funny old fellow. The rivalry was a sore point with the old man. He speaks his mind very openly, and men don’t like it. He was a man of middle height,thin, with white hair cut very short and a long mouth closed so tightly that he seemed to have no lips at all, he was clean-shaven but for small white whiskers and they increased the squareness of face which his firm jaw gave him.He wore a brown tweed suit and a white stock . His clothes hung loosely about him as though they had been made for a more larger man. He looked like a respectable farmer of the nineteenth century. He set his face firmly against all the discoveries of the last thirty years: he had no patience with the drugs which

became modish, were thought to work marvellous cures, and in a few years were discarded, ; he had stock mixtures which he had brought from St. Luke’s where he had been a student, and had used all his life; he found them just as efficacious as anything that had come into fashion since. The assistants, who were sent to him found it difficult to get on with him. Doctor South watched them with tightened lips; he took a savage pleasure in showing them how great was their ignorance and how unjustified their conceit. It was a poor practice, of fishing folk, and the doctor made up his own prescriptions.

The extract depicts a certain period of life of the main character – Philip. In the beginning of the story we see him after he had just graduated and received his diploma. He walked down the stairs of the Royal College of Surgeons with a roll in his hands which qualified hi, to practice, and his heart beat with satisfaction. The metaphor is employed to convey the feelings of the character, to underline their intensity. The reader is informed that Philip is nearly thirty and is determined to begin life now. To do this he went to the secretary’s office to put his name down for one of the hospital appointments. While addressing Philip the secretary uses a rhetorical question: I suppose you wouldn’t like to do locum for a month on the South coast? as if expecting a negative reply. However, Philip agreed despite the fact that he would have to leave at once. But the secretary’s doubtful manner made Philip ask: What’s the crab in it? (rather colloquial, this question gives the reader some information about the character’s background and manner of speech). As an answer to this question he received a brief description of doctor as a crusty, funny old fellow who speaks his mind very openly (here the author employs a metaphor). Philip was glad of a chance to earn a bit of money (a litotes). The secretary promised to send a wire at once (a metonymy). So Philip packed his luggage and got on a train. Soon after seven that evening he got out of the station at Farnley and took a cab to doctor South’s. As the story develops we get to know Doctor South and understand why the secretary called him funny and crusty. Describing the doctor the author uses a simile – he looked like a respectable farmer of the middle of the nineteenth century. While depicting the conversation of Doctor South and Philip the author employs elliptical sentences: ‘When were you qualified?’ ‘Yesterday.’ ‘Were you at a university?’ ‘No.’, which also say a lot about the personalities of the two main characters. And it also gives a hint at the understanding between the two yet unfamiliar people. The Doctor tells Philip about his previous experience with assistants who were too damned gentlemanly for him (an oxymoron). Of special interest is the passage describing Philip’s feelings and behaviour during dinner: he preserved a sedate exterior, but in his heart he was bubbling over with excitement. The hyperbole underlines that he was really thrilled to do the job. He was immensely elated at being engaged as a locum; it made him feel extremely grown-up; he had and insane desire to laugh at noting in particular… The intensity of feelings is emphasised by the use of epithet. But doctor wasn’t noticing all that. To describe his behaviour the author uses metaphor: But doctor South broke suddenly into his thoughts. During the dinner doctor gave Philip general information on his practice: mostly fisherman and their families. After the dinner Philip was left by himself so he used this time to smoke his pipe and read a book. The climax of the story may be presented in the conversation between Philip and doctor South about the book be Smollet – Peregrine Pickle. To prove that Philip was still in high spirits despite some grimness of Doctor, the author employs metaphor: Philip’s eyes twinkled. This scene may be considered as the moment when doctor South understands that Philip is different from all the young man who had been sent to him. While expressing doctor’s opinion about those men the author employs various stylistic devices to make the image more vivid: they came with unconcealed scorn to General Practitioner which they had absorbed in the air at the hospital (metaphor), they knew how to treat an obscure disease of the suprarenal bodies, but were helpless when consulted for a cold in the head; their knowledge were theoretical and their self-assurance unbounded (antithesis). The deunement is shown in the events after this conversation. For two or three days Doctor South watched Philip closely, ready to fall on him with acid sarcasm if he gave him the opportunity; and Philip, aware of this, went about his work with a quiet sense of amusement. Once or twice he made a mistake in diagnosis and once or twice his ideas for treatment different from Doctor South’s. The first time this happened Doctor South attacked him with savage irony, but Philip took it with good humor…

Tenses

The author used past tenses in narrations and description, and present tenses in the direct speech.

The Past Indefinite Tense predominates and is used to express:

1) action in the past taking place once, never or several times: At the beginning of August Philip passed his Surgery, his last examination , and received diploma.

2) an action taking place one after another : The secretary hesitated a moment and laughed in a conciliating fashion. Philip fetched a book from his room, lit his pipe, and settled himself down to read.

The Past Continuous Tense is used :

1) to describe a past action over a period of time: During the dinner, Philip knew that Doctor South was examining him ….

2) to describe what someone was doing at a particular point in time: He was shown into the consulting-room. An old man was writing at a desk.

The Past Perfect Tense is used:

1) To express the idea that something occurred before another action in the past: He could put it aside for the holiday in Spain which he had promised himself …

2) to show that something started in the past and lasted for some time in the past: It was a great comfort, since he had read nothing but medical books for the last few months.

3) to express unfulfilled wishes or dreams ( the Third Conditional.): …said Doctor South , with a grimness which would have disturbed Philip if he had not been in such high spirits.

The Present Simple Tense is used:

1) To express an action in the present taking place once, never or several times: I have those, who can’t afford to pay for a doctor at all.

2) to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual: He speaks his mind very openly, and men don’t like.

The Present Continuous Tense is used :

1) to express the idea that something is happening now, at this very moment: What’s that you’re reading? I think, you are expecting me.

2) action arranged for the near future: Now I’m really going to begin life.

The Present Perfect Tense is used:

1) to express finished action that has an influence on the present: ….since they tried to make this into fashionable seaside resort a man has set up on the cliff, and the well-to-do people go to him.

The Future Simple Tense

Shall\will is used

1)to express simple future action: The agencies won’t send him anyone any more

2) . to make promises for the future: All right. I’ll go.

3) to say that somebody will do something voluntarily in the future :If so, I’ll send a wire at once.

Be going to is used to express the idea that a person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the plan is realistic or not: Now I’m really going to begin new life.

As to the nouns both proper (Seamen’s Hospital, Peregrine Pickle etc) and common ones are used, as countable and uncountable (material nouns: mould, hair, air and abstract nouns: exterior, excitement, sarcasm).

Articles

Indefinite article is used in its nominative meaning: a man, send a wire, took a cab, a locum, a chair , a mistake, etc . We can also see the use of the indefinite article with a descriptive attribute: a pleasant little man, a black beard, a conciliating fashion, a very pleasant place, a broad low stucco house, an old man, a black tweed suit, a white stock, a great comfort, a slight smile; before phrases of time and measurements: three guineas a week, in phrases of the type: a little doubtful, a bit of money, a few days for himself; the classifying meaning: a doctor. The numeric meaning( meaning one): hesitated a moment, half/quite: half an hour, half a dozen

The definite article is used mostly in its specifying meaning: the roll in his hand, the holiday in Spain, the station at Farnley, the maid ; (of- constructions ): the beginning of August, the stairs of the Royal College of Surgeons the feeling of independence Nevertheless, one of the hospital appointments, the squareness of face – the things have been mentioned before or we know the particular thing from the context. We can see them with limiting attributes: the night before, the door opposite, the first time;

No articles are used with abstract nouns: interested much in literature, took it with good humour, attacked with savage irony; substances: stained with mould

The infinitives present in the text are used in different functions:

• with the roll in his hand which qualified him to practice – the objective with the infinitive construction;

• Now I’m really going to begin life - a part of a compound verbal modal predicate;

• next day he went to the secretary’s office to put his name down - an AM of purpose;

• I suppose you wouldn’t like to do locum - an object;

• I wouldn’t mind; You’d have to go down at once - a part of a compound verbal modal predicate;

• He ought to be glad to get you - a part of a compound verbal modal predicate; an object;

• He had nothing to do - an attribute;

• The only thing is, you must go this afternoon; there was really no reason why he should not start immediately - a part of a compound verbal modal predicate;

• Do you want to wash - an object;

• he did not want to hear his assistant talk - an object; a complex object;

• I told ‘em not to do it again – complex object;

• he had an insane desire to laugh - an attribute;

• I had to give it up for two years - a part of a compound verbal modal predicate;

• I used to be alone here - a part of a compound verbal aspect predicate;

• they tried to make this - an object;

• those who can’t afford to pay for a doctor - a part of a compound verbal modal predicate; an object;

• Philip hated not to have his feet up – an object;

• You seem able to make yourself pretty comfortable - a part of a compound verbal aspect predicate;

• I happen to know that - the subjective infinitive construction;

• they know how to treat an obscure disease – an object;

• he expected to make both ends meet – an object;

• they could neither write a legible hand nor spell correctly - a part of a compound verbal modal predicate;

• ready to fall on him with acid sarcasm – an object;

• he seemed able to inspire his patients with confidence - a part of a compound verbal aspect predicate;

• it was entertaining to watch the process of cure – a subject;

• which at a hospital necessarily could be watched only at distant intervals - a part of a compound verbal modal predicate;

• Philip liked to talk to the sailor man – an object;

• which caused Doctor South to stop and look at him curiously - a complex object.

There are some gerunds in the text:

• he took a savage pleasure in showing them how great – an AM of manner;

• their reading consisted of The Sporting Times – a subject.

In the text we can find the following examples of Participle I:

• The secretary hesitated a moment and laughed in a conciliating fashion - an attribute;

• It was a broad low stucco house, with a Virginia creeper growing over it – the prepositional absolute participial construction;

• he said, pointing to the door opposite - an AM of attendant circumstances;

• Philip without meaning to, started forward - an AM of manner;

• a mixture consisting of half a dozen expensive drugs - an attribute;

• it was entertaining to watch the process of cure – a predicative;

Participle II can be found in the following of sentences:

• he was a man of middle height, thin, with white hair cut very short and a long mouth closed so tightly - the prepositional absolute participial construction;

• It was a thin book bound in faded morocco; the pages were stained in mould; with the unconcealed scorn - an attribute;

• with tightened lips – an attribute.

Modal verbs:

He ought to be glad to get you. - Used to indicate obligation or duty

He could put it aside for holiday in Spain. I only treat those who can’t afford to pay for a doctor. You seem able to make yourself pretty comfortable.– Used to indicate an ability/possibility

The only thing is you must go this afternoon – Used to indicate obligation/ necessity

There was really no reason why he should not start immediately - Used to express probability or expectation

I had to give it up for two years in the middle - necessity

They could neither write a legible hand nor spell correctly - an ability

On the lexical level

Most words are neutral. There are phrasal verbs and informal words and phrases: to make both ends meet; crab; Varsity; yarn.

Word of the one semantic field: look, stare, examining, watch, and see.

The reader can note numerous terms belonging to the semantic field of medicine: Surgery, hospital, locum, mumps, consulting-room, practice, doctor, patient, drugs, mixtures, wards, diseases, suprarenal bodies, cold in the head, prescription, stomach-ache, mixture, diagnosis, measles, and treatment.

As far as the text is devoted to the the topic medical practice there are many words in the extract that help the author to disclose the theme:

To enter hospital - to start working in a particular profession or organization

To qualify somebody to practise – the right to practice medicine

To put someone`s name down for one of the hospital appointments – to propose a candidate for one of the working places of hospital

To do locum for – to work as an assistant

To develop mumps – to be ill with mumps

To finish his or her appointment – to stop working at hospital

A consulting room - a room where a doctor sees patients

Being engaged as a locum – to consider someone as an interim manager

To be qualified - having suitable knowledge, experience, or skills, especially for a particular job, or having passed a professional examination

To go in for a Medical – to start being engaged in medical

To pay for a doctor – to afford to give a particular some of money for your treatment

A patient - someone who is receiving medical treatment from a doctor or in a hospital

To have no patience with the modish drugs - to be not able to endure something(drugs) without complaining or becoming angry

cures - a medicine or medical treatment that makes an illness go away

a general practitioner - a doctor who is trained in general medicine

to treat a disease - to try to cure an illness or injury by using drugs, hospital care, operations

a prescription – a piece of paper on which a doctor writes what medicine a sick person should have, so that they can get it from a pharmacist

to make a mistake in diagnosis – to back the wrong horse in writing out a diagnosis

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