Of Human Bondage

William Somerset Maugham was born in Paris in 1874 and died in 1965 in Nice, France. Many events from Maugham’s life seem to mirror plot events that occur in Of Human Bondage, which have led to some biographical interpretations of the novel.

Maugham was orphaned at a young age and went to live with his aunt and uncle in the small town of Whitstable, England (possibly the inspiration for the fictional town of Blackstable, where Philip spends his childhood). As a child, Maugham spoke with a stammer, which may parallel Philip’s experience of having clubfoot. Maugham was unhappy at the boarding school where he studied; he eventually went to Heidelberg, Germany, and then spent a brief stint training to be an accountant. Eventually, he settled on a career as a doctor, completing his medical training in London. Maugham’s experiences as a physician led him to write his first novel, and he eventually moved into a career as a writer. In its general outlines, Maugham’s early life and the formative events that occurred are thus very similar to what Philip experiences in the novel.

Maugham was also primarily attracted to other men, although he did have long-term relationships with women as well. Philip does not share this sexual orientation, which likely would have been controversial in a novel published in 1915.