Brief Musings on "Of Human Bondage"

I recently had to read Of Human Bondage for my English class. I honestly did not enjoy the book. It seemed heavily laden with unnecessary details and inconsequential descriptions. I never really saw the point in spending a page describing the curtains in a room unless they were actually important. I feel like, if I take the time and energy to read about these curtains, they better mean something! But no, they’re just…curtains. I guess that’s the film maker in me though. Every second of screen time is money spent, and so you have to make use of every resource and detail at your disposal. With books, I guess there’s more room for bullshit. Sorry, what’s the politically correct term? Fluff?

Anyway, what I meant to get at was that I did not enjoy the book…until the last 25 pages. The last few chapters of the books changed my whole opinion of it, and I will love it forever. It left me with realization of the truth that everyone is truly flawed, in mind or in body. Everyone is trapped within their own form of human bondage. Much like the protagonist of the novel, upon realizing this I was filled with compassion for all mankind. There is so much hurt and pain, and all we want is warmth and freedom. The protagonist is reminded of the words of the dying God, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” A simple phrase, but one which can radically change the lives of whoever follows its meaning to practical fruition. True freedom is found in exploring one’s capacity for beauty, in love and self-sacrifice, and in this holy compassion which begs us to forgive rather than to condemn. For what damnation can we impose on others which we do not also fall prey to ourselves? A final note, do not be confused by my conjoining of love and self-sacrifice. Much like Aristotle claims that a man truly possesses a virtue when he obtains pleasure from it, but does not possess it for the purpose of pleasure, so does a man truly love when he sacrifices himself, rather than sacrificing for the sake of love. Sacrifice, much like pleasure, is a by-product of love, not the purpose of it.