Of Human Bondage Chapter 27 Summary & Analysis

Weeks has two small rooms at the back of Professor Erlin’s house. Hayward often acts in a patronizing way toward Weeks, even though Weeks is himself an accomplished scholar who graduated from Harvard. Weeks likes to methodically point out flaws in Hayward’s statements, which annoys Hayward. Hayward likes discussing religion, where facts are less important. When Philip tries to pin down Hayward’s religious beliefs, he dodges the question. They all discuss whether Weeks is a gentleman, and Weeks supposes that he isn’t, since you have to be both British and the son of a gentleman to be a gentleman.

Hayward’s condescending attitude toward others around him reflects his upbringing as a gentleman and how this has caused him to have an inflated opinion of himself. It becomes clear why this would appeal to Philip, who has struggled with self-esteem but sees in Hayward an example of a person who seems to be self-assured and happy with his life. By contrast, Weeks seems is a diligent, serious scholar—he is decidedly less carefree than Hayward. Philip, still naïve and inexperienced, doesn’t yet realize that it’s perhaps more worthwhile to aspire to Weeks’s seriousness than to Hayward’s happy idleness.

Active Themes

Of Human Bondage: Chapter 27 Summary & Analysis