It’s a flashback. Philip’s flashback. It’s about him recounting the events that haunt him. Philip ? Philip in ‘The Mill on the floss’ had a hunchback , Philip in ‘Of Human Bondage’ had a clubfoot , what disadvantage does this Philip have ? None? He is orphaned, yes, but none with his physique, something with the psyche though.
When the narrative starts with Tom Jenkyn’s hanging that he had witnessed in his childhood, you wonder why he is telling about it and as you go further , you tend to dismiss it as some bad happening that he had witnessed as a kid.
Having lost his parents at a very young age he was brought up by Ambrose, his cousin. Ambrose was everything to Philip , He was Philip’s father , mother , guardian , teacher, role model – all in one. Ambrose is unmarried , is very passionate about garden , always trying to gather some rare shrub to plant.
The story starts with a middle aged Ambrose not being able to withstand winters in England. He is advised to go to a hotter place and this time Ambrose decides to go to Italy. From Italy he writes to Philip often. In one of his letters he mentions about meeting a distant cousin of theirs, cousin Rachel. In the next few letters he is all words about Rachel, describing her interest in gardening and trees. The letter after that comes with the news of him being married to Rachel. This is a shock to Philip and he feels as though someone has taken Ambrose away from him. But he conveys the news to his neighbours who are really happy upon hearing the news. The letters from Ambrose stop coming. After a long time, Philip gets a very short letter from Ambrose , in illegible handwriting , hinting that his wife is trying to kill him. Philip gets alarmed, speaks to his godfather Nick Kendal, who says Ambrose might not be well and that he might have tumour in the head that his father had.
Philip sets out to Italy.
When the narrative starts with Tom Jenkyn’s hanging that he had witnessed in his childhood, you wonder why he is telling about it and as you go further , you tend to dismiss it as some bad happening that he had witnessed as a kid.
Having lost his parents at a very young age he was brought up by Ambrose, his cousin. Ambrose was everything to Philip , He was Philip’s father , mother , guardian , teacher, role model – all in one. Ambrose is unmarried , is very passionate about garden , always trying to gather some rare shrub to plant.
The story starts with a middle aged Ambrose not being able to withstand winters in England. He is advised to go to a hotter place and this time Ambrose decides to go to Italy. From Italy he writes to Philip often. In one of his letters he mentions about meeting a distant cousin of theirs, cousin Rachel. In the next few letters he is all words about Rachel, describing her interest in gardening and trees. The letter after that comes with the news of him being married to Rachel. This is a shock to Philip and he feels as though someone has taken Ambrose away from him. But he conveys the news to his neighbours who are really happy upon hearing the news. The letters from Ambrose stop coming. After a long time, Philip gets a very short letter from Ambrose , in illegible handwriting , hinting that his wife is trying to kill him. Philip gets alarmed, speaks to his godfather Nick Kendal, who says Ambrose might not be well and that he might have tumour in the head that his father had.
Philip sets out to Italy.
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