Two themes revealed in the novel "The moon and sixpence"

1. The revolt of an individual against the well-established conventions of bourgeois society

In many of his stories, Maugham reveals to us the unhappy life and the revolt against the set social
order. The Moon and Sixpence was written in this line. It is a story of the conflict between the artist
and the conventional society based on the life of a painter. The revolt of an individual against the
well-established conventions of bourgeois society was shown in the following two aspects:
1.1. Money worship society
The bourgeois society with its vices such as: snobbishness money worship, pretense, self-
interest...made their profit of the frailties of mankind. To them, money was a useful tool to dominate
both economics and politics. Money also helped the bourgeois maintain their regal life and it
connected the members in family, on the other hand, husband had obligated to support his wife and
children for whole his life. Therefore, the last generations of the bourgeois forced the young
generation to continue their domination. It was mentioned in the conversation between Strickland
and his friend.
"I rather wanted to be a painter when I was a boy, but my father made me go into business because
he said there was no money in art".
In this society, art was non-profitable. Therefore, it must be looked down upon. In their point of view,
art was nothing more than just a job to earn money. They did not see the beautiful
things that art brings. When Strickland decided to follow in his father's footsteps, his dream and
aspiration were hidden on the bottom of his heart. After working hard for ages, he became a
prosperous stockbroker. He is probably a worthy member of society.
However, there is in streets of the poor quarters a thronging vitality which excites the blood
and prepares the soul for the unexpected.
It was actually happened in Paris, because Strickland gave up the luxury life and got acquainted with
hard life just only wanted to fulfill a long-cherished dream. He had to give up his dream to follow his
father's wishes.
"I want to paint. "I've got to paint.
The brief answer expressed his willingness to get out of ideology ties which were imposed by his
father. And his hand and mind would express his big dream by painting masterpieces.
"I couldn't get what I wanted in London. Perhaps I can here." "I tell you I've got to paint."
The author said that "I seemed to feel in him some vehement power that was struggling within him, it
gave me the sensation of something very strong, overmastering, that held him'
And Strickland cannot have a comfortable life any more. "I haven't any money. I've got about a
hundred pounds."
We could probably see it through Strickland's appearance when he came to Paris. "Sitting there in his
old Norfolk jacket and his unnourished bowler, his trousers were baggy, his hands were not clean; and
his face, with the red stubble of the unshaved chin, the little eyes, and the large, aggressive nose, was
uncouth and coarse.

1.2 Family and social responsibilities

Painting is not only a 'dreamy moon' of Strickland but also of many progressive people in bourgeois
society. According to bourgeois concepts, all the men have to be responsible for his family and
children. He's forced to have a strong connection with what is considered to belong to him.
Strickland's life is tied tightly down to family's contract. However, all that sort of things means nothing
at all to him. He doesn't let those reasons impact on his way chasing his passion any longer. It can be
obviously proved through the conversation between two men, Strickland and the author, in chapter II
of the novel.
Hang it all, one can't leave a woman without a bob.'
'Why not?'
'How is she going to live?'
I've supported her for seventeen years. Why shouldn't she support herself for a change?' Let her try.'
Don't you care for her anymore?'
'Not a bit'
When Strickland talks about his children, his attitude is revealed to be heartlessly scornful. They've
had a good many years of comfort. It's much more than the majority of children have.
Besides, somebody will look after them. When it comes to the point, the Mac Andrews will pay for
their schooling.'
I like them all right when they were kids, but now they've growing up I haven't got any particular
feeling for them.'
He totally gives up on his own family, children and thinks that they could live by themselves without
his care. Even if they can't make arrangement for their life, his relatives might come to help.
Strickland also doesn't mind what people loathe and despise him.
Everyone will think you a perfect swine.'
Let them.'
'Won't it mean anything to you that people loathe and despise you?' 'No'
'You don't care if people think you an utter black-guard?'
'Not a damn.'
He really doesn't care any longer.
'You won't go back to your wife?'
'Never'
You don't care if she and your children have to beg their bread?' 'Not a damn.'
He does everything: abandoned wife and children; left his successful career behind just because he
totally hates that gloomy society and its old customs.
Only by a short conversation between two men, the author already describes the strongly reactive
mind of Strickland, a man who dares to stand up and fight over the old customs of that boring society
and bourgeois. Regarding to Strickland's point of view, his escape is the only decision; it's also the
solution to release his imprisoning mind. He doesn't regret or be ashamed of what he's done. He
accepts the eyes of society because he doesn't care. Actually, it's never ever meant anything to him.
The only thing that he really cares is his mind right now freely to follow and do everything he ever
dreams of in his own ‘dreamy moon”.

2. No rooms for trivial and ordinary pleasures of life in Great Art

2.1 Sacrifice everything to be an artist.
At the beginning, the stockbroker Strickland had a stable life with happy family. However, when he
started to chase his path as an artist, he had to experience a poor situation. Moreover, he was willing
to get rid of everything to be an artist. Great art don't depend on age as long as you have real passion.
Even though at the age of forty "the chances are a million to one", Strickland still wants to be a
painter. "I can learn quicker than I could when I was eighteen", said he.
He wanted to be a painter when he was a boy but his father didn't allow him. His father consumed
that there was money in art. Therefore, he had to give up his passion for such a long time. However,
his fire for art wasn't stamped out. And this was the perfect time for him to implement his dream
again. On his way chasing that dream, he had to sacrifice everything. He passed by the material and
the sensual to fulfill spiritual needs. He got rid of a happy family with a comfortable life to go to Paris
and lived in destitute life there.

Although he knew that his family needed him and they had to suffer difficulties in life without him, he
didn't intend to change his mind and he accepted to be considered as a selfish man. He understood
that his action weren't highly appreciated; however, he still wanted to pursue art in his own way.
Strickland accepted to live in a bad condition, without money, job, food and at last he found a Shelter
at a hotel. Afterward, despite the fact that he got a serious disease and became blinded; he still tried
to fulfill his masterpiece on the walls of his house. During the first days staying in Paris, he only found
a cheap hotel to live. He appeared with such a miserable, untidy image. "He sat there in his old
Norfolk jacket and his unnourished bowler, his trousers were baggy, his hands were not clean; and his
face, with the red stubble of the unshaved chin, the little eyes, and the large, aggressive nose, was
uncouth and coarse. His mouth was large; his lips were heavy and sensual."
He desired to paint. He repeated his speech many times when answering his friend.
"I want to paint.
"I've got to paint"
"I tell you I have to paint".
2.2. Strickland protects Beauty and Art.
Art is very pure. It can not be measured by the value of money or sexual relation. Strickland struggled
to abandon his appetence for art.
"Let me tell you. I imagine that for months the matter never comes into your head, and you're able to
persuade yourself that you've finished with it for good and all. You rejoice in your freedom, and you
feel that at last you can call your soul your own. You seem to walk with your head among the stars.
And then, all of a sudden you can't stand it any more, and you notice that all the time your feet have
been walking in the mud. And you want to roll yourself in it. And you find some woman, coarse and
low and vulgar, some beastly creature in whom all the horror of sex is blatant, and you fall upon her
like a wild animal. You drink till you're blind with rage.
He assumed that as an artist he shouldn't have trivial fun such as desire of women.
For Strickland, woman is like an invisible rope tightening his life. It is very hard to escape from them.
Therefore, he tried to avoid it. He was willing to give her up as well as his unsatisfactory painting. He
did everything to be a true artist even though it made him become a cruel man.
Finally, he achieved what he wanted. He created a masterpiece. It was worth what he'd spent. He
devoted all his life to pursue art. As an artist, he didn't care about fame or wealth. He painted pictures
only to satisfy his love to art. He never sold his pictures to get money. He did not to accept his
masterpiece to be contaminated by the commercial world of money. His dream was very beautiful.

Strickland as an ordinary man

1.1 Strickland is irresponsible inconsiderate toward his wife
Strickland used be a good husband to his wife Actually, he owns a happy family and good economic
condition For many people, Strickland is good businessman and has good status in society However,
he suddenly abandoned his wife and went another place Strickland leaved his wife and children
behind without a word His leaving makes her very miserable and she had a suspicion that he run away
with other women His wife- Army is a pleasant hospital woman Strickland can't find any reasons
which belong to Arm to leave her When Army sends him many letters to persuade him to come back,
Strickland doesn't read any letters from her It means that he doesn't concern anything related to his
wife When making conservation with friend sent to persuade him, Strickland expresses a coolly
attitude to his wife "I can not describe the extraordinary callousness with which he made this reply"
Although Strickland acknowledged his action, he still callousness with which he made this reply"
Although Strickland acknowledged his action, he still does like that Has she deserved that you should
treat her like that? No Then, isn't it monstrous to leave her in this fashion after seventeen years of
married life without a fault to find with her Monstrous" Abandoning wonderful wife is faulty
However, letting a woman without a bob is more pitiless He also knows before that his wife and
children will have to suffer difficulties in life without him But he still leaves them to pursue his aim
"Hang it all, one can't leave a woman without a bob Why not? Don't you care for her any more? Not a
bit" Strickland does not try thinking whether a weak woman can live without support from man;
especially she has to nurse two children They don't know what they should in order to support their
life and what will wait for them in the future He supposed that he no longer have any responsibility to
his family and all things that he did before be enough
1.2 Strickland is irresponsible selfish father
Strickland does not want to take any responsibility to his children His children are very young and
innocent They have never done any harm to Strickland "Damn it all There are your children to think of
They've never done you any harm They did not ask to be bought in to the world If you chuck
everything like this, they'll be thrown on the street They have had a good many years of comfort It's
much more than the majority of children have Besides, somebody will look after them When it comes
to the point, the Mac Andrews will pay for their schooling" How can children live without support
from their father? He did not care about his children any more, even though they could be thrown out
in the street For many people, rearing children is very holly duty and happiness For children, father is
the material and spiritual favor It is very poor for children when he entrusts them to the care of Mac
Andrews Especially, Strickland thought that he did not have any special feeling to his children For
many men, children are always very special and take really important part in their emotional life
Strickland only had special feeling to his children when they were
feeling to his children For many men, children are always very special and take really important part
in their emotional life Strickland only had special feeling to his children when they were small When
they grow up, he no longer loves them It seems that the nature of a father in Strickland has
disappeared He became an unemotional father Strickland is ungrateful to his friend Dirk Strove is a
very kind-hearted person Dirk Strove is the person who recognizes the talent of Strickland and helps
him everything in bad days When Strickland falls seriously ill, it is Strove who comes to help Strove
persuades his wife to let him bring the artist home to look after Strickland must have gratitude all the
things that Strove had done for him On the other hand, Strickland has an adulterous affair with his
best friend's wife Moreover, Strickland just wants to take use of her body for the nude picture and
causes the death of Strove Strickland as an artist

2.1 Strickland is a really passionate painter

He compares his passion to paint is like the desire to breath He abandoned his wife and children to
pursuit his dream of painting He gives up a happy life to go strange place to learn knowledge,
experience, etc, when the author skips the things which he doesn't know, it will make the gaps for the
work And if so, it will not have effect as the writer expect In other words, the things are mentioned in
the work is surface information and the things aren't mentioned is the deep meanings which he
wanted the readers to sense And when the reader senses the omitted parts a greater perception and
understanding for the story can be achieved Making the reader has to read and think It is success of
this work When the reader senses the omitted parts, a greater perception and understanding for the
story can be achieved