THE MOON AND

SIXPENCE
WILLIAM SOMERSET MAUGHAM
NISTOR IRYNA
ANG1B22
 AUTHOR. SHORT
INFORMATION.
William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), an English writer,
playwright, and literary critic, is best known for his numerous
novels, short stories, plays, and articles, and his works have been
translated into many languages The images he created and the
events he wrote are convincing and real. He used the element of
suddenness and unpredictability to show how unstable socio-
political values and psychological frameworks are. The writer
believed that
the plot narrated by the author should be clear and convincing, the
events should go their own way, the character's actions and speech
should be "filtered" from the character.He was a creative man and
a genius.He believed that the goal of a creative person should be
to shed light on the fate of people. But in contrast to his position,
in most of Maugham's works, in all senses, the creative person,
the creative personality, is preferred over the ordinary person.
 PLOT
Somerset Maugham's novel “The Moon and Sixpence” was first published in
1919. In this work, the creative personality is artistically reflected in the image
of Charles Strickland, a prototype of the French artist Paul Gauguin (1848-
1903), a representative
of post-impressionism and primitivism. Eugene Henry Paul Gauguin was born
on June 7, 1848, and is known as a post-impressionist artist. In 1871 he worked
at the stock exchange in Paris. He painted together with artists such as Camille
Pizarro, Paul Cézanne in the summer, and his works were exhibited at the
Impressionism Exhibition of 1881-1882.He moved to Copenhagen with his
family in 1884, where he focused on painting after his failures and returned to
Paris with his eldest son. Meanwhile, Van Gogh invited Gauguin to Arla, and
they spent nine weeks painting together. Gauguin was unable to get what he
wanted from Impressionism, so he turned to African and Asian art, especially
Japanese folklore, culture, and art. He lived in Tahiti for a short time. The
narrator of the events in the novel is a prototype of the author. Excluding some
minor differences, the parallel events, details, and elements in the life of
Charles Strickland and Paul Gaugin once again prove that the character of
Charles Strickland is a prototype of a real creative personality, Paul Gaugin.
 STRUCTURE
"THE
"
MOON AND SIXPENCE" BY SOMERSET MAUGHAM FOLLOWS THE
UNCONVENTIONAL ARTIST CHARLES STRICKLAND ON HIS JOURNEY OF
SELF-DISCOVERY AND ARTISTIC PURSUIT. THE NARRATIVE UNFOLDS
CHRONOLOGICALLY, TRACING STRICKLAND'S TRAJECTORY FROM LONDON
TO PARIS AND EVENTUALLY TAHITI, WHERE HE BECOMES DEEPLY
IMMERSED IN HIS ART, ABANDONING SOCIETAL NORMS AND PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIPS ALONG THE WAY. THROUGH OCCASIONAL FLASHBACKS,
READERS GAIN INSIGHT INTO STRICKLAND'S PAST AND MOTIVATIONS,
FORESHADOWING LATER INCIDENTS DRIVEN BY HIS SINGLE-MINDED
DEDICATION TO HIS CRAFT. SUSPENSE BUILDS AS STRICKLAND'S
UNPREDICTABLE ACTIONS UNFOLD, LEADING TO A CLIMAX OF ARTISTIC
ACHIEVEMENT IN TAHITI. WHILE THE STORY LEANS TOWARDS REALISM,
STRICKLAND'S EXTREME DEDICATION TO ART MAY BORDER ON THE
FANTASTIC. CONFLICTS REMAIN UNRESOLVED, PARTICULARLY REGARDING
THE IMPACT OF STRICKLAND'S CHOICES ON THOSE HE LEFT BEHIND, BUT
THERE IS A SENSE OF CLOSURE AS HE FINDS FULFILLMENT THROUGH HIS
ART. ULTIMATELY, THE ENDING OFFERS A REFLECTION ON THE NATURE OF
ART AND INDIVIDUALISM, LEAVING READERS WITH A POIGNANT
EXPLORATION OF STRICKLAND'S UNEXPECTED JOURNEY OF SELF-
DISCOVERY.
 CHARACTERS

Name: Charles Strickland

Age: Middle-aged
Gender: Male
Appearance: Initially described as unremarkable,
Strickland's appearance belies his inner passion and
intensity.
Family Situation: Married with children, Strickland
abandons his family to pursue his artistic
ambitions.Social Background: Strickland comes from a
conventional middle-class background, working as a
stockbroker in London. He is well-educated and
articulate, fluent in the language of his social
class.Character Development: Strickland undergoes
significant development throughout the story.
Name: Amy Strickland
Age: Middle-aged
Gender: Female
Appearance: Amy is described as a typical middle-
class woman, with a conventional appearance that
reflects her societal role as a wife and mother.
Family Situation: Amy is Charles Strickland's wife
and the mother of their children. She is deeply
affected by her husband's abandonment and
struggles to come to terms with his choices.Social
Background: Amy comes from a similar middle-
class background as her husband.
"The Moon and Sixpence" by W. Somerset
Maugham employs a third-person narrator
to tell the story.
Reliability: The reliability of the narrator
is generally considered to be high.
Maugham's narrative style is
straightforward and objective, presenting
events and characters in a manner that
allows readers to form their own opinions.
SETTING
Geographical Location: The story begins in
London, then moves to Paris, and finally to
Tahiti. Each location represents a different
phase in the protagonist's journey of self-
discovery and artistic pursuit.Social
Environment: The social environments in each
location vary, reflecting the cultural norms and
values of the time. London and Paris represent
the conventional, bourgeois society that
Charles Strickland initially belongs to, while
Tahiti offers a contrast with its more primitive
and uninhibited lifestyle.
NARRATOR
The narrator of the novel is an unnamed
writer. The reader learns little about his
personal life but he often talks about
becoming frustrated with the staleness of the
social life in various places. He struggles
with his relationship with Strickland because
he finds him fascinating as an artist and
amusing as a person, but is acutely aware of
his cruelty and callousness. While he
observes and takes part in the events of the
novel, he is never able to change the outcome
of events, even the tragic ones.
 IMAGES AND SYMBOLS
Strickland paints a nude portrait of Blanche in the middle section of the book.
Much to his anger and dismay, Dirk discovers this painting after Blanche's
suicide and protracted death
Dirk's Paintings (Symbol)
The narrator describes Dirk's paintings as mediocre. He makes a number of
cheerful scenes of village life in Italy. They are technically competent but do
little to inspire or compel the viewer.
Art Dealer (Symbol)
In the middle of the novel, Dirk has an extended conversation with an art dealer
about his refusal to sell Strickland's paintings.
Tahiti (Symbol)
Tahiti appears prominently in Strickland's biography, as it is where he spends the
final, arguably happiest, years of his life. The narrator visits Tahiti while working
on his book about Strickland, in an effort to meet the people Strickland spent
time with and better understand him.
 STYLE AND LANGUAGE
"The Moon and Sixpence" by W. Somerset Maugham is renowned for its elegant and evocative
writing style, characterized by its clarity, precision, and rich descriptive language.Choice of
Words and Arrangement: Maugham's choice of words and their arrangement is meticulous and
deliberate, creating a narrative that flows smoothly and captivates the reader's attention. The style
is not overly ornate or verbose, but rather understated and refined, allowing the characters and
their emotions to take center stage. The author's use of language is not overtly attention-seeking;
instead, it serves to enhance the storytelling without drawing undue focus to itself.Connotations
of Key Words: The key words in "The Moon and Sixpence" carry various connotations and
emotional suggestions that contribute to the depth and complexity of the narrative.
The style of "The Moon and Sixpence" is perfectly suited to its subject and theme, enhancing the
reader's understanding and appreciation of the story. Maugham's evocative language and precise
prose contribute to the exploration of complex themes such as artistic passion, societal
expectations, and the search for meaning in life, enriching the overall meaning and impact of the
work.
 THEME
"The Moon and Sixpence" by W. Somerset Maugham
explores the central idea of the pursuit of artistic
passion and the clash between societal expectations
and individual freedom.Central Idea: The central idea
of the text revolves around the protagonist, Charles
Strickland, who abandons his conventional life as a
stockbroker to pursue his passion for painting. The
story delves into the transformative power of art, the
sacrifices made in the pursuit of creative fulfillment,
and the tension between societal norms and personal
authenticity.
 THE TITLE
The title "The Moon and Sixpence" alludes to the central themes of beauty and
materialism, which are intricately woven into the lives of the characters and the
cause of events in the story. Charles Strickland, the protagonist, embodies the
pursuit of artistic beauty represented by the "moon," while the "sixpence"
symbolizes the materialistic concerns and societal expectations that he rejects in
his quest for creative fulfillment.
THANK YOU
VERY MUCH!