TheMoonAndSixpenceAbriefintroductionoftheauthor1WilliamSomersetMaughamAfamousBritishnovelistandplaywright.Hewasamongthemostpopularwritersofhiseraandreputedlythehighestpaidauthorduringthe1930s.Hewasborninalawyersfamily.Hisparentsdiedearly,sohisunclebroughthimbacktoEngland.Hestudiedmedicineinuniversitybutlater,instead,heturnedtowrite.Hisworkoftentakesasober,objectiveandevencriticalattitudetolookatlife,withadetachmentofironyandpity.Hehasalargereadershipathomeandabroad.Timeline:1874-Bornonthe25thofJanuary.1905-OfHumanBondage,anothernovelwrittenduringthisperiodappeared.1916-MaughamtravelledtothePacifictoresearchhisnovelTheMoonAndSixpence,basedonthelifeofPaulGauguin.1917-SyrieandMaughamweremarried.1922-Maughamproducedabookof58shortstorysketches.1927-Hisplay,TheLetter,wasperformedinLondon.1944-TheRazorsEdgewaspublished.1954-HewrotehismemoirLookingBack.1965-Diedonthe16thofDecember.Asummaryofthenovel2ThisstoryisbasedontheFrenchimpressionistpainterPaulgauguinslife.ItdescribesanordinaryLondonstockbrokerStrickland,whowasaddictedtotheart,abandonedhiswifeandchildren,abandonedhiswealthyandhappylife,wenttowenttoParis,determinedtofindhisart.Fiveyearslater,Stricklandwasdownandout,buthewasstillinhisdreamandneverregrettedit.Inthepursuitofart,histalentwasgraduallyrecognized.LaterhewenttothesouthPacificTahiti.Hecomposedhisbrightlifewithpen,andInjectedhisvalueoflifeintothecanvas.Thenhemarriedanativewomanandhadthreechildren.Butnotforlong,hischildrendiedandhesufferedfromleprosy.Thestruggleofpovertyandthetormentofthediseasedidnthithimdown.Hejustregrettedthathehadnevervisitedhisconsciousness.Afterhisdeath,hiswifefollowedhislastwishes,destroyedhislegacy.Theworkperformancetalent,personalityandmaterialcivilization,andthecontradictionbetweenmodernmarriageandfamilylife.Ithasabroadviewoflife,sharplydissectsthehumannatureundertheskin,mixingwithonlookerslaughandcruellooking.Ashortanalysisoftheleadingcharacter3Mostpeoplefindhisbehaviorquiteincomprehensible,andtheycriticisehisselfish,coldnessandhisdeviationonmorality.However,somepeoplecallhimageniuswiththeinnatemission,andaveragepersoncannotunderstandhim.Infact,whenIfirstreadthisbookinmiddleschool,Iwasdeeplytouched.IdidappreciateCharlesStricklandsdeviation.Thecentralcharacter,CharlesStricklandisamiddle-agedEnglishstockbrokerwhoabandonshiswifeandchildrenabruptlytopursuehisdesiretobecomeanartist.ButwhenIreadthebookagainincollege,Ifeeldifferently.IfindthatCharlesisnotapaintinggenius,Andheneverthoughthecandoitsowell.Paintingisjustatool.Andeveryonehasatooltoshowthemeaningoflife,butweforgetitinthetide,andweloosethefreedomSometimeswesaychangetheworld,butinthemosttimetheworldchangesus.Becausewedocareaboutwhatwearelookedlikeinthisworld.ItsthemostterriblethingthatsomedayyoufindthatyoubecomeoneofthemtocritisiceothersThereasonwhyIrecommendthisnovel4Whenpersonalvaluesconflictwithsocialvalues,thisbookdomakesenceFromalong-termperspectiveofsociety,wecanchoosemorality,butdonotcriticizeeveryonesrighttochoosethefreedom.ThanksforMaugham,hegaveusachancetothinkaboutmoralityandfreedom.Thanks