To the neverland
Below is the review on The Moon and Sixpence whose author is William Somerset Maugham. Maugham was a famous English playwright and writer whose magnum opuses are Liza of Lambeth, Of human bondage, The painted veil, includingThe Moon and Sixpence. He used to be a doctor when he saw the livings of the poor and learned to look at the world through a cold and critical eye. From 1897, Maugham gave up his job and turned to be a writer. At the First World War, he became a spy and later travelled to south pacific. He was a great writer and he always spoke out the dark side of humans in his works which bought him both fame and slander.
The Moon and Sixpence tells a story of a man whose name is Charles Strickland. At first, he is a British stock’s exchange agent who has a happy family and a stable career and position. However, one day, he suddenly disappeared and ran away to pursue the ideal of painting. Everyone says he is crazy and ridiculous for he has no gift in painting. He stays in a foreign country and suffers the poverty and illness. However, no matter who sneers at him and his paintings, he never cares. He travelled to different places and lives a poor life with pleasure. He finally stayed in Tahiti and married with a native girl. There he finds the soul of peace and a suitable artistic environment where no one will disturb him. He creates a lot of paintings. At the end, he becomes a famous painter after his death and his works worth a thousand piece of gold.
From my point of view, Strickland is a man of contradictions. He is selfish and selfless at the same time for he betrays but he devotes himself to art almost madly. On one hand, he is selfish. He pours scorn on sex and women saying that he never needs them and hates their disturbing. He betrayed his wife and a woman who loves him with a pious heart and his indifference even contributes to one’s death. He treats his friends cruelly and never expresses gratitude for their selfless help. He is bad-tempered and never likes to listen to others. In a word, he is like a savage lion when he stays with others. On the other hand, he is selfless. He devotes himself to art almost madly. He gives up the wealth, the job and the easy and comfortable life. All he wants is the beauty in his heart. In many people’s eyes, he is foolish, pitiful and even mad.
That’s what Maugham wanted to tell us. A man who chases the dream and gives up the life. According to Maugham, the moon means the ideal and pence means the reality. Reality and ideal always conflict. In his book, he eulogizes those people who are willing to pursue their ideals with nothing like Strickland. He praises their bravery and believes. Strickland is out of step but he is free. He finally finds his neverland.
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