“I can't paint and I won't paint. I'm a painter. I'm not a writer. I'm not a philosopher. I'm a painter.”
— Strickland's blunt refusal to engage in intellectual discussion about his art.
Archivist's Choice
The Moon and Sixpence
W. Somerset Maugham (1919)
Genre
Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction / Creativity
Reading Time
240 min
Key Themes
See below
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Driven by a destructive artistic hunger, a respectable banker leaves his life and family for the bohemian art world of Paris and the primal allure of Tahiti, leaving human wreckage behind for the sake of creative genius.
Synopsis
Charles Strickland, a successful London stockbroker, suddenly leaves his wife and children to paint in Paris. The unnamed narrator, a writer, is asked by Strickland's abandoned wife, Amy, to convince him to return, but he finds Strickland indifferent to his former life and family. Strickland lives in poverty, often relying on others, especially the Dutch painter Dirk Stroeve, who admires his talent despite his cruel nature. Strickland seduces and then abandons Dirk's wife, Blanche, leading to her suicide. Unaffected, Strickland travels to Tahiti, lives with a native woman, and continues to paint, eventually contracting leprosy. Before his death, he creates his greatest work, painting the walls of his hut. In his final act, he tells his Tahitian wife to burn the hut and all his work after his death, showing his artistic freedom and disregard for recognition.
Reading time
240 min
Difficulty
Medium
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Philosophical, Dark, Reflective, Unsettling
✓ Read this if...
You are fascinated by the intersection of genius, morality, and the sacrifices demanded by art, especially if you enjoy character studies of complex, amoral figures.
✗ Skip this if...
You prefer characters with clear moral compasses or narratives that offer redemptive arcs.
Plot Summary
The Narrator's Introduction to Strickland
The unnamed narrator, a young writer in London, first meets Charles Strickland. Strickland is a seemingly unremarkable, middle-aged stockbroker, married with two children, living a comfortable, conventional life. The narrator often visits Mrs. Strickland's salon, where she hosts artistic circles. Strickland is usually silent and seems indifferent to the intellectual discussions. The narrator observes him as a man of habit, with nothing in his behavior hinting at the extraordinary path he will soon take, making his later change surprising to those who knew him.
Strickland Abandons His Family
One day, Mrs. Strickland tells the narrator that Charles has left her, supposedly for another woman, and gone to Paris. Devastated, Mrs. Strickland asks the narrator to go to Paris and persuade Charles to return, believing he is infatuated and will come to his senses. The narrator, feeling a sense of duty, agrees. This sudden departure shatters the Strickland family's comfortable lives and creates scandal in their social circle, leaving Mrs. Strickland to face financial hardship and social ostracism.
The Truth Revealed in Paris
The narrator finds Strickland living in squalid conditions in a cheap Paris hotel. When confronted, Strickland reveals the truth: there is no other woman. He left his family solely to pursue his overwhelming desire to paint, a passion he had suppressed his entire life. He confesses that he finds his family and former life meaningless and a hindrance to his art. Strickland shows no remorse for the pain he caused, displaying a brutal honesty and indifference that disturbs the narrator. He is entirely consumed by his need to create art, even if it means destroying everything else.
Strickland's Artistic Dedication
In Paris, Strickland lives in extreme poverty, often hungry and facing physical hardship. He is dedicated to his art, painting constantly with intense focus. He shows no interest in social conventions, material comforts, or others' opinions. He attends art classes but ignores academic instruction, preferring his own path. His work, which the narrator finds crude and unsettling at this stage, reflects a raw, untamed vision. He prioritizes his artistic expression above all else, showing a primal commitment to his creative impulse, alienating anyone who cannot understand his single-mindedness.
Dirk Stroeve's Benevolence
Dirk Stroeve, a Dutch painter in Paris and an acquaintance of the narrator, is known for his kindness and mediocre talent. He finds Strickland gravely ill with tuberculosis and near death in his freezing room. Despite his wife Blanche's strong objections, Stroeve brings Strickland into his home, providing warmth, food, and medical care. Stroeve, despite his own artistic limits, sees greatness in Strickland's work and feels compassion for the suffering artist, even though Strickland treats him with contempt.
Blanche Stroeve's Infatuation
While recovering in the Stroeves' home, Blanche Stroeve, initially repulsed by Strickland, falls under his strange, powerful influence. She becomes infatuated with him, despite his cruel and indifferent manner. Strickland treats her with disdain and uses her for his physical needs, showing no affection. This develops into a passionate, destructive affair, as Blanche sacrifices her marriage and reputation for a man who cares nothing for her beyond his immediate desires. Her infatuation appears both pathetic and inevitable, given Strickland's overwhelming presence.
The Tragic Aftermath for Blanche
After Strickland recovers and loses interest in Blanche, he callously abandons her, leaving her heartbroken. He returns to his solitary life and painting, unconcerned with the consequences. Blanche, devastated by his rejection and the ruin of her life with Dirk, commits suicide. Her death shows Strickland's destructive power and his lack of empathy, highlighting the human cost of his single-minded art. Dirk Stroeve is left broken, mourning his wife and friend.
Strickland's Departure for Tahiti
Following the scandal and tragedy of Blanche's death, Strickland leaves Paris and eventually Europe. He sails for Tahiti, driven by an urge to find a new environment and artistic inspiration. He feels dissatisfaction with European society and its limits, seeking a more primitive existence where he can fully express his creative spirit. This journey marks a turning point, as he sheds the last parts of his former life and embraces a world more aligned with his untamed artistic vision, foreshadowing his most important work.
Life in Tahiti
In Tahiti, Strickland finds a simple, free life that influences his art. He lives among the native people, adopting their customs. He marries a young Tahitian woman named Ata, who loves him and provides a stable, undemanding home life. He continues to paint with intense dedication, finding inspiration in the vibrant colors, exotic landscapes, and sensuality of the island. This period allows him to fully immerse himself in his art, free from European judgments, leading to prolific and revolutionary creation.
The Final Illness and Masterpiece
Years later, the narrator learns that Strickland has contracted leprosy, which gradually blinds him. Despite his deteriorating health and the horror of his disease, Strickland continues to paint with superhuman drive. In his final years, blind and suffering, he creates his greatest work: murals covering the entire interior of his hut, depicting the Tahitian landscape and people with unprecedented power. This work, unseen by the outside world, becomes the culmination of his artistic journey, showing his genius in the face of immense suffering.
The Destruction of the Masterpiece
As Strickland dies from leprosy, he makes Ata promise to burn his hut, with all his murals, immediately after his death. Ata, despite her love and awe for his work, carries out his final wish. The narrator learns this from Dr. Coutras, who attended Strickland in his final days. This act of destruction symbolizes Strickland's indifference to recognition, emphasizing that his art was solely for himself and his inner vision, not for the world's admiration. The masterpiece is lost to humanity, existing only in memory.
Reflections on Genius and Morality
The narrator, having pieced together Strickland's life, reflects on artistic genius and conventional morality. He considers the paradox of Strickland's cruelty and his artistic vision. The narrator concludes that Strickland was driven by an irresistible force, and that conventional societal rules did not apply to him. His life serves as a meditation on the sacrifices true art demands and the truth that genius can exist independently of, and even despite, personal depravity. The narrator ponders whether the world is better for having had such a genius, despite the pain he inflicted.
Principal Figures
Charles Strickland
The Protagonist
Strickland transforms from a repressed, conventional man into a fully realized, albeit monstrous, artist, shedding all societal constraints to fulfill his singular vision.
The Narrator
The Supporting
The narrator's understanding of art, genius, and morality evolves from conventional judgment to a more nuanced, albeit still troubled, acceptance of Strickland's unique path.
Mrs. Strickland
The Supporting
She transforms from a devastated, publicly shamed wife into a resilient woman who rebuilds her life and maintains her social standing.
Dirk Stroeve
The Supporting
Stroeve's inherent goodness leads to his profound suffering and the destruction of his family by Strickland's callousness, leaving him a broken man.
Blanche Stroeve
The Supporting
Blanche is drawn from initial repulsion to a fatal infatuation with Strickland, leading to her betrayal of her husband and ultimately her suicide.
Ata
The Supporting
Ata provides unconditional love and stability for Strickland in his final years, ultimately fulfilling his last, destructive wish.
Dr. Coutras
The Supporting
Dr. Coutras witnesses Strickland's final, greatest creative period and the destruction of his masterpiece, providing vital information to the narrator.
Themes & Insights
The Nature of Artistic Genius
The novel explores the idea that true artistic genius is an overwhelming force that goes beyond conventional morality and societal expectations. Strickland's single-minded devotion to his art, his willingness to sacrifice everything for it, and his indifference to the suffering he causes, all point to art as an uncontrollable force. His journey from a conventional life to a primitive existence in Tahiti suggests that genius often needs a break from civilization to fully appear. The destruction of his final masterpiece also implies that true art is created for its own sake, not for public acclaim.
“I can't help it. I am just a channel, and these things flow through me.”
The Conflict Between Art and Conventional Life
A central theme is the conflict between artistic creation and the expectations of a conventional, moral life. Strickland's abandonment of his family, his rejection of social norms, and his embrace of poverty are direct results of his choice to prioritize art. The suffering of Mrs. Strickland, Dirk, and Blanche highlights the destructive impact of this choice on those who try to connect with him or conventional values. The novel suggests that artistic vision often requires sacrificing worldly comfort and human connection, and that these two realms cannot coexist.
“The artist is a man who is not quite at home in this world.”
The Cost of Genius
The novel details the human cost of transcendent artistic genius. Strickland's pursuit of his vision leaves many lives ruined: his wife and children are abandoned, Dirk Stroeve's kindness is exploited, and Blanche Stroeve is driven to suicide. Even Strickland himself suffers greatly, enduring poverty, illness, and social ostracism. The destruction of his greatest masterpiece, burned at his command, further emphasizes the destructive nature of his creative fire. The narrative forces the reader to weigh the value of such art against the suffering it causes.
“It is not a pretty story, but it is the story of a genius.”
The Search for Meaning and Freedom
Strickland's journey is a quest for meaning and freedom, a rejection of European society's superficiality. He constantly seeks an environment where he can be authentic in his artistic expression. His move to Paris, then his escape to the raw beauty of Tahiti, symbolizes this search for a place where his inner force can flourish without compromise. In Tahiti, he finds a primitive existence and a connection to nature that allows him to create his most important work, suggesting that true liberation for an artist may lie beyond civilization.
“I must paint. I can't help myself. I want to paint the sun and the moon and the stars.”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
First-Person Narrator (Observer)
An unnamed writer who collects accounts and offers reflections on Strickland's life.
The use of an unnamed, somewhat detached first-person narrator allows Maugham to present Strickland's story with a degree of objectivity, while also providing moral commentary and personal reflections. The narrator acts as an investigative journalist, piecing together Strickland's life from various witnesses, which creates a sense of realism and allows for multiple perspectives on a complex character. This device also ensures that Strickland's most extreme acts and motivations are filtered through a more conventional moral lens, making his genius and cruelty all the more striking and challenging to the reader's judgment.
Foil Characters
Characters whose traits contrast sharply with Strickland's to highlight his unique nature.
Maugham uses several characters as foils to accentuate Strickland's unique qualities. Mrs. Strickland's conventionality and social ambition highlight Strickland's disdain for societal norms. Dirk Stroeve's boundless kindness, artistic mediocrity, and emotional vulnerability starkly contrast with Strickland's brutal indifference, genius, and emotional detachment. These foils serve to emphasize the extremity of Strickland's character, making his genius and his amorality stand out more vividly against the backdrop of ordinary human decency and artistic talent.
The Unseen Masterpiece
Strickland's greatest work, painted in his hut, is intentionally destroyed before being seen by the world.
The revelation that Strickland's final, greatest work—a series of murals covering the entire interior of his Tahitian hut—is deliberately destroyed by Ata at his command is a powerful plot device. This act symbolizes Strickland's ultimate indifference to public recognition, critical acclaim, or artistic legacy. It reinforces the idea that his art was purely for himself, an internal necessity, rather than a commodity for the world. The unseen masterpiece elevates Strickland's genius to a mythical status, making it even more profound and mysterious, as its power is only hinted at through the awe-struck accounts of those who briefly glimpsed it.
Episodic Structure
The narrative unfolds through a series of distinct episodes and encounters in different locations.
The novel's episodic structure, moving from London to Paris and then to Tahiti, mirrors Strickland's own restless journey and his progressive shedding of societal layers. Each episode, often presented as a distinct memory or recounted anecdote by the narrator, reveals another facet of Strickland's character and artistic development. This structure allows Maugham to explore different stages of Strickland's artistic life and the impact he has on various individuals, building a comprehensive, albeit fragmented, portrait of a complex genius through a series of vivid, interconnected vignettes.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
“The artist is a man who is willing to take a chance.”
— Stroeve's admiration for Strickland's uncompromising pursuit of his art.
“It is a funny thing about life, if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.”
— The narrator's observation on the power of unwavering determination, often exemplified by Strickland.
“He was a man who had to paint as a bird has to sing.”
— The narrator's description of Strickland's inherent, irresistible drive to create.
“We are not the masters of our fates.”
— A reflection on the seemingly arbitrary nature of life and destiny.
“The world is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel.”
— A philosophical musing on different perspectives of life, relevant to the contrasting characters.
“To my mind the only object of the personal and intimate relations of life is to be free.”
— Strickland's radical view on human relationships and personal liberty.
“It is not the business of the artist to be a moralist.”
— The narrator's interpretation of Strickland's amoral approach to life and art.
“He had no small talk. He was incapable of it. He was incapable of hypocrisy.”
— A description of Strickland's blunt and uncompromising personality.
“The greatest tragedy of life is not that men perish, but that they cease to love.”
— A poignant reflection on the enduring nature of love and loss.
“The ordinary man is a raw material that the artist works upon.”
— A somewhat cynical view of the relationship between the artist and society.
“Money is the sixth sense without which you cannot make a complete use of the other five.”
— A pragmatic, perhaps cynical, observation on the necessity of financial means.
“He was an artist, and he had to live. He had to be free.”
— The narrator's summary of Strickland's core motivations and needs.
“Passion is the enemy of peace.”
— A reflection on the turbulent nature of intense emotions and their impact on tranquility.
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Key Questions (FAQ)
The central conflict stems from Charles Strickland's overwhelming, almost demonic, compulsion to create art, which clashes violently with societal expectations, personal relationships, and conventional morality. This inner artistic drive supersedes all other human considerations, leading him to abandon his family and disregard the suffering of others in pursuit of his vision.
About the author
William Somerset Maugham was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German university. He became a medical student in London and qualified as a physician in 1897. He never practised medicine, and became a full-time writer. His first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), a study of life in the slums, attracted attention, but it was as a playwright that he first achieved national celebrity. By 1908 he had four plays running at once in the West End of London. He wrote his 32nd and last play in 1933, after which he abandoned the theatre and concentrated on novels and short stories.
