月亮与六便士The Moon and Sixpence

TheMoonandSixpence——WilliamSomersetMaughamTheMoonandSixpenceThemeCommentsAuthor&worksCharacterAnalysisPlotsBeautifulSentencesWilliamSomersetMaugham(1874-1965)•Britishnovelist•Hisfatherwasalawyer,workingFrance,sohewasborninFrance.•Hewasadoptedbyhisuncleatage10.•Becauseofbeingshortandstutter,hewasbulliedbyotherkids.•Hischildhoodwaslonelyandfullofsorrowandhefinallybecameasensitiveboy.•Childhoodexperienceshadagreatinfluenceonhisliterary.Hisbest-knownworks•Humanbondage(1915),《人性的枷锁》•Ashenden(TheBritishAgent)(1928),《阿申登故事集》(《一个英国间谍》)•CakesandAle(TheSkeletonintheCupboard)(1930)《寻欢作乐》•TheRazor’sEdge（1944）《刀锋》Writingstyle•Hisworksarecharacterizedbyaclearplainstyle,worldwidesettingandasophisticatedunderstandingofhumannature.PeacefulLifeTahitiLifeinParisawell-off,MiddleclassStockbrokerinLondonWifeandtwochildrenAmarriedwomancommittedsuicideforhimAtaDiedofleprosy(麻风病）ThisnovelisbasedonthelifeofthepainterPaulGauguin(高更).Thestoryistoldbythefirst-personnarrator”I”happenstoknowthelifeofthecentralcharacter,CharlesStricklandCharacterAnalysisAppearance:oldjacket,dirtyhat,baggytrousersunshavedchin,smalleyes,anaggressivenose,alargemouth,sensuallips,roughandstrongCharacteristic:blackguard,cool,indifferent,crazy,decisive,pursuitoffineartsforeverloveforpaintingunique、beautifulThemetaphorofthemoonandsixpencetensmillions、common、vulgarThemoon:thespiritandkindofpeoplepursuingidealsSixpence:Britishcoin,thepeopleofmaterialism.Ourfeelingsaboutthebook…Maslow‘shierarchyofneeds…adifferentbutgreatperson.…insidepersonalityofMaugham….satisfiedhisdesireimaginarily…….IdislikeStrickland…Butafterreadingit,…Everyonehastherighttochoosehowtolive.Whetherhepreferssixpenceorthemoon,weshouldrespecthim.OurfeelingsaboutthebookActuallyldislikeStrickland,becauseheisheartlesstohisfamily.Heisarrogantandselfishtohisfriends.Helooksdownuponwomen.SomanycriticismsIwanttosay.Butafterreadingit,hiscourage,persistenceandperseverancemovedmealot.Ihavetoadmitthatgeniusisalwaysbizarre,crazyandlonely.Everyonehastherighttochoosehowtolive.Whetherhepreferssixpenceorthemoon,weshouldrespecthim.OurfeelingsaboutthebookSomeonemayreproachStrickland'sirresponsibility,givingupwifeandfamily,butithinkthereisnosuchconclusioninthebooktoshowwhetherStrickland'sbehaviorisrightornot.Inmyopinion,themeaningofeveryone'slifedependoneveryonehimself,whatyouwanttodoforthissocietyandwhatyouwanttobe.OurfeelingsaboutthebookManypeoplehavedesiresforthebrightmoon,however,withnobraverytostepforwardtopursueit.Finally,theychoosethesixpenceinthefloor,whichtheycanpickitupwithnopains.Theycannoteasilygetridoftheattractsintheworldsothatthereisnowaytoattachthemoonandenjoythespiritualpleasure.Inthenovel,thehero,Stricklandmadeit,andhedeservesthetitleoftherealgenius.OurfeelingsaboutthebookStricklandactslikeawiredandunreasonablemanwho’sironicattitudeisreallyannoyingBut,noneofuscandenyStricklandisagreatartistandarealgenius.Ibelievethatjustbecausehisseeminglyannoyingpersonalityprotectshisenthusiasticpursuitofbeautyandhisstrongdesireofcreationmakeshimkeepdrawinguntilhisdeath.Notsomuchheisadream-seekerasheisabeauty-creator.PhilosophicalSentencesWhyshouldyouthinkthatbeauty,whichisthemostpreciousthingintheworld,lieslikeastoneonthebeachforthecarelesspasser-bytopickupidly?Beautyissomethingwonderfulandstrangethattheartistfashionsoutofthechaosoftheworldinthetormentofhissoul.为什么你认为美――世界上最宝贵的财富――会同沙滩上的石头一样，一个漫不经心的过路人随随便便地就能够捡起来？美是一种美妙、奇异的东西，艺术家只有通过灵魂的痛苦折磨才能从宇宙的混沌中塑造出来。PhilosophicalSentencesIstodowhatyoumostwant,toliveundertheconditionsthatpleaseyou,inpeacewithyourself,tomakeahashlife;andisitsuccesstobeaneminentsurgeonwithtenthousandayearandabeautifulwife?Isupposeitdependsonwhatmeaningyouattachtolife,theclaimwhichyouacknowledgetosociety,andtheclaimoftheindividual.难道做自己最想做的事，生活在让你感到舒服的环境里，让你的内心得到安宁是糟践自己吗？难道成为年入上百万英镑的外科医生、娶得如花美眷就算是成功吗？我想这取决于你如何看待生活的意义，取决于你认为你应该对社会做什么贡献，应该对自己有什么要求。Conclusion:Thisbookdeservesusread,discussandthinkoverandoveragain.Itclaimsthevalueorientationwhichisveryimportantinourlife--FollowyourheartorFollowthecrowd?Walkaloneorswimwiththetide?