WilliamSomersetMaughamwasbornintheBritishEmbassyinParison25thJanuary,1874.DuringtheFirstWorldwar,Maugham'sbest-knownnovel,OfHumanBondage(1915)waspublished.Thiswasfollowedbyanothersuccessfulbook,TheMoonandSixpence(1919).Maughamalsodevelopedareputationasafineshort-storywriter,onestory,Rain,whichappearedinTheTremblingofaLeaf(1921),alsoturnedintoasuccessfulfeaturefilm.PopularityplayswrittenbyMaughamincludeTheCircle(1921),EastofSuez(1922),TheConstantWife(1926)andtheanti-warplay,ForServicesRendered(1932).InhislateryearsMaughamwrotehisautobiography,SummingUp(1938)andworksoffictionsuchasTheRazor'sEdge(1945),Catalina(1948)andQuartet(1949).WilliamSomersetMaughamdiedin1965.AFriendInNeedisoneofMaugham'sfamousnovels.Usingthefirstperson,hetoldusthestoryofaBritishmanofdoingbusinessinJapan.MyfirstimpressionofEdwardHydeBurtonwasagentleman,whoseappearanceandmannerweresuitableforhisageandstation.Tomystartle,whenTurner,anamesakeofhis,askedhimforajob,hemurderedTurnerwithoutpayinganything.Themostimportantlessonwelearnfromthestoryisthatwecannotjudgeamanfromhisappearance,especiallytheshinyappearance.EdwardHydeBurtonwasahypocriticalguywithawickedhearthiddenunderthegoodappearance,convincingmanypeopleofhiskindheart.Knowingtheyoungmanwouldbedrowned,hedeliberatelylethimtaketherisk,resultinginthedeathoftheyoungman.Nobodycouldfeelthattheoldmancouldbeartohurtafly.Neverthelesssuchagenerousmankilledaperson,anamesakeofhis!Thebadguysalwayshaveagooddisguise,causinglotsofpeopleUnknowinglyfallforit.Fromanotherperspective,theyoungmanmaydeservetodie.Helivedasaparasite,usinghisfamily'smoneytoenjoyhimselfwithoutdoinganythingmeaningful.Suchawalkingdeadman,whoselifewasfullofbeerandskittles,wouldbeeliminatedbysocietysoonerorlater.Ofcourse,fromtheangleofthemoral,lifeisworthwhiletobeawedsothattheyoungmanshouldnothavegainednothingattheexpenseofthedead.Inaword,humanityhasmanydisadvantages,whichcouldnotonlyleadtoamistakebutalsocausedeath.Onlywhenweownavirtuousheart,canweliveahappylife.