Article #222-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The Moon and Sixpence, by W. Somerset Maugham

The Moon and Sixpence

Chapter I

I confess that when first I made acquaintance with Charles Strickland I
never for a moment discerned that there was in him anything out of the
ordinary. Yet now few will be found to deny his greatness. I do not
speak of that greatness which is achieved by the fortunate politician
or the successful soldier; that is a quality which belongs to the place
he occupies rather than to the man; and a change of circumstances
reduces it to very discreet proportions. The Prime Minister out of
office is seen, too often, to have been but a pompous rhetorician, and
the General without an army is but the tame hero of a market town. The
greatness of Charles Strickland was authentic. It may be that you do
not like his art, but at all events you can hardly refuse it the
tribute of your interest. He disturbs and arrests. The time has passed
when he was an object of ridicule, and it is no longer a mark of
eccentricity to defend or of perversity to extol him. His faults are
accepted as the necessary complement to his merits. It is still
possible to discuss his place in art, and the adulation of his admirers
is perhaps no less capricious than the disparagement of his detractors;
but one thing can never be doubtful, and that is that he had genius. To
my mind the most interesting thing in art is the personality of the
artist; and if that is singular, I am willing to excuse a thousand
faults. I suppose Velasquez was a better painter than El Greco, but
custom stales one’s admiration for him: the Cretan, sensual and tragic,
proffers the mystery of his soul like a standing sacrifice. The artist,
painter, poet, or musician, by his decoration, sublime or beautiful,
satisfies the aesthetic sense; but that is akin to the sexual instinct,
and shares its barbarity: he lays before you also the greater gift of
himself. To pursue his secret has something of the fascination of a
detective story. It is a riddle which shares with the universe the
merit of having no answer. The most insignificant of Strickland’s works
suggests a personality which is strange, tormented, and complex; and it
is this surely which prevents even those who do not like his pictures
from being indifferent to them; it is this which has excited so curious
an interest in his life and character.

Explanation

W. Somerset Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence (1919) is a semi-fictional novel loosely inspired by the life of post-impressionist painter Paul Gauguin, who abandoned his bourgeois existence to pursue art in Tahiti. The novel explores themes of artistic obsession, the conflict between societal expectations and creative genius, and the enigmatic nature of human personality. The excerpt provided—Chapter I—serves as the narrator’s introduction to Charles Strickland, a seemingly ordinary man who later reveals himself as a tormented artistic genius. Below is a detailed analysis of the passage, focusing on its language, themes, literary devices, and significance.

Context and Overview

The novel is framed as a first-person narrative by an unnamed writer (often assumed to be a stand-in for Maugham himself) who recounts his encounters with Strickland. The opening chapter establishes the central tension: Strickland appears unremarkable at first, yet his later artistic achievements force a reevaluation of his character. The narrator’s retrospective perspective—writing after Strickland’s greatness is recognized—creates a sense of irony and foreshadowing. The passage is less about plot and more about the philosophical and aesthetic questions Strickland’s life raises: What defines "greatness"? How does society perceive genius? And what is the relationship between an artist’s work and their personality?

Key Themes in the Excerpt

The Nature of Greatness
- The narrator distinguishes between superficial greatness (politicians, generals) and authentic greatness (artists like Strickland). The former is contingent on external circumstances, while the latter is intrinsic, tied to an "authentic" genius that transcends time and opinion.
- The phrase "The Prime Minister out of office is seen, too often, to have been but a pompous rhetorician" underscores the fragility of worldly success, contrasting it with the enduring power of art.
Art vs. Convention
- Strickland’s genius is initially unrecognized because it defies conventional expectations. The narrator admits he "never for a moment discerned that there was in him anything out of the ordinary," highlighting how society often fails to see brilliance until it is validated by history or critics.
- The line "The time has passed when he was an object of ridicule" suggests that artistic innovation is often met with resistance before being accepted.
The Artist’s Personality as Art
- Maugham argues that the most compelling aspect of art is the artist’s personality. Strickland’s work is fascinating not just for its aesthetic value but because it reveals a "strange, tormented, and complex" soul.
- The comparison between Velasquez and El Greco illustrates this point: while Velasquez may be technically superior, El Greco’s "sensual and tragic" mystique makes him more intriguing. This reflects Maugham’s belief that art is a window into the artist’s psyche.
The Paradox of Genius
- Genius is presented as both a gift and a burden. Strickland’s faults are "the necessary complement to his merits," implying that his artistic brilliance is inseparable from his personal flaws (e.g., his abandonment of family, his ruthless pursuit of art).
- The narrator’s willingness to "excuse a thousand faults" for the sake of a singular personality echoes the Romantic ideal of the artist as a tormented, transcendent figure.

Literary Devices and Stylistic Choices

Juxtaposition and Contrast
- The passage contrasts transient greatness (politicians, generals) with enduring greatness (artists). This is reinforced by parallel structures:
  - "the fortunate politician or the successful soldier" vs. "the greatness of Charles Strickland was authentic."
  - "The Prime Minister out of office... the General without an army" vs. "the adulation of his admirers... the disparagement of his detractors."
- The effect is to elevate Strickland above mere social success, framing him as a figure of permanent significance.
Metaphor and Simile
- "Proffers the mystery of his soul like a standing sacrifice": El Greco’s art is compared to a religious offering, suggesting that true art requires a form of self-sacrifice. This foreshadows Strickland’s later abandonment of his family and society for his artistic vision.
- "The fascination of a detective story": The artist’s personality is a "riddle" with "no answer," implying that genius is ultimately unknowable. This metaphor also invites the reader to "investigate" Strickland’s life alongside the narrator.
Irony and Foreshadowing
- The narrator’s initial blindness to Strickland’s greatness ("I never for a moment discerned that there was in him anything out of the ordinary") is ironic, given the later revelation of his genius. This sets up the novel’s central question: How well can we ever truly know another person?
- The phrase "it is no longer a mark of eccentricity to defend or of perversity to extol him" hints at Strickland’s controversial legacy, suggesting that his art was once reviled before being celebrated.
Sensory and Emotional Language
- Words like "disturbs," "arrests," "tormented," and "sensual" create a visceral response to Strickland’s art. The narrator describes art as akin to "the sexual instinct," linking aesthetic experience to primal, even "barbaric," human desires.
- The phrase "the greater gift of himself" personifies art as an act of intimate revelation, reinforcing the idea that Strickland’s work is an extension of his soul.
Repetition for Emphasis
- The repetition of "greatness" (used four times in the first paragraph) underscores the centrality of this concept to the novel.
- The phrase "it is this" is repeated to emphasize that Strickland’s personality—not just his technical skill—is what captivates viewers.

Significance of the Passage

Introduction to Strickland’s Enigma
- The excerpt establishes Strickland as a paradox: an ordinary man who becomes extraordinary. This sets the stage for the novel’s exploration of how genius manifests in unexpected ways.
- The narrator’s retrospective perspective invites the reader to question their own judgments about people and art.
Art as a Reflection of the Self
- Maugham challenges the idea that art is purely about beauty or technique. Instead, he argues that the artist’s personality is the true subject of their work. This aligns with modernist ideas about art as an expression of individual consciousness (e.g., Gauguin’s primal, symbolic paintings).
The Cost of Genius
- The passage hints at the destructive aspects of Strickland’s genius. His "tormented" personality and the "faults" that accompany his merits foreshadow his later actions (abandoning his wife, living in poverty, dying in obscurity). Maugham suggests that great art often comes at a personal and social cost.
The Role of the Narrator
- The narrator positions himself as an intermediary between Strickland and the reader, acknowledging his own initial failure to recognize Strickland’s greatness. This humility makes his later insights more credible and engages the reader in the "detective story" of uncovering Strickland’s true nature.

Connection to Broader Literary and Artistic Movements

Modernism: Maugham’s focus on the artist’s subjective experience and the rejection of conventional morality reflects modernist themes. Strickland’s life mirrors real artists like Gauguin or Van Gogh, who were misunderstood in their time but later canonized.
Existentialism: The idea that greatness is "authentic" (not conferred by society) aligns with existentialist notions of self-defined meaning.
Aestheticism: The passage echoes Oscar Wilde’s idea that art is about "the critic’s [or viewer’s] emotion" rather than moral or didactic purposes. Strickland’s art is valued for its emotional and psychological impact, not its adherence to tradition.

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This opening chapter is not just an introduction to a character; it is a manifesto on art, genius, and human perception. Maugham uses Strickland as a lens to explore how society misjudges true originality, how art reveals the depths of the human soul, and how greatness is often invisible until history validates it. The passage’s power lies in its blend of intellectual rigor and emotional immediacy—it doesn’t just tell us about Strickland; it makes us feel the mystery of his existence.

By framing Strickland’s story as a "riddle" with "no answer," Maugham invites the reader to grapple with the same questions that drive the novel: What makes a life meaningful? Can art justify personal destruction? And how do we reconcile the ordinary with the extraordinary? These questions linger long after the first chapter, making The Moon and Sixpence a meditation on the price—and the glory—of genius.

Questions

Question 1

The narrator’s distinction between the "greatness" of politicians/generals and that of Strickland primarily serves to:

A. expose the fragility of societal validation as a metric for enduring significance.
B. critique the public’s inability to recognize technical mastery in non-artistic fields.
C. establish Strickland’s superiority by dismissing all non-artistic achievements as trivial.
D. illustrate how historical revisionism arbitrarily elevates certain figures over others.
E. suggest that artistic genius is the only form of greatness immune to moral scrutiny.

Question 2

When the narrator states that Strickland’s faults are "the necessary complement to his merits," the most precise implication is that:

A. artistic brilliance is inherently tied to ethical compromise, rendering judgment meaningless.
B. society’s standards of virtue are irrelevant when assessing unconventional genius.
C. Strickland’s personal flaws were strategically cultivated to enhance his artistic mystique.
D. the intensity of Strickland’s creative vision demanded a rejection of conventional moral constraints.
E. greatness in art requires a balance of virtues and vices to achieve psychological complexity.

Question 3

The comparison between Velasquez and El Greco functions in the passage as:

A. a paradoxical endorsement of imperfection as a catalyst for artistic fascination.
B. an objective assessment of technical skill versus emotional resonance.
C. a dismissal of Velasquez’s work as overrated due to its widespread popularity.
D. an argument that cultural familiarity inevitably diminishes an artist’s impact.
E. proof that Strickland’s genius aligns more closely with El Greco’s "sensual and tragic" style.

Question 4

The narrator’s claim that "the most interesting thing in art is the personality of the artist" is undermined by which implicit tension in the passage?

A. The admission that Strickland’s personality remains ultimately unknowable.
B. The focus on Strickland’s works rather than his biographical details.
C. The suggestion that art’s power lies in its ability to transcend the artist’s individuality.
D. The contradiction between praising Strickland’s genius and initially failing to recognize it.
E. The reliance on external validation (e.g., "adulation of admirers") to define greatness.

Question 5

The passage’s recurring imagery of art as a "riddle," "mystery," and "detective story" primarily conveys that:

A. artistic interpretation is an intellectual puzzle solvable through rigorous analysis.
B. the appeal of Strickland’s work lies in its resistance to definitive explanation.
C. the narrator’s role is to provide definitive answers to the enigmas of Strickland’s life.
D. great art deliberately obscures its meaning to provoke audience engagement.
E. the pursuit of artistic truth is inherently futile, akin to chasing an illusion.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: A

Why A is most correct: The narrator’s contrast between transient, circumstance-dependent greatness (politicians/generals) and Strickland’s "authentic" greatness underscores how societal validation is unreliable. The passage critiques the fleeting nature of public acclaim ("The Prime Minister out of office is seen... as a pompous rhetorician") to argue that true significance outlasts external circumstances. This aligns with A’s focus on the fragility of societal metrics.