The Moon and Sixpence Essay Questions

What genre is the novel?

The novel is written as a biography of Strickland. The narrator attempts to recreate the events of Strickland's life as an artist, beginning with his initial encounter with him in London, to his time in Paris, and finally to his last years in Tahiti. Throughout he discusses his struggle to understand Strickland as both an artist and a person, while also describing the absences and unsatisfying arcs within the narrative he is writing. From the outset, he states that he wants to write the most objective account of Strickland, one that acknowledges his greatness as an artist while still noting his shocking lack of human emotion.

What is the significance of the novel's title?

The novel's title is derived from a passage in Maugham's previous novel, Of Human Bondage. In that book, the protagonist, Philip Carey, is described as "so busy yearning for the moon that he never saw the sixpence at his feet." This is an appropriate description of Strickland, as his concerns are never about more earthly matters like money, romance, and physical comfort. Instead, he focuses all of his attention on the distant "moon" of his artistic vision, something that takes the entirety of his life to reach.

What does Dirk's conversation with an art dealer reveal about the novel's view of the art market?

Through Dirk's conversation with an art dealer, Maugham is able to make some cutting observations about the art market. Dirk encourages the dealer to take some of Strickland's paintings, as he believes Strickland is the most talented painter working in their time. The dealer says it does not really matter how talented Strickland is, as his only concern is how well certain work will sell. What Maugham seems to suggest here is that this financial drive makes it so that only unremarkable, commonplace work, like Dirk's village scenes, will circulate widely.

Where does Strickland seem happiest and why?

Strickland appears to find happiness and some degree of peace in Tahiti. He marries a Tahitian woman named Ata. Together they move to her village and have two children together. He paints for most of the day and then spends the evenings with Ata. He seems happiest here, in the observation of other characters, because his life is stripped down to only the bare essentials. In Tahiti, he is free of the social conventions of both London and Paris, entirely unhampered and free to pursue his art without interruption.

What internal conflict does the narrator experience?

Throughout the book, the narrator struggles with his fascination with Strickland. He finds Strickland to be a morally repugnant individual. His abandonment of both Amy and, later, Blanche as well as his persistent cruelty to Dirk, makes the narrator dislike him intensely. However, he cannot help being amused by a sarcastic remark he makes and finds himself transfixed by Strickland's incredible talent and singular personality. In a later part of the book, the narrator remarks that it is likely Strickland's uniquely cruel nature that makes him a compelling subject, as authors are often attracted to evil characters. To drive this point home, he refers to Shakespeare and the character Iago, the villain of the play Othello.