Meditation On Human Nature In W.S.Maugham's Short Stories

Human nature, from ancient Greece to modern society, hasalways been the most diffcult probIem obsessing many a scholarand phi1osopher. The Renaissance shifted man's interest fromChristianity to humanity. In literary works then, it was fairlycommon to evaluate the positive values of human namre on theposition of ethics or practice. From the midd1e period of the 19thcentury, the second awakening of human nature witnessed thatman's individuality gradually took the place of sociality to be the-fOcus of thought. The literary trend negated the norma1ity andreasonableness of man in that socia1 surroundings, stressed thea1ienation of human natUre in essence. Maugham's aesthetic ideasare, in certain respects, the expression of this new awakening.In the 20,h century British literatllre, William SomersetMaugham is at once a ce1ebrated and controversial novelist. Hehas been regarded as a popular writer in the summit of his literarycreation. British 1iterary critics feel nothing but contempt fOr hisachievements. Some even censure him for his cynical behaviorsand hosti1e attitude toward the society. However, in foreigncountries, France in particuIar, his works have always enjoyinggreat reputation.During his 65 years of literaIy career, Maugham haspublished l0 novels, 26 plays, more than l00 short stories and alarge number of essays. Even though Of Human Bondage and TheEdge's Razor might be considered as his most famous andimportant works, it is only his widely Anown short stories thathave won him a seat in Iiterary history. Sleek objectivity andincisive dissections of human frailties are the ha11marks of hisshort stories. TherefOre what is to be discussed in the presentcomposition is to this purPose, vl2. to try to search for hisunderstanding of human nature through detailed analysis onaesthetic ideas hidden behind the representation of his Iiterarycreation.Chapter One focuses on Maugham's exp1oration on man'sspiritual home in his short stories. Seeing the collaPse of socialorder, Nietzsche declares: "God has died." However, humanbeings still remain. How to dea1 with their behaviors in socia1 lifethus becomes the basic question facing scholars and thinkers.They realize that While one view of values denied, a fresh view ofvalues or life sty1e should be and must be advocated. Though atfirst Maugham's quest for man's ideal spiritllal home is notwithout hesitation and confusion as other scholars, nonetheless hesearches for it in his own way. For he has inherited thequintessence of traditional western 1iterature, sharp1y exposed andrepudiated various aspects of the contemporary society, such aspolitical system,rellglofl law and moral＊,to name ony a few．His fascln肛ion lies In not merely his exposition of＊thetion hypocrisyoftradltlon,b血 alsohls struggle for exlstence onthebrlnkofdeath．The more profound point Is,with traditional artistictechnique,he grasps the main sense ofhls time andportrays apanorama of modem people's solitude；lsolatlo几 l二卜ion andabsurdlty．This Is rather dl蚀rent from other writers to a largeextent． While rebelling agalnsttradltlonal values and crltlclzingthereality；Maughamhas Intenselyattackedrellglon．Ch明terTwodiscusses his view of＊theses hypocrisy ofrellglon and its repressionon human nature,as well as the contradictions and conflictsbetweentrue evil andhypocrlsy．Consequentlyhehas everbeencalled"devil oftheheaven" by other literary critics．yhls does notonly simply stressthe evil side oftheprot呛onlsts Inhls shortstories who look like devils,but a＊ the good side ofthem like ahe叫en．Human nature lsjust a combination ofAdam andtheserpent．e．Satan．Therefore,the general featUres of the devils Inhis short stories are as follows:their nature and behaviors mightnotbe tolerated by social codes,butthe motives forthelr crimesare entlrelgpure,whlchcome formthe genuine enthusiasm outofhuman natu...