On The Absurdity In The Moon And Sixpence

William Somerset Maugham(1874—1965)is one of the major writers of the British literature and even the world literature in the 20th century.During his whole career,which is more than sixty years,Maugham wrote a large number of works,however,there is few works or papers that criticize Maugham’s works from the perspective of absurdity and nothingness in Existentialism.Therefore,this thesis aims to analyze The Moon and Sixpence from Sartre’s absurdity and nothingness of Existentialism,supplying a new angle to study Maugham’s works.The introduction of the thesis mainly,first of all,outlines the literary status of William Somerset Maugham and his works and reviews the latest research achievements of the criticism on The Moon and Sixpence.Chapter one mainly explores Strickland and Stroeve’s dilemma caused by absurdity.The absursity can be considered as the external motivation of one’s running away from reality.Chapter two explores the process of Strickland and Stroeve’s self-saving.The rising consciousness of Being-for-itself provides them with the understanding of being a real free man.They have no other choice but running away to find himself.Chapter three explores the results of their choice.Though Strickland does not fulfill the responsibility for people around him,he declares the individuality.Nothingness is an understanding of the negation of reality.One is supposed to realize the difference between what things look like and what they should be.The difference and the nagation is what we called nothingness.Thus,Strickland is free in the end for he experiences the authentic life and has the confidence to negate the difference.In this way,this thesis discloses Maugham’s reflection on people’ freedom of choice and meanwhile discloses the novel’s philosophical dimension.