Limitation And Freedom:an Analysis Of The Moon And Sixpence From The Perspective Of Spatial Criticism

William Somerset Maugham is regarded as one of the most influential and reputable writers in the twentieth century,which is enough to make him become the highest-paid novelist during the 1930 s.The Moon and Sixpence is Maugham's representative work,which told in episodic form by a first-person narrator,in a series of glimpses into the mind and soul of the central character Charles Strickland,a middle-aged stockbroker in London,who abandons his wife and children abruptly to pursue his desire to become an artist.Using geographical,social and psychological space in Lefebvre's space theory,the author tries to analyze The Moon and Sixpence and argues that the protagonist Charles Strickland who struggles for seeking self breaks the limitation of geographical and social space so as to achieve the freedom of psychological space.It reflects that people like Strickland in the eighteenth century,who are unyielding to the ignorance of the real world,clinging to the spirit of ideals and freedom.The essay can be divided into three parts: the introduction,the body chapters and the conclusion.The first part briefly reviews Maugham and his works,the Spatial narrative theory,and the literature review about The Moon and Sixpence.The body is made up of three chapters.The first chapter analyzes how Strickland tries to break the geographical space limitation of London,Paris and Marseilles,then arrive at Tahiti,achieving the geographical space freedom.It reflects modern civilization's restriction on people's body and mind.The second chapter studies Strickland's escape from the limitation of social space which is centered on relations between human-society and human-human to get a free social space.The third chapter moves forward to Strickland's pursuit for psychological space freedom to realize his personal value at the process of changing geographical and social space.From the ignorant period to the exploration period and the awaking period,his personality and spirit get mature.In the last part,the thesis comes to the conclusion that the protagonist Strickland breaks through the limitation of geographical and social space,finally achieving the freedom of psychological space,which also embodies his pursuit of personal value.Through the story of Strickland,Maugham satirizes the advanced social civilization's limitation on human nature and people's indifference to art,expressing the importance of pursing freedom and self,and appealing people to seek self and freedom.