The Moon and Sixpence · Question
How does The Moon and Sixpence develop the theme of The Artist as Outcast?
Answer
The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham develops The Artist as Outcast across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Strickland is depicted as a social outcast—selfish, brutal, and indifferent to others—yet his isolation is portrayed as necessary for his art, suggesting that true creativity often requires alienation from society.
Strickland is portrayed as a figure who made enemies, lived obscurely, and whose character was outrageous, yet his art is celebrated.
The narrator positions himself as an outsider in the literary scene, 'on the shelf' and out of step with the younger generation, mirroring the artist's isolation.
The narrator describes the literary circle as a 'mystic brotherhood' and notes the strange, unreal quality of the writers he meets, highlighting the artist's separation from ordinary society.
Evidence in the book
- I
Strickland is portrayed as a figure who made enemies, lived obscurely, and whose character was outrageous, yet his art is celebrated.
- II
The narrator positions himself as an outsider in the literary scene, 'on the shelf' and out of step with the younger generation, mirroring the artist's isolation.
- III
The narrator describes the literary circle as a 'mystic brotherhood' and notes the strange, unreal quality of the writers he meets, highlighting the artist's separation from ordinary society.
- XI
Strickland's isolation in a mean street, living in squalor, foreshadows his role as an artist who has abandoned social conventions.
- XIII
Strickland's rejection of social norms and polite behavior isolates him from conventional society.
- XIV
Strickland's isolation from society and his indifference to blame position him as a monstrous outcast, driven by an uncontrollable creative instinct.
- XV
Strickland's pursuit of art isolates him from his family and society, which views his passion as madness or selfishness, reinforcing the theme of the artist as an outcast.
- XVIII
Stroeve is both a social outcast due to his buffoonish nature and a figure of pity, yet his sincere devotion to art sets him apart from more cynical contemporaries.
