# The Primitive and the Civilized in The Moon and Sixpence

> Theme guide for The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham.

Strickland finds his true artistic voice in Tahiti, where the primitive, untamed environment allows him to shed the constraints of European civilization and connect with a more elemental, sensual way of life.

## Where it surfaces

- [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxvi): Strickland is described as having something primitive, partaking of obscure forces of nature, like a satyr or faun, and possessing a sensuality that seems curiously spiritual.
- [Chapter of Reflection on Blanche Stroeve's Betrayal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxx): Strickland is described as having an untamed, wild quality, likened to 'wild beings of the world’s early history' and a satyr, highlighting the clash between primal instinct and civilized norms.
- [XXXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxxv): Strickland's primitive cruelty contrasts with Dirk's civilized compassion and the nurse's serene kindness.
- [XLI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xli): Strickland's raw, instinctual desire is described as a primitive force, contrasting with the civilized expectations of society.
- [XLV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xlv): The chapter contrasts the orderly, English nature of Wellington with the wild, mysterious beauty of Tahiti, emphasizing the island's primal allure.
- [XLVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xlvii): The chapter contrasts the brutal, primitive life of Marseilles' low quarters with the civilized comfort the narrator knows, highlighting Strickland's immersion in a raw, savage existence.
- [XLIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xlix): Strickland's immediate sense of home in Tahiti contrasts with his rejection of European society, suggesting a deep affinity for a more 'primitive' way of life.
- [LI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/li): The contrast between Strickland's life in the bush with Ata and the European society he left behind underscores the theme of returning to a simpler, more 'primitive' existence.
- [LII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/lii): Strickland's life in the Tahitian wilderness contrasts sharply with his former civilized existence, embracing a primitive, self-sufficient lifestyle.
- [LIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/liii): Strickland's life in Tahiti embodies a rejection of European civilization for a primitive, Eden-like existence, highlighting the tension between the two worlds.
- [LIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/liv): The contrast between Strickland's reception in Europe versus the remote island highlights the theme of civilization's constraints versus the primitive acceptance of individual nature.
- [LV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/lv): The contrast between the encroaching jungle and Strickland's cultivated plantation, along with the natives' superstitious horror of leprosy, highlights the tension between civilization and raw nature.
- [LVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/lvi): The paintings evoke a primeval forest and naked people, blending beauty with something horrible and primeval, reflecting the tension between civilization and raw nature.
- [LVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/lvii): The murals depict a vision of the beginnings of the world, blending primal instincts with divine elements, set in a native hut far from civilization.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/themes/the_primitive_and_the_civilized
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/themes