QUESTIONS---FROM WITHIN:
Paul Gauguin, (1848-1903)belonged to a period called , impressionism, where the painters and writers, secluded themselves from academic and formal ways of life, and tried to think, innovative and original.The musicians, avoided traditional composing, and tried to visualise , through rythm.They, tried to record their individual opinions on a subject, rather than, presenting it as it would be. ’’
Moon and Six Pence’’ , by, Somerset Maugham is an attempt , to make the people understand the life of this great artist, the rumours , that spread about his personal life, ’’which is causing pain to people who are still living ’’.
The author, as usual narrates the novel as a spectator The novel begins by bringing out the , interests of Rose, wife of Charles Strickland(Paul Gauguin), her partying abilities, interests in people with literary and artful backgrounds and her attempts to merry -making.Contrastingly, Strickland is , dull, lifeless, and serious, earning a living through stock-markets.The author, being invited to one of her parties, likes her.They grow intimate, and he comes to know of their family, and feels jealous about their content living.
The novel takes a sudden twist, when all of a sudden, Strickland abandons his family, and goes away.Due to friendship, author is sent as a messenger from Rose, to convince Strickland and to know the reason for such an act.When he meets Strickland in France, he understands that , the stock-broker of his, was a mask.Strickland , not being very articulate, is very rude and inhospitable.Inside him was an artist.To bring that identity alive, he renounced his material life.Though, it was an injustice done to his family, author feels otherwise(impossible to bring him back to normal). As time goes by, Rose learns to find a living without her husband.During his second meeting with Strickland, the author finds another painter , Dirk Strove.
He is a humorous person, sometimes ridiculed by his manners, his wife Breach strove is English, and they are not an ideal couple.Stricland being a visitor to that family, is treated with contempt by Breach Strove. Dirk admires Strickland’s art.When Strickland falls ill, Dirk requests his wife to take care of him.At first, she refuses.The readers would be perplexed, after this when they find breach ready to go with Strickland , ignoring the love of her husband.later she commits suicide. It is then that all the mystreries of the novel, are revealed.Dirk marries , Breach, knowing that she was cheated by some other person.He admired her intelligence, and felt happy.
But, his wife, suffering from lack of an intelluctual company, fails in her attempts to follow the virtues of women, to bind herself with gratitude to her husband.When she goes with Strickland, he treats her only as a model. In the author’s own words, ’’women can keep loving all day.For men , it is one of their pasttimes.They know how to divert from one to the other’’. Strickland, treated her as somebody, whom he could enjoy, like an animal, would prey upon, when hungry.He was actually trying to redeem from this worldly yearning of his.Infact, he was afraid , of the wiles of women.He was vehemently against the ’’art for sale’’ attitude, and , was prepared to starve.
Thus, finding each other in emotional conflict, she ended up in distress, found solace with arsenic acid. There is , an excellent comparison , of how men suffer , from marital failures.There are also notes , which talk about, the security of life, with people less intelligent.’’Ignorant people are blessed people’’ , says the author.Simpletons , know how to lead a life, that many scholars, have lost.And , it goes on.
An excellent book to read.If you are, intersted to know more about, the works of Gauguin, you can refer http://www.artcyclopedia.com.’’Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?’’ , is his masterpiece.