# The Moon and Sixpence — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham.

- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/i.md): The narrator introduces the posthumous fame of Charles Strickland, a painter whose genius was only recognized after his death. He discusses the myth-making that surrounds Strickland's life, the conflicting biographies by
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/ii.md): The narrator reflects on his unique position to write about Charles Strickland, having known him before his artistic career and having gathered accounts of his final years in Tahiti. He muses on the futility of literary 
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/iii.md): The narrator reflects on his early days as a young writer in London's literary circles, describing the social customs, conversations, and eccentricities of the writers and artists he encountered. He contrasts the genteel
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/iv.md): The narrator attends a tea party at Rose Waterford's home, where he meets Mrs. Strickland for the first time. Mrs. Strickland invites him to a luncheon, which he attends. The chapter describes the gathering of writers, t
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/v.md): The narrator describes his growing friendship with Mrs. Strickland during the summer, noting her gift of sympathy and her skill as a housekeeper and mother. He learns about her husband Charles Strickland, a stockbroker a
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/vi.md): The narrator finally meets Charles Strickland at a dull dinner party hosted by Mrs. Strickland. He observes Strickland's commonplace appearance and lack of social graces, finding him a heavy, unremarkable man. The party 
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/vii.md): The narrator describes the end of the social season in London and a chance meeting with Mrs. Strickland and her children. They share ices in the park, and the narrator reflects on the seemingly idyllic family life of the
- [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/viii.md): The narrator reflects on the Stricklands as an ordinary middle-class family, then learns from Rose Waterford that Charles Strickland has abandoned his wife. He visits Mrs. Strickland, who is distraught, and her brother-i
- [IX](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/ix.md): The narrator discusses Strickland's abandonment with Colonel MacAndrew, who reveals that Strickland left his wife without explanation, went to Paris, and left his business affairs in disarray, leaving Mrs. Strickland wit
- [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/x.md): The narrator agrees to travel to Paris to confront Charles Strickland on behalf of Mrs. Strickland, who is devastated by her husband's abrupt departure. She reveals the details of their marriage, Strickland's cold letter
- [XI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xi.md): The narrator travels to Paris to confront Charles Strickland on behalf of his wife. He reflects on Mrs. Strickland's contradictory behavior, suspecting her grief is mixed with wounded vanity. Upon arriving, he finds Stri
- [XII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xii.md): The narrator confronts Charles Strickland in a Paris café, where Strickland reveals that he abandoned his family not for another woman, but to pursue painting. Despite the narrator's moral arguments, Strickland remains r
- [XIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xiii.md): The narrator dines with Strickland in Paris, attempting to discuss his abandonment of his family but finding Strickland indifferent. They visit a tavern where a prostitute propositions Strickland, who rudely rejects her,
- [XIV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xiv.md): The narrator returns to England, reflecting on Strickland's inexplicable decision to become a painter. He struggles to understand Strickland's motives, ultimately theorizing that a deep-rooted creative instinct, like a c
- [XV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xv.md): The narrator returns to London and meets with Mrs. Strickland, Colonel MacAndrew, and Mrs. MacAndrew to report on his encounter with Charles Strickland in Paris. He reveals that Strickland has left his family not for ano
- [XVI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xvi.md): Mrs. Strickland demonstrates her strength of character by concealing her anguish and maintaining a brave, cheerful demeanor in society. She allows a false story to circulate that her husband eloped with a French dancer, 
- [XVII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xvii.md): The narrator decides to move to Paris, feeling stagnant in London. Before leaving, he visits Mrs. Strickland, who has become successful with her typing business but remains concerned with social appearances. She expresse
- [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xviii.md): The narrator settles in Paris and reconnects with Dirk Stroeve, a kind but mediocre painter whose genuine love for art and generous nature make him both a figure of ridicule and a valued friend.
- [XIX](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xix.md): The narrator visits Dirk Stroeve in Paris and meets his wife Blanche. Stroeve enthusiastically praises Charles Strickland as a genius despite Strickland's rude treatment of him, including borrowing money without comment 
- [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xx.md): The narrator and Dirk Stroeve visit a café where Strickland is playing chess. Strickland is emaciated and ragged, but still defiant. The narrator offers to buy him dinner, and Strickland accepts.
- [XXI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxi.md): The narrator dines with Strickland in Paris, observing his utter indifference to comfort, fame, and the opinions of others. Strickland reveals his single-minded devotion to art, his rejection of the past, and his belief 
- [XXII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxii.md): The narrator settles into a routine in Paris, writing a play and spending time with the Stroeves. He grows more intimate with Blanche Stroeve, who remains reserved, while Dirk Stroeve's frankness often embarrasses her. T
- [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxiii.md): The narrator reflects on his winter in Paris, recalling the absurd yet charming household of Dirk Stroeve and his wife. He describes his peculiar relationship with Strickland, who is brutally honest and often offends Str
- [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxiv.md): Dirk Stroeve, feeling sentimental about Christmas, convinces the narrator to join him in reconciling with Strickland. They search for Strickland after learning he is ill, eventually finding him in a squalid attic, suffer
- [XXV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxv.md): Dirk Stroeve insists the narrator accompany him to his studio, where he pleads with his wife Blanche to allow the gravely ill Charles Strickland to be nursed in their home. Blanche vehemently opposes, expressing hatred a
- [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxvi.md): Strickland is moved to Stroeve's studio and nursed back to health over six weeks. Dirk Stroeve devotes himself entirely to Strickland's care, while Blanche Stroeve, despite her earlier objections, proves a capable and de
- [Chapter XXVII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxvii.md): The narrator encounters Dirk Stroeve at the Louvre, who reveals that Strickland has taken over his studio and forced him out, leaving Stroeve disconsolate and confused about the situation with his wife.
- [XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxviii.md): Dirk Stroeve arrives at the narrator's apartment in a state of extreme distress, revealing that his wife Blanche has left him for Charles Strickland. He recounts the painful scene in the studio where Blanche declared her
- [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxix.md): The narrator listens to Dirk Stroeve's anguished account of discovering his wife Blanche's affair with Strickland. Stroeve reveals he knew for a fortnight but tried to ignore it, hoping it would pass. He attempted to ask
- [Chapter of Reflection on Blanche Stroeve's Betrayal](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxx.md): The narrator reflects on Blanche Stroeve's decision to leave her husband for Strickland, analyzing the nature of her love and the inexplicable attraction to Strickland. He considers the possibility of a physical or sexua
- [XXXI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxxi.md): Dirk Stroeve, despite the narrator's advice, remains in Paris after Blanche leaves him for Strickland. He attempts to win her back, but she slaps him in the street and ignores him thereafter. The narrator observes Stroev
- [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxxii.md): The narrator encounters Strickland and Blanche Stroeve at a café in Paris. Despite his disgust with Strickland, he joins them for a game of chess. The narrator observes Blanche's composed demeanor and reflects on the com
- [XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxxiii.md): Dirk Stroeve visits the narrator, distraught after learning he saw Blanche. He asks the narrator to write a letter to Blanche, offering his unconditional forgiveness and support, despite his fear of an impending catastro
- [Chapter XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxxiv.md): The narrator learns from a distraught Dirk Stroeve that Blanche has attempted suicide by drinking oxalic acid after a quarrel with Strickland. Dirk recounts finding her in agony, her refusal to see him, and her removal t
- [XXXV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxxv.md): The narrator spends the day trying to distract Dirk Stroeve after Blanche's suicide attempt. They visit the hospital, where Blanche refuses to see either Dirk or the narrator. The nurse reveals that Blanche's vocal cords
- [XXXVI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxxvi.md): Stroeve visits the hospital twice daily to check on Blanche, who refuses to see him. Initially hopeful, he learns that complications have made recovery impossible. Blanche dies peacefully from acid burns, and Stroeve, ex
- [XXXVII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxxvii.md): After Blanche Stroeve's funeral, the narrator and Dirk Stroeve return from the cemetery. The narrator, feeling detached and bored with the tragedy, suggests Dirk leave Paris and start working again in Italy. Dirk decline
- [Chapter XXXVIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxxviii.md): Dirk Stroeve, dressed in deep mourning, visits the narrator to say goodbye before returning to Holland. He reflects on his childhood, his parents' sacrifices for his art, and his current state as an outcast. He shares hi
- [XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xxxix.md): After Blanche's funeral, Stroeve returns to his studio, haunted by memories of her. He discovers a nude painting of Blanche by Strickland and, in a fit of rage, prepares to destroy it but is overcome by its artistic powe
- [XL](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xl.md): The narrator encounters Charles Strickland on the street and tries to avoid him, but Strickland insists on walking with him. Despite the narrator's open hostility and disgust, Strickland's indifference and sardonic humor
- [XLI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xli.md): The narrator engages in a heated philosophical debate with Strickland about love, women, and the nature of artistic obsession. Strickland reveals his contempt for love as a weakness and explains his relationship with Bla
- [XLII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xlii.md): The narrator visits Strickland's studio to view his paintings, which he finds crude and bewildering yet powerfully expressive. He reflects on the difficulty of understanding another person's soul and concludes that Stric
- [XLIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xliii.md): The narrator reflects on the inadequacy of his account of Charles Strickland, lamenting the lack of known motives behind Strickland's drastic decision to become a painter. He contrasts the dull facts of Strickland's ordi
- [XLIV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xliv.md): The narrator reflects on Strickland's views of great artists, noting his lack of eloquence, sardonic humor, and conventional opinions on painters like Velasquez, Chardin, and Rembrandt, with a surprising interest in Brue
- [XLV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xlv.md): The narrator reflects on how his journey to Tahiti was essential to writing this book, as it was there that Charles Strickland found the circumstances to realize his artistic vision. He describes the beauty and mystery o
- [XLVI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xlvi.md): The narrator meets Captain Nichols in Tahiti, who claims to have known Charles Strickland and brought him to the islands. Nichols, a beachcomber with a dubious past, shares his acquaintance with Strickland and reveals hi
- [XLVII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xlvii.md): Captain Nichols recounts his time with Strickland in Marseilles, where they lived in extreme poverty, staying at the Asile de Nuit and later with Tough Bill. They struggled to find work and food, and eventually got into 
- [XLVIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xlviii.md): The narrator reflects on his original plan to begin the book with Strickland's final years in Tahiti and his death, but abandons it for a chronological account. He then recounts the story of Monsieur Cohen, a Jewish trad
- [XLIX](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/xlix.md): The narrator describes his stay at the Hotel de la Fleur and his conversations with the proprietress, Tiaré Johnson, who shares her memories of Strickland in Tahiti. She recalls his poverty, his inability to keep a job, 
- [L](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/l.md): The narrator reflects on the idea that some people are born out of their due place and recounts the story of Abraham, a brilliant medical student who abandoned a promising career in London to settle in Alexandria after a
- [LI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/li.md): Tiaré Johnson recounts how she arranged Strickland's marriage to Ata, a young native girl, after he had been living a rootless existence in Tahiti. She describes their unconventional courtship, the wedding feast she prep
- [LII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/lii.md): The narrator describes the three happiest years of Strickland's life, living with Ata in a remote bungalow on Tahiti, surrounded by tropical vegetation and living off the land. They live a simple, isolated life, with Ata
- [LIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/liii.md): The narrator meets Capitaine Brunot, who shares his memories of visiting Strickland in his remote Tahitian home. Brunot describes the idyllic, Eden-like setting where Strickland lived with Ata and their children, complet
- [LIV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/liv.md): The narrator reflects on how Strickland was treated with sympathy and tolerance on the remote island, unlike in England and France. Captain Brunot explains that both he and Strickland were driven by a passion to create b
- [LV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/lv.md): Dr. Coutras recounts his visit to Strickland's isolated plantation in Tahiti after he contracts leprosy. He describes the desolation, Ata's unwavering devotion, and his diagnosis of Strickland's fatal disease. Strickland
- [LVI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/lvi.md): Dr. Coutras is summoned to Strickland's remote Tahitian home, where he finds Strickland dead and discovers the magnificent, terrifying murals that Strickland painted on the walls before his death. Ata reveals that Strick
- [LVII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/lvii.md): Dr. Coutras reveals the fate of Strickland's final masterpiece, which was burned by Ata at his request after his death. He describes the overwhelming and troubling genius of the murals Strickland painted in his hut, whic
- [LVIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/lviii.md): The narrator departs Tahiti, receiving gifts from Tiaré and others, and returns to London. He visits Mrs. Strickland, now a widow living in comfort, who is being interviewed by American critic Mr. Van Busche Taylor about
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/endnotes.md): The endnotes provide references to critical works on Charles Strickland, including a monograph by Edward Leggatt, a German study by Hugo Weitbrecht-Rotholz, and a biography by Strickland's son Robert. They also describe 

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