# VII explained — The Moon and Sixpence

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

## What happens

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 Stricklands, feeling a mix of envy and unease about its placid, conventional pattern. He confesses a personal desire for a more dangerous and unpredictable existence.

## Themes in this chapter

### Convention vs. Individuality

The narrator contrasts the conventional, orderly happiness of the Strickland family with his own inner desire for a more dangerous and unpredictable life.

### Gender Roles and Marriage

Mrs. Strickland is portrayed as the devoted wife and mother, while Charles Strickland is seen as a dull but adequate provider, reflecting traditional gender roles.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

Reflects on the Stricklands' family life and his own longing for a wilder, more exciting path.

### Mrs. Strickland

Seen with her children making final purchases before leaving London; proud and devoted to her family.

### Charles Strickland

Mentioned as a dull but adequate husband, content in his domestic life.

## Key lines

> That must be the story of innumerable couples, and the pattern of life it offers has a homely grace. It reminds you of a placid rivulet, meandering smoothly through green pastures and shaded by pleasant trees, till at last it falls into the vasty sea; but the sea is so calm, so silent, so indifferent, that you are troubled suddenly by a vague uneasiness.

The narrator sees the Stricklands' life as a common, peaceful story, like a gentle stream flowing to a calm sea, but this very tranquility stirs a sense of disquiet in him.

_The narrator's reflection on the conventional life and his underlying unease._

> Perhaps it is only by a kink in my nature, strong in me even in those days, that I felt in such an existence, the share of the great majority, something amiss.

The narrator suggests that his own peculiar temperament makes him feel that something is wrong with the kind of life most people lead.

_The narrator acknowledges his own nonconformist perspective._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters/vii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_and_sixpence_se/chapters