The Moon and Sixpence · Chapter
XV explained
The narrator returns to London and meets with Mrs.
What happens
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 another woman but to pursue painting, a truth that shocks and enrages Mrs. Strickland, who declares she will never forgive him. The family struggles to accept Strickland's abandonment for an artistic ideal rather than a romantic affair.
Themes in this chapter
Convention vs. Individuality
Strickland's abandonment of his family and career to become a painter starkly contrasts with the conventional expectations of his social circle, who cannot comprehend his choice.
Love and Obsession
Mrs. Strickland's intense hatred and desire for a dramatic reconciliation reveal the complex interplay of love, pride, and obsession in her reaction to Strickland's departure.
The Artist as Outcast
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.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Reports to Mrs. Strickland and her family about his meeting with Charles Strickland in Paris, revealing Strickland's motive for leaving.
- Mrs. Strickland
Expresses shock and anger upon learning her husband left to become a painter, not for another woman; declares she will never forgive him.
- Colonel MacAndrew
Mrs. Strickland's brother-in-law, who initially suspects a woman is involved and suggests Strickland will return once his 'fling' is over.
- Mrs. MacAndrew
Mrs. Strickland's sister, who dismisses Strickland's artistic aspirations and insists the real reason is selfishness or a woman.
Key passages
“I remember before we were married he used to potter about with a paint box. But you never saw such daubs. We used to chaff him. He had absolutely no gift for anything like that.”
Mrs. Strickland recalls that Strickland dabbled in painting before their marriage, but his efforts were laughably bad and showed no talent.
Highlights the family's dismissal of Strickland's artistic potential.
“I could have forgiven it if he'd fallen desperately in love with someone and gone off with her. I should have thought that natural. I shouldn't really have blamed him. I should have thought he was led away. Men are so weak, and women are so unscrupulous. But this is different. I hate him. I'll never forgive him now.”
Mrs. Strickland says she could have forgiven an affair, but cannot forgive Strickland leaving for an artistic ideal, which she finds incomprehensible and unforgivable.
Reveals the depth of Mrs. Strickland's humiliation and the central conflict between personal passion and societal norms.