# XVII explained — The Moon and Sixpence

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

## What happens

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 expresses no interest in her husband's fate but offers conditional financial help if he is in need.

## Themes in this chapter

### Convention vs. Individuality

The narrator's decision to leave London contrasts with Mrs. Strickland's adherence to social conventions and her concern for appearances.

### Gender Roles and Marriage

Mrs. Strickland's discomfort with her own business success and her refusal to let her daughter work or act highlight restrictive gender expectations.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

Decides to leave London for Paris, feeling stale and seeking a fresh start.

### Mrs. Strickland

Has built a successful typing business, but is preoccupied with social status and her children's futures.

## Key lines

> We were like tramcars running on their lines from terminus to terminus, and it was possible to calculate within small limits the number of passengers they would carry.

The narrator feels that life in London has become predictable and monotonous, like a tram following a fixed route.

_The narrator expresses his desire for change and escape from routine._

> It is not true that suffering ennobles the character; happiness does that sometimes, but suffering, for the most part, makes men petty and vindictive.

The narrator reflects that suffering usually makes people small and resentful, contrary to the common belief that it improves character.

_The narrator's cynical view of Mrs. Strickland's offer to help her husband._

## Links

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