The Moon and Sixpence · Chapter
XXXII explained
The narrator encounters Strickland and Blanche Stroeve at a café in Paris.
What happens
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 complexity of her character, noting the contrast between her demure appearance and her passionate, reckless actions. The meeting is uneventful, leaving the narrator intrigued and curious about their private life.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Obsession
Blanche's abandonment of her husband for Strickland illustrates the theme of obsessive love and its consequences.
Convention vs. Individuality
Blanche's choice to leave a secure home for an uncertain life with Strickland challenges societal norms and highlights the tension between convention and individuality.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
The narrator encounters Strickland and Blanche Stroeve at a café, plays chess with Strickland, and reflects on Blanche's character.
- Charles Strickland
Strickland is accompanied by Blanche Stroeve, greets the narrator cordially, and plays chess with him.
- Blanche Stroeve
Blanche is with Strickland at the café, appears composed and demure, but the narrator reflects on her violent passions and reckless decisions.
Key passages
“I did not see Strickland for several weeks. I was disgusted with him, and if I had had an opportunity should have been glad to tell him so, but I saw no object in seeking him out for the purpose.”
The narrator avoided Strickland for weeks, feeling disgusted but not motivated enough to confront him.
The narrator's moral stance and reluctance to act.
“Her face was a mask that told nothing. Her hands lay on her lap motionless, one in the other loosely clasped.”
Blanche's expression and posture revealed no emotion, remaining perfectly still and unreadable.
The narrator's observation of Blanche's inscrutable demeanor.
“She must be a woman of complicated character, and there was something dramatic in the contrast of that with her demure appearance.”
The narrator concludes that Blanche has a complex personality, strikingly at odds with her calm exterior.
The narrator's reflection on Blanche's inner complexity.