# Chapter XXXIV explained — The Moon and Sixpence

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

## What happens

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 to the hospital. The narrator accompanies Dirk to the hospital, where a dismissive doctor treats the case as a routine suicide attempt and refuses them entry, saying Blanche is too ill to see anyone.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Obsession

Blanche's suicide attempt is a dramatic manifestation of obsessive love and despair, while Stroeve's willingness to forgive everything underscores the destructive power of unbalanced affection.

### The Artist as Outcast

Strickland's abrupt departure after the quarrel and his emotional detachment highlight his role as an outcast who disrupts conventional relationships without remorse.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

The narrator is working at home when Stroeve arrives with the news of Blanche's suicide attempt. He accompanies Stroeve to the hospital and speaks with the doctor.

### Dirk Stroeve

Stroeve arrives in a state of shock to report that Blanche has tried to kill herself. He recounts the events, expresses his forgiveness, and begs the narrator to intercede with Blanche at the hospital.

### Blanche Stroeve

Blanche is reported to have taken oxalic acid after a quarrel with Strickland. She is conscious but in great suffering, refuses to see Stroeve, and is taken to the hospital where she is listed as too ill for visitors.

### Charles Strickland

Strickland is mentioned as having had a row with Blanche the previous night and then leaving. He is not present in the chapter.

## Key lines

> She’s killed herself.

Blanche has committed suicide.

_Stroeve's initial frantic announcement to the narrator._

> Women are constantly trying to commit suicide for love, but generally they take care not to succeed. It’s generally a gesture to arouse pity or terror in their lover.

Women often attempt suicide as a dramatic plea for attention or to manipulate their partner, not with a genuine intention to die.

_The doctor's cynical assessment of Blanche's act, reflecting a common contemporary view._

## Links

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