The Moon and Sixpence · Chapter
XXXV explained
The narrator spends the day trying to distract Dirk Stroeve after Blanche's suicide attempt.
What happens
The narrator spends the day trying to distract Dirk Stroeve after Blanche's suicide attempt. They visit the hospital, where Blanche refuses to see either Dirk or the narrator. The nurse reveals that Blanche's vocal cords were burned by the acid and that she lies silently crying. The narrator reflects on Strickland's cruelty and wonders what drove Blanche to such despair.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Obsession
Dirk's obsessive love for Blanche drives his desperate attempts to see her, while her refusal highlights the destructive side of love.
The Primitive and the Civilized
Strickland's primitive cruelty contrasts with Dirk's civilized compassion and the nurse's serene kindness.
Characters to notice
- Dirk Stroeve
Distraught over Blanche's suicide attempt; cannot eat or sleep; desperately wants to see her but is refused.
- The Narrator
Tries to distract Dirk; accompanies him to the hospital; speaks with the nurse; feels rage toward Strickland.
- Blanche Stroeve
In hospital after drinking oxalic acid; refuses to see anyone; lies silently crying; vocal cords burned.
- Charles Strickland
Mentioned as the cause of Blanche's despair; narrator imagines his cruelty.
Key passages
“I could have killed Strickland then, and I knew that my voice was trembling when I bade the nurse goodbye.”
The narrator felt such fury at Strickland that he wanted to murder him, and his voice shook as he left the nurse.
Shows the narrator's emotional reaction to Blanche's suffering.
“She says she only wants to be left in peace.”
Blanche's only request is to be alone and undisturbed.
Highlights Blanche's despair and rejection of comfort.