Somerset maughams story which presents a more realistic view of life than the aesop. Somerset maugham essay one of these exceptions is described in maugham s story, the fable called the ant and the grasshopper which is about george and toms experiences. The secret lives of somerset maugham by selina hastings. He was raised by an uncle, who tried to persuade the youngster to become an accountant or parson. Somerset maugham was born in paris as the sixth and youngest son of the solicitor to the british embassy. In somerset maugham short story the ant and the grasshopper we are introduced to the two main characters as referring to them as george and tom. It was loosely based on the life of french artist paul gauguin. Ms of novelist somerset maugham sitting at a desk and writing. Their way of working and their way of spending money differentiate the two brothers, george and tom. William somerset maugham, british playwright and novelist, was one of the most reputed and wellknown writers of his era, and one of the highestpaid authors of his time. His plays, short stories and novels effortlessly sold in their millions.
At the age of 10 maugham was orphaned and sent to england to live with his uncle, the vicar of whitestable. The facts of life william somerset maugham essays and. This story is about a young man who is lucky to meet a woman of his dreams. Shots of the pathe interviewer john parsons sitting at the table with maugham and asking how long maugham is staying here. His practice in a poor district in london provided the material for his first novel, liza of lambeth 1897. Firstly, characters the participants in the story are. The son of a lawyer for the british embassy in france, maugham received a medical education. Taken from his collected short stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that maugham may be exploring the theme of justice or rather the lack of it. To the vast majority of his readers, somerset maugham has come to be associated with the latter days of the british empire, and in particular with the british empire in the far. In this fable we learn that the ant in the story is much like the character of george. Once again, here is selina hastings on the works of somerset maugham. While the older brother, george, is hard working and saving money.
It concerns two brothers, one of whom is a dissolute waster whose hardworking brother has constantly to bail out of difficulties. From maughams first five mature collections, six stories each, published between 1921 and 1933, and collected in east and west 1934, altogether in england i wouldnt want to be without even my least favourite one which is miss king from ashenden, by the way. John ohara referenced the story in the title of his influential novel appointment in. Somerset maugham first claimed fame as a playwright and novelist, but he became best known in the 1920s and 1930s the world over as an international traveler and shortstory writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highestpaid author during the 1930s. According to maugham in his book summing up, my parents died when i. Louise by william somerset maugham linkedin slideshare. First published as collected short stories in 4 vols. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders.
Willliam somerset maugham the ant and the grasshopper. William somerset maugham was one of the most commercially successful english writers ever. The ant and the grasshopper william somerset maugham. Somerset maugham is a novel about a group of young americans who are trying to find their way in. There are some beliefs that everyone gets in their whole life, what they deserve, and it is based upon common. In this case, the ant is george and the grasshopper is tom. One of these exceptions is described in maugham s story, the fable called the ant and the grasshopper which is about george and toms experiences. The remote locations of the quietly magnificent yet decaying british empire offered him beautiful canvasses on which to write his stories and plays. Somerset maugham 1874 1965 was a british playwright, novelist and short story writer. This ancient arabic tale was retold by william somerset maugham near the end of his play sheppey 1933. A fine, detached, subtle but always unsparing observer of human nature, maugham tells us stories about human weakness with a humorous, at the same time cynical and compassionate tone. Thomass hospitals medical school, london, but then decided to become a full time writer.
The shortstory louise, published in 1936, is about the woman who used to get everything what she wants using her weak heart. The ant and the grasshopper essay 454 words studymode. The only holistic system in existence that will show you how to cure your acne, end the breakouts, regain your natural inner balance and achieve the lasting clear skin you deserve. His parents died when he was very young and the boy was brought up by his uncle, clergyman. The ant and the grasshopper free essay example studymoose. Somerset maugham, tom receives a huge inheritance from an old woman he married after years of idling and taking money from his brother george, who has always worked very hard. I propose, in this paper, to investigate the literary implications of the storys multilayered structure. The story starts with a popular fable relating the conversation between an industrious ant and its reluctant counterpart, a grasshopper. Somerset maugham is credited as director, writer and source material. William somerset maugham 25 january 1874 16 december 1965 was an english novelist, short story writer and playwright. Somerset maugham reverses the moral order in a different way in his short story, the ant and the grasshopper 1924.
Which are your favorites among maughams short stories. So, the story is entitled by a womans name and is written in the first. Free essays on the ant and the grasshopper by somerset maugham. Born on january 25, 1874, in paris, france, somerset maugham studied medicine for a time before turning to writing, eventually releasing wellknown works like of. So he was sad because if he would have listened he would not have died. Somerset maugham provides us with a setting of two brothers. Somerset maugham analysis the escape 1925 is a novel written by a famous british playwright, novelist and short story writer. First published as the complete short stories in 3 vols. Essays on the ant and the grasshopper by somerset maugham. A paradox or a fable the ant and the grasshopper is a fabulous short story written by william somerset maugham.
William somerset maugham is one of the best known english writers of the 20th century. William lost his parents at a very young age and was brought up by his uncle in kent. A little bit of what you fancy by desmond morris an analysis. We propose in this paper firstly, to analyze characters, theme and point of view. Somerset maugham, tom receives a huge inheritance from an old woman he married after years of. Somerset maugham, in full william somerset maugham, born jan.
Born in the british embassy in paris, where his father worked, maugham was an orphan by the age of ten. The exposition presents a brief summary of the fable, followed by the narrator. The ant and the grasshopper essay 440 words studymode. He was not only a novelist, but also a one of the most successful dramatist and shortstory writers. Shop amongst our popular books, including 28, the moon and sixpence, the moon and sixpence and more from w.
The first of four volumes of the collected short stories of somerset maugham is a glimpse of what is to come. The reallife inhabitants of these locations were frankly. William boyd has nothing but praise for selina hastingss monumental and scholarly biography of w somerset maugham william boyd sat 12 sep 2009 19. Somerset maugham was the master of the short, concise novel and he could convey relationships, greed and ambition with a startling reality. However, there are exceptions for each rule or statement in existence. Both maughams parents died before he was 10, and the orphaned boy was raised by a paternal uncle who was emotionally cold.
Bbc radio 4 extra the lives and work of somerset maugham. The end of the flight german harry m the happy man raw material mable the luncheon mayheu the ant and the grasshopper a string of beads part 2 the romantic young lady the happy couple the lotus eater a woman of fifty episode part i the escape i. William somerset maugham simple english wikipedia, the. Critically examine the plot in the ant and the grasshopper. According to this fable, the ant worked hard during the summer preparing shelter and food for the winter. William somerset maugham was born in 1874, in the british embassy in paris to robert ormond maugham and his wife, a very wealthy british lawyer who worked for the british embassy in paris. Maugham the aim of the following paper is to analyze a story by mark twain called a curious dream. Flashback this short story does not have a flashback, but from the clues that the story gave me the flashback in this story was the ant telling the grasshopper to work.
The novels hero, charles strickland, is a london stockbroker who renounces his wife, children, and business in order to paint. William somerset maugham 18741965, one of the best known writers of the present day, was not only a novelist, but also one of the most successful dramatists and shortstory writer. William somerset maugham article about william somerset. Essay on the ant and the grasshopper by ws maugham studymode. Somerset maugham we have the theme of justice, trust, fear, morality, embarrassment, happiness and struggle. The ant and the grasshopper william somerset maugham collected short stories, vol.
The british novelist william somerset maugham 18741965, one of the most popular writers in english in the 20th century, is noted for his clarity of style and skill in storytelling. One of these exceptions is described in maughams story, the fable called the ant and the grasshopper. I learned to my surprise that maugham first made it big as a dramatist. His work was popular for his simple style of writing, as well as his sharp and accurate understanding and judgment of human nature. Taken from his collected short stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that maugham may be exploring the. Somerset maugham 25 january 1874 16 december 1965 william somerset maugham was born at the british embassy in paris, france, where his father was an english lawyer handling the legal affairs of the british embassy. The characters are introduced after a short introduction about the story of the ant and the grasshopper. The ant and the grasshopper by somerset maugham somerset maugham is one of the wellknown english writers. Cuts from newsreel 4685 somerset maugham interviewed. William maugham biography facts, childhood, family life. The complex structure of somerset maughams short story the ant and the grasshopper seemed meaningful to me and, so, to invite analysis. Somerset maugham there are some beliefs that everyone gets in their whole life, what they deserve, and it is based upon common sense. One of somersets more famous short stories read by kenneth danziger video version here. Maugham instead trained as a doctor, although he never practised professionally, as his first novel.
761 1229 1092 1115 609 1019 559 1226 819 1223 1003 539 786 820 1235 564 947 428 362 1272 397 1007 1142 1237 950 1111 822 340 137 474 1142 12 358