Search For Freedom And Reflection On Life

Maugham was a miracle of British literature and even of world literature in the 20^th century. He was also one of the most controversial writers in the 20th century. His writing career lasted nearly sixty-five years, creating a large number of short stories, novels and dramas etc. which were loved by the people from different ciasses. Many of them are still widely read today. However, he met the critics' cold response from the beginning. He was greatly influenced by French naturalists but did not completely follow them; he was surrounded by modernists but was unable to accept modernism entirely; besides he preferred traditional techniques in his creation, so that in the critics' eyes, he didn't belong to any school. But there exists particular charm in his works. He was good at putting what he had seen and heard, and his own experiences into his works. He was also good at using dramatic skills in his novels. In this thesis, I try to make an analysis on his masterpiece Of Human Bondage, which reflects his own philosophy and early experiences.