An Exploration Of Human Nature

William Somerset Maugham was a famous novelist, dramatist and short-story writer in the twentieth century. Of Human Bondage is his masterpiece, which has been highly praised by the literary critics and writers.This thesis analyzes the theme of the novel from the scope of human nature. Its body consists of three chapters.Chapter One explores the duality of human nature. The characters in the novel share good and evil at the same time. They show the different aspects of people during different time and occasions. Therefore, good and evil are not absolute but relative. Likewise, passion and reason are intermingled in a single character. At this time, passion takes upper hand, but at that time, reason wins passion.Chapter Two analyzes and reveals the contradictions of human nature from the perspective of the contradictions between freedom and religion, and between individual and society.Chapter Three explores the uncertainty of human nature. That is, humans alter their attitudes towards life with the great change of society. In particular, many people adopt pessimism and fatalism owing to the environment. According to that, the characters of the novel are gradually changing their way of life, and finally are adapted to society.In Of Human Bondage, human nature is deeply explored in the narration of the characters'seeking the meaning and way of life. The novel highlights on the duality, contradictions and uncertainty of human nature.Maugham's quality as a writer can be seen in Of Human Bondage, namely he was a mouthpiece of the times. In the novel, Maugham gave a faithful representation of the life in his time; especially he exposed and condemned British Capitalist social evils. However, it is necessary to point out that Maugham did not unearth the social root of the seamy reality. What's more, Maugham's pessimism and fatalism that are shown in the novel should be refuted.