Unshackling Spiritual Bondage

The British writer W. Somerset Maugham, living at the transitional period of Western literature from traditional realism to modernism, strikes a major chord in the readers'hearts. His works dispassionately reflect on the fundamental source of modern spiritual crisis and strive hard to help man reclaim inner freedom. As one of the few writers of an extensive and profound influence in the 20th century Western literary world, Maugham views Western culture dialectically, retaining its essence while discarding its fallacies. He tries to seek a kind of equilibrium or harmony in the cruel contrast between ideality and reality, establishing a brand-new and unique mode of life.Based on a detailed reading of his three major works Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence and The Razor's Edge, this thesis employs the philosophical thoughts of Schopenhauer, Camus and Nietzsche respectively to anatomize modern spiritual crisis as reflected in these novels and tries to demonstrate Maugham's ever deepening process of understanding humanity, with the purpose of showing that Maugham, according to his own perceptions of life and by creating his three heroes of distinctive nature, gradually points out an effectual way to unshackle spiritual bondage and acquire ultimate freedom.In Maugham's mind, the writer is more concerned to know than to judge. This peculiar onlooking attitude is fully exhibited among these novels, in which modern humanity and spiritual crisis are perfectly and faithfully depicted, and different characters are minutely shaped as well. After reading them carefully, we may find it is characteristic of Maugham to analyze humanity impartially, imperturbably and intensively; we may also see that it's the mutual theme of his novels to help man regain freedom in mind.