The Narrative Strategies Of The Moon And Sixpence

In the Moon and Sixpence,a series of narrative strategies adopted by Maugham are unique highlights.Based on the literature analysis,this paper studies the narrator and its hierarchy and irony of the Moon and Sixpence by using Genette’s narrative theory.Since there are many narrators and different types of narrators in the Moon and Sixpence,according to Genette’s narrative theory,this paper divides the narrators into extradiegetic-homodiegetic narrators,extradiegetic-heterodiegetic narrators and interdiegetic-homodiegetic narrators:Narrator-I is extradiegetic-homodiegetic narrator;Imagination is extradiegetic-heterodiegetic narrator;Captain Nichols,Mrs.Johnson and Dr.Coutras are interdiegetic-homodiegetic narrators.In addition to classifying narrators into different types,differen types of narratos also belong to different levels.Extradiegetic-homodiegetic narrators and extradiegetic-heterodiegetic narrators belong to the first layer of the story,while interdiegetic-homodiegetic narrators belong to the second layer of the story.Besides,the narrator hierarchy has the following functions: increasing authenticity;increasing the sense of mystery;increasing the sense of stereosyncrasies;breaking the limitation of principal narrator’s perspective.Maugham skillfully uses verbal and situational irony in the novel,which bring many bright points for the novel.Verbal irony emphasizes implicit meanings.While the use of situational irony explores the contradictory relationship between art and life,material and civilization in western society.