The social aspects of this novel are such as should be of great interest to current readers. Perhaps the most striking one, the place of the artist in society and his or her relationship to it, can be viewed as especially relevant in view of the contemporary disagreement over the responsibility of government to fund artists and artistic projects. Patronage, private and public, has existed in the arts for many years; however, many persons believe that the artist should take his or her chances with the public's taste. Few people would subscribe to Oscar Wilde's claim that the principal function of society is to support and encourage the artist.

In The Moon and Sixpence, W. Somerset Maugham presents an unusual personage as the "artist." Charles Strickland does not merely defy society, as other artists have done before; he simply ignores it.

Based loosely on the career...