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The characters in the fiction and drama of W. Somerset Maugham accurately reflect English society from the end of the Victorian age through the early years of World War II. Maugham based his characters on real people whom he observed and analyzed, and his characters transcend the themes and settings of his fictional worlds. This volume lists and descibes each and every character mentioned in Maugham's fiction and drama, including living, dead, human, animal, imaginary, historical, named, and unnamed inhabitants of his works.
Through his voluminous writings, W. Somerset Maugham recreated the age in which he lived. The characters in his fiction and drama accurately reflect English society from the end of the Victorian era through the early years of World War II. There exists little doubt that the strength of Maugham's works stems from his rich characterizations. When he peopled his imaginary worlds, he based his characters on real persons whom he observed and analyzed, both from a respectable distance and a not always respectable intimacy; then he recast them upon the page and the stage.
This reference sets down in alphabetical order each character included in Maugham's stories, novels, and plays. Included are imaginary, historical, human, animal, named, unnamed, living, and dead characters from all of his works. Each entry indicates the work in which the character appears and provides a description of the character in relation to the work as a whole. As far as possible, the descriptions capture the substance and tone of Maugham's own words. An introductory essay discusses the importance of Maugham's characters to his literary art, while a bibliography lists editions consulted and secondary sources of additional information.
List of contents
Introduction
The Characters
Editions and Secondary Sources Consulted
Index of Titles
About the author
SAMUEL J. ROGAL is Chair of the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts at Illinois Valley Community College. He has written some 150 articles, and his more than 25 books include A Companion to the Characters in the Fiction of W. Somerset Maugham (1996), Sing Glory and Hallelujah! Historical and Biographical Guide to Gospel Hymns Nos. 1 to 6 Complete (1996), Agriculture in Britain and America, 1660-1820: An Annotated Bibliography of the Eighteenth Century Literature (1994), Medicine in Great Britain from the Restoration to the Nineteenth Century, 1660-1800 (1992), A Chronological Outline of American Literature (1987), A Guide to the Hymns and Tunes of American Methodism, 1878-1964 (1986), The Children's Jubilee: A Bibliographical Survey of Hymnals for Infants, Youths and Sunday Schools Published in Britain and America, 1655-1900 (1983), and A Chronological Outline of British Literature (1980), all published by Greenwood.
