Portraits Analysis on the Treasure Written by William Somerset Maugham

2010年8月Overseas English 海外募 诸Portraits Analysis on the Treasure Written by William Somerset Maugham黄阿贝(对外经济贸易大学英语学院.北京100123)Abstract: There were over one hundred short stories written by William Somerset Maugham, and in each story, he is good at use simpleand clear language to describe several vivid portraits and characters, this paper briefly discusses the main characters and personalities of theportaits in his story, The Treasure, with a view to contributing to a better undertanding of the whole story.Key words: characters; Richard Harenger; pritchard; the ureasure; William Somerset Maugham中图分类号:106文献标识码:A文章编号:1009- -5039(2010)08 0185 -03W iliamn Somerset Maugham is considered one of the bestbetween host and handmaid, but this title suggests something un-authors of the 20th century. He was noted as an expert storytellercommon, that is, a story which should not have happened.and a master of fiction technique. An introverted child aflictedRichard Harenger employed Pritchard as his handmaid. Hewith a stammer, Maugham was orphaned at 10 and sent to livewas satisfied with all she does, but his invitation to this maidwith his uncle, a vicar. Although he later studied medicine andnearly ruined his life. First is invitation to flm, then to a dinner,completed his internship, he never practiced, having decided atand they even came back together in a cab. More surprisingly, hean early age to devote himself to literature. He lived in grandslept with her. Every step, he felt guilty but comnforted himselfstyle, spending much of his life on the French Riviera and trav-and told himself that it was not that serious. In fact, if he couldeling widely, particularly to East Asia and the South Pacifie.control himself, nothing that made him regretted would have hap-Maugham wrote with wit and irony, frequenuly expressing anpened. This is what we call "to check eroneous ideas at the out-aloofly cynical ttitude toward life. Famous as a dramatist beforeset". Every stage he went through took him to an abysm graduallyhe became known for his novels and short stories, he achieveduntil he found no chance to make up.his first success with the sardonically humorous play Lady Fred-This is what Maugham wants 10 tell us: keep control oferick (1907). This was fllowed by a series of commercal sue-yourself at any time and any place and don't indulge yourself.cesses, the best being The Circle (1921), Our Betters (1923), andNever ever do anything that you feel guiltyThe Constant Wife (1927). But his prealest success has been2 Characters of Richard Harengergained, perhaps by his short stories, Maugham was a realist withRichard is a typical British gentleman with a high sociala cool, unenotional outlook on life. He had an amazing skill forclass, he is always considerate and hospitable to his friends; he isrevealing, with a few touches, a situatin and the essentials ofparticular and in some degree we can say that he is a perfection-characler, and most of his stories were told in a clear, straightfor-ist to his parlourmaid; while under the infuences of the local 80-ward and fluent style. Though critics look on him more a acial enironment, Richard could not get nid of the social preju-clever and competent craftsman than as an arist, a story- tellerdice on the relationship between master and servant, therefore,rather than profound author, Maugham's works remain very pop-Richard's episode of sexual intimacy with his eficient parlor-ular with readers who want to enjoy a good story.maid is not going to change their established relationship andWilliam Somerset Maugham's ability to create vivid andthat the ordered elegance of his life is not to be threalened.symbolic images is clearly shown in his short stories. Here weConsiderate & Hospitablecan study and analysis the characters of the portraits of the story"He was considerate and of a generous disposition. He wasThe Treasure.always ready to oblige a friend, and he was suficienly well off to1 Gist of the Storybe able to indulge himself in the pleasure of helping others."Diferent people have diferent views about the gist of this"He did not want to embarrass Prichard by asking her toshort story. More often than not, a short story always sparks a lotdance with him. It was better not to go too far perhaps. And yetof thinking, which is what literalure brings to us.what did it matter? It was a drab life she led. She was 80 sensi-Speaking of The Treasure, the tile meants an intimate formnble, if she thought it was a mistake he was pretty sure she wouldof address for a handmaid. There should be an obvious diferencefind a decent excuse." One hand, Richard was afraid of embar-中国煤化工YHCNMHG收稿日期:2010-05-12修回 日期:2010-06-15作者简介:黄阿贝,女,对外经济贸易大学2008在职研究生,行政经理,目前就职于哈里伯顿国际公司北京办事处,主要研究方向为商务英语。本栏月责任翰辑:集书“薄”中外文学文化研究理185Overseas English 潘外舆 海2010年8月rassing Pritchard, and the other hand, he was wory about be r-very much like her, "I think she bores me a litle. You see, shefused by Pritchard, then himself would be also embarrassed.has no conversation. Ive often tried to talk to her. She answersRichard was of a hospitable nature and liked to give at leastwhen I speak to her, but that's all. In four years she's never vol-once a week litle dinners of not less than four people and nolunteered a remark of her own. I know absolutely nothing aboutmore than eight. He could trust his cook to send in a meal thather. I don't know if she likes me or if she's completely indiferenthis guests would lake pleasure in eating and he desired his par-to me. She's an automaton. 1 respect her, I appreciate her, I trustlourmaid to wait with nealness and dispatch.her. She has every quality in the world, and I've often wonderedSelf-complacency & Self-regardwhy it is that with all hat I'm so completely indiferent to her. IRichard was a happy man. He occupied in the Home Officethink it must be that she is entirely devoid of charm."a position which brought him an adequale stipend; he had com-From all these details, it is not difrcult for us to find thatprehensive hobbies and interests, he went to play bridge everyRichard is particular for many things, to work 88 his house -par-day, to play golf every weekend, to spend his holidays abroad; helourmaid, it is not easy to satify him.was well-read, knowledgeable and amusing; he was easy to talkPrejudice on social classto and was besides of a personable exterior, even he was al the"The position was impossible. It was obvious he couldn'tage of fty, but he still had a good physique constitution with inkeep her, and yel s0 send her away for what was his fault 8elligent face, thus, "there was no reason in the world why hemuch as hers seemed shockingly unfair. How idiotic to lose theshould not be a happy man, and if there had been in him a tracebest parlourmaid a man ever had just for an hour's fll! "of self-complacency he might have claimed that he deserved to"He gave a sigh of relief. It was going to be all right. Shebe."need not go. Prichard was the perfect parlourmaid. He knew that"Good masters make good servants," Richard beamed withnever by word nor gesture would she ever refer to the fact that forself-complacency when his friends praised Prichard.a moment their relations had been other than those of master andIt11 be an awful blow when she leaves you."servant. Richard Harenger was a very happy man.""Why should she leave me? One or two people have tried toThe next moming, afer Richard had a sexual relationshipget her away from me, but she tumed them down. She knowswith his servant Prichard, he was rgretted for what he did, inwhere she's well of."his mind, he thought his behavior was just caused by the naturalParticular & Perfectimpulse, he did not really like Pritchard very much, she wasn't"He wanted a maid who was not too young, first becausehis type and what's more, he was afraid of the further relationshipyoung women are flighty and secondly because, though he was ofwould be threaten his existing life.mature age and a man of principle, people would talk, the porter3 Characters of Pritchardand the tradesmen if nobody else, and both for the sake of hisPritchard was an eficient parlourmaid with decent presence,own repulation and that of the young person he considered thatshe was reliable and disretion, she was silent and watchful, shethe applicant should have reached years of discretion. Besideswas sensible and inelligent.that he wanted a maid who could clean silver well. He had al-Decent presenceways had a fancy for old silver, and it was reasonable to demandAlthough Pritchard was a parlourmaid, she always had de-that the forks and spoons that had been used by a woman ofcent presence and dressed well ftting her station, not Aloppy, notquaity under the reign of Queen Anne should be treated withluxury, but neat, clean and elegant.tenderness and respect." Richard would like to hire a perfectWhen she appeared frstly before Richard, Richard noticedmaid whom could do everything well, before he interviewed thethat "she had pale brown hair. It was nealy and becominglyapplicants, he considered many factors about the servant, evendressed. She looked strong and healthy. She was neither fat norfor the proper age. That's why we say Richard is a perfectionist.thin. In a proper uniform she would look very presentable. SheRichard was very particular, "the parlourmnaid he was look-was not inconvenienly handsome, but she was certainly a come-ing for must be able lo press trousers and iron a tie, and hisly, in another class of life you might almost have said a hand-shoes should be well shone. He had small feet, and he took asome, woman."great deal of trouble to have well-cut shoes. He had a large sup-ply, and he insisted that they should be teed up the moment hechanged her dress, she wore a blue frock in what Richard sup-took them of. Finally the Aat must be kept clean and tidy. It wasposed was arificial silk, a small black hat with a blue brooch onof course understood that any applicant for the post must be ofit, and a silver fox round her neck. He was a tnifle relieved to seeireproachable character, sober, honesl, reliable and of a pleasingthat she looked neither shabby nor showy. It would never occurexterior."l0 anyone who happened to see them that this was a distin-"I forgot to tell you, when I went away under no circum-guished oficial in the Home Office taking his housemaid to thestances ever to touch my books. When books are taken out to bedusted they're never put back in the night place. I don't mind mybooks being dity, but I hate not being able to find them."中国煤化工; what did by Pritchard,"Dyou wash my socks and handkerchiefs yourself,she.MYHC N M H Gwear on every ocasin,Pritchard? I should have thought you had enough to do withoutthat."and without asking him was aware whether she should put out adinner jacket and a black tie in the evening or a dress coat and aAlthough Prichard did very well, but Richard still did notwhite one. When Richard was going to a party where decorations1鸭方轰批文学文化研究顿的心“本栳目责任编舞:嫖书2010年8月Overseas English 海外美iwere to be wom he found his neat litle row of medals sutomati-dres she was in the habit of wearing during the early part of thecally afixed to the lapel of his coat. Rirhard soon ceased to .choose every mormning from his wardrobe the tie he wanted, for heShe drew the cutains and handed him his ltters and thefound that Pritchard put out for him without fail the one he wouldpapers. Her face was impassive. She looked exactly as she alwayshave himself selected. Her tasle was perfect. She read Richard'slooked. Her movement. had the same competent deliberation thatletters and reminded the schedule for him, she always knew whatthey always had. She neither avoided Richard's glance nor soughthis movements were; she knew exactly what tone to use with per-it.sons with whom she conversed on the telephone. She knew byAfter Pritrhard had an intimate sexual touch with Richard,instinct with whom he wished to speak and with whom he didnT.the next moming, she got up early and did all things as usual,From Rirhard's siting room he sometimes heard her with placidbecause she is 80 itelligent to know even she slept withsincerity assuring a caller that he was out, and then she wouldRichard, but the naster and servant relationship between themcome in and tell him that so -and -80 had rung up, but shecould not be changed, the ouly way for her is to fllow all what-thought he wouldn't wish to be disturbed.ever she did before, otherwise, she would have to leave Richard"I forgot to tell you , when I went away under no rircum-and lose what she had aready have.stances ever ta touch my books. When books are taken out to be4 Conclusiondusted they 're never put back in the right place. I don't mind myNo reader will fail to see, and without needing to give muchbooks being dity, but I hate not being able to find them."thought to the malte, that The Treasure is diferent in kind from"I'm very sory, sir,' said Pritchard. 1 know some gentlemenall the other stories in this volume. The diference can be statedare very particular and I took care to put back every book exactlyquite simply: the other stories are serious, this one is not. It doeswhere I took it from." On one occasion, when Richard comingot undertake to engage vur deeper feelings or to communicateback from a holiday, he found out that his books had been dustedanyhing new aboul the nature of human existence. ht proposes tofrom his shelves and then lold Prichard not do that again im thedo nothing except entertain, and indeed we cannot fail to observefuture, but Pritchard was always discrete before her behavior,of The Treasure that, despite its refusal to be serious and to pro-even though Richard did not tell her that he would not want oth-pose any greater awareness of the actualities of existence, it doesers to touch his books and never put back in the right plare, butafter all touch upon a subject which bhas pertinence to our realPitchard could do the right thing by bhis way.interests. It refers to our sense of the high value of natural im-Silent & waltchfulpulse and the absurdity of social conventin. What amuses us inPrichard was quick, silent and watchful. Whenever a guestthe story is Richard's intense relief that his episode of sexual in-had hardly fel the need of something before Pritchard was at histimacy with his eficient parlor maid is not going to change theirelbow ofering him what he wanted. She so0on leamed the tastesestablished relationship and that the ordered elegance of his lifeof his more intimate friends and remembered that one liked walteris not to be threatened. We find it comical that a man whoseinslead of soda with his whisky and that another particularly fan-cied the kmuckle end of a leg of lamb. She knew exactly howsexual impulse was at least strong enough to overwhelm him onone ocasion, and presumably in a happy way, should set morecold a hock should be nol to ruin its laste and how long elaretstore by his narcissistic love of comnfort and orderliness than byshould have stood in the room to bring out its bouquel, It was ahis erotic satisfaction, The pleasures of habitual comfort are notpleasure to see her pour out a bottle of burgundy in such a fash-to be despised, but our partisanship with nature and impulse ision as not to disturb the grounds.Soon Richard left his matters entirely in Prichard's hands,quick to pass adverse judgment on a man who prefers these tothe passional pleasures.for he discovered that she knew perectly what wines his guestsAn incidental charm of the story is its representation of awould like. Without orders from him she would provide the bestvanished mode of life which, especially to American readers,in his cllr and his oldest brandy if she thought they were themight well seem quaint, even improbable.In England the atitudessort of people who knew what they wer drinking. She had nothat the story lakes for granted exist nowadays only in vestigialbelief in the palate of women, and when they were of the partyform. At least from a strictly literary point of view it is possible towas apt to serve the champagne which had to be drunk before itregard this as something of a loss, for the master . -servant rela-tionship was one of the best subjects of comedy.Sensible & nelligentIn a word, in such simple story, the characters of the por-"111 go up the back way, sir," said Pritchard.traits are described vividly by William Somerset Maugham, whichThere's no need to do that. Come up in the lift with me."is worth for us to leam.When Richard and Pritchard amived home afer dancing,Prichard realized sensibly that it was inappropriate to take theReferences:ift with Richard so late at night, she supposed that Richard may[川] W.Somerset Maugham.The complete short storie [M).Greatmind it and would not like others to find he was back withBritain,W iliamn Heinemann Lld,1951.Pritchard.[21S中国煤化工meset Maugham: A Bi-"Prichard came in as the clock struck. She wore the printHCNMHG本栏目责任偏瓣:缥书. g”中外文学文化研克重 187