1. 研究目的与意义（文献综述）

i. introduction

william somerset maugham was a famous british realistic writer in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. his works were particularly charming because of his dispassionate and objective presentations. in that turbulent time, he continually absorbed advanced concepts in philosophy, psychology and other disciplines, gradually developing a unique, rational and comprehensive writing style.

maugham made great achievements in novel-writing, and most of the novels had a clear story-line that explores the meaning of life. many characters in his fictional works constantly strive with obstructions around them and make arduous efforts to realize their dreams. there are some representative personages, such as strickland in “moon and sixpence”, philip in “of human bondage” and lari in “the razor’s edge”, from which we can see that an important topic in maugham’s works is about the seamy side and complexity of human nature.

2. 研究的基本内容与方案

in this paper, techniques in narratology will be used. as maugham is famous for his fluent writing and concise writing style, the study should not only pay attention to the narrative content, but also the narrative style of the novel. based on the limited perspective of the first person, this paper will focus on the changes in his words and their deep meanings.

what’s more, discussions about intertextuality will also be used in the study of “moon and sixpence”. due to mutual influences between the text and the real society, they have dialogue relationships. thus, the social factors and the rules of the text will both be analyzed.

overall, three aspects of the book “moon and sixpence” will be discussed in this paper: the narrative skills, the macro-background, and the life and fate of different characters. although maugham's was not high-ranking in literature by critics and maugham also regarded himself as a "good second-class writer", the value of his works still cannot be ignored. everyone is faced with the choice of life every day, looking for the answers of their lives when they feel confused. maugham's work may be able to give them some confidence and courage to keep on walking.

3. 研究计划与安排

before 20th january : settlement of the title

before20th march: submission of the outline

before 25th april : submission of the first draft

4. 参考文献（12篇以上）

[1]holden p., selves in dialogue: w. somerset maugham and dementia's stories[j]. auto/biography studies, 2015, vol72(2): 249-269