U.S. History the Razor\'s Edge by Sommerset

U.S. History

The Razor's Edge by Sommerset Maugham is superficially the story of Larry Darryl, a war veteran. The apparent protagonist decides to leave his family's comfortable place in Chicago "society," because of the horrors he has witnessed as a result of the war, most particularly the death of his best friend. (Maugham, The Razor's Edge, Chapter 1) However, unlike most novels of personal, spiritual quests, the focus of the author is not upon the unique, interior life of the main character. Instead, the author approaches his novel by structuring it as a series of comparisions of the main character with contrasting individuals. Unlike these characters, Larry is both of a "sweet" disposition, easily affected by the world, and also of a more questioning, indeterminate nature. (Maugham, The Razor's Edge, Chapter 1) Because of this structure, the overall novel has a highly didactic, schematic tone, almost more like an allegory than a story. However, because of the relevance of the societal problems highlighted by the author, it is still quite powerful.

Over the course of the novel, Maugham shows us several possible outcomes of such an unexamined life. The most notable of these are a businessman named Gray Maturin, a beauty named Isabel, a social-climber named Elliot Templeton, and a drug addict/prostitute. All of these characters offer possible career paths to the main character. Larry could have come back from the war and made money, or lived off his family name. He also, like many war veterans, could have sought oblivion in drugs. However, he does not. Maugham shows the above characters might be sucessful in the eyes of the world, financially and socially, but they are not satisfied personally. Templeton's neice Isabel, is described first and foremost, "She was in short sexually a very attractive young woman." (Maugham, Chapter 6) However, this beauty, however obvious, gives her no lasting joy. She marries Gray after Larry seems unwilling to pursue career and financial success with such fixation, but the match does little to enhanse her spiritual life.

This is also true of Templeton's striving for social gain. He dies a lonely man in Antibes, France without any of the friends he gave parties for, introduced into society, and did countless favors for.