First of all I want to begin with the narrative perspective. In the short story “Mr. Know-All” by William Somerset Maugham there is a first person narrator‚ who takes an active part in the story. He is a very important character. It is not easy to tell whether he is a minor or a major character. On the one hand he is a major character because the way he presents Mr. Kelada influences the reader a lot. On the other hand he is just a minor character because he is only the presenter of Mr. Kelada. The
Free Fiction Narrative
Mr. Know-All – Literary analysis THE STORY Mr. Know-All is a story with a moral lesson. The subject is simple. A rich British merchant of Oriental origin‚ named Mr. Kelada‚ meets a group of Westerners on a ship sailing across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Yokohama. His cabin-mate‚ a British citizen who is the nameless narrator of the story‚ dislikes Mr. Kelada even before he sees him. However‚ at the end of the story Mr. Kelada‚ the Levantine jeweler‚ proves to be a real gentleman
Premium Stereotype Discrimination United Kingdom
When? Post-World war I (after 1918). "I did not like Mr. Kelada” - Why? Before their first meeting: His name (Max Kelada) – not English‚ indicates middle-eastern origin (“I should have looked upon it with less dismay if my fellow passenger’s name had been Smith or Brown”). The look of his luggage – too many labels on the suitcases‚ the wardrobe trunk was too big. His prestigious toiletries – filthy (“would have been all the better for a scrub”). After they meet: His body language
Premium British Empire English people English language
impressions‚ values and – most importantly of all – prejudice. Prejudice arises because it is human nature to stereotype new people we meet based on race or how they look before getting to know them. The messageof the story can perhaps best be summed up in the English proverb: You should not judge a book by its cover. The author of “Mr. Know-All”‚ W Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) was a popular English playwright‚ novelist and short story writer. Maugham is said to have been the highest paid author
Premium Fiction Short story W. Somerset Maugham
The Escape By Maugham William Somerset Maugham is one of the best known English writers of the 20th century. He was not only a novelist‚ but also a one of the most successful dramatist and short-story writers. Maugham wants the readers to draw their own conclusion about the characters and events described in his novels. His reputation as a novelist is based on the following prominent books: “Of Human Bondage”; “The Moon and Sixpence”; and “The Razor ’s Edge”. Though Maugham doesn’t denounce the
Premium W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham was a British playwright‚ novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s. After losing both his parents by the age of 10‚ Maugham was raised by a paternal uncle who was emotionally cold. Not wanting to become a lawyer like other men in his family‚ Maugham eventually trained and qualified as a doctor. The first run of his first novel‚ Liza of Lambeth (1897)‚ sold out so rapidly that
Premium W. Somerset Maugham
LOOKING BACK ON EIGHTY YEARS By William Somerset Maugham In my long life I have seen many changes in our habits and customs. The world I entered when at the age of eighteen I became a medical student was a world that knew nothing of planes‚ motor-cars‚ movies‚ radio or telephone. When I was still at school a lecturer came to Canterbury and showed us boys a new machine which reproduced the human voice. It was the first gramophone. The world I entered was a world that warmed itself with
Premium 2005 singles W. Somerset Maugham 2008 singles
The Escape By Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) was an English novelist‚ short story writer and playwright. After an education at King’s School‚ Canterbury‚ and Heildelberg University in Germany‚ Maugham became a medical student at St. Thomas Hospital‚ London. While training to be a doctor Maugham worked as an obstetric clerk in the slums of Lambeth. He used these experiences to help him write his first novel‚ Liza of Lambeth (1897). His clear‚ lucid and economical
Premium W. Somerset Maugham Short story
citizen of the British colonies‚ interferes in other people’s lives. He is dogmatic and thinks that he knows everything better than anybody else‚ he is certain that you are as glad to see him as he is glad to see you. He argues a lot and always has something to say‚ runs everything‚ conducts the auction‚ collects money for prizes at the sports‚ organizes the concerts and arranges a ball. All these annoy the passengers and the narrator‚ but Mr.Kelada doesn’t want to annoy them‚ he has good intentions
Premium United Kingdom Colonialism Discrimination
Mr. know all William Somerset Maugham was a British playwright‚ novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s. Maugham’s style is clear-cut and elegant. The attitude of the novelist to his character seems mostly to be cynically sarcastic. A play upon contrasts and contradictions lies at the basis of Maugham’s sarcastic method in portraying his characters. The author often thought upon the problems of relationship
Premium W. Somerset Maugham Short story Fiction