Somerset Maugham: Emulating Maupassant's Pursuit of the Truth

Guy de Maupassant is remembered as the father of the modern short story form who depicted human lives in disillusioned terms. William Somerset Maugham adopts him as a model in the field of short story writing right from his youth and operates with a precisely realized setting, an un-blurred delineation of character and a linear narrative as per the tradition of French naturalist fiction. He even aims at emulating the French artist's pursuit of the truth besides his writing techniques. Maugham's skill in handling characters, settings, plots and clinical attitude in most of his short stories are always inspired by his master. He has even learnt from the French exponent the art of acute and sardonic genius for exposing the bitter reality of human relationships. Both of them are known to tell their stories in a clear and economical style with a cynical undertone. After going through some select stories discussed in the paper, one can surely say that the craft leant from his master has made Maugham an unsurpassed storyteller.