Golden glasses of expensive champagne clink as a lavish party roars in the background of the era of an emerging wealth. The 1920’s: a period in which the world, but the young and reckless America especially, struggled to get a grip on what true success and happiness were. Then, there were neither in the 30’s when the Depression smacked the world with harsh reality.W. Somerset Maugham’s novel The Razor’s Edge follows a young writer (a character named for himself) and the trials of his social group throughout the decade of extremes. In this group, each character fights their own battles to find what would, in the end, make the most sense for them. Maugham uses the lives of Isabel, Sophie, and Elliott to show that it is human nature to abandon
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She and her fiance Larry look at each other with “fondness” and “tenderness” (23-24). Even though Larry is not conforming with the lifestyle that her mother and Elliott want for her, Isabel is protective of his name and does not initially seem to mind that he just wants to “loaf’ instead of go to work. But when it comes down to it, Isabel kicks that bubbly girl to the curb and falls in line with what is expected. She is tired of defending Larry and goes on the offensive herself, claiming “It [Larry’s wonderings] all seems so adolescent to me” (72) in a pivotal argument between them. She finds in childish and stubborn that Larry will not give up his idea of learning and travelling for a steady job and a fat paycheck. It becomes clearer and clearer that Larry’s life goals are not the same as her own, so Isabel tosses out her heart with the ring and throws herself full-on into the stereotypical life of a wealthy American girl. Festivities set up by Elliott consume her days and she marries Larry’s friend Gray for his the depth of his pockets as opposed to his mind. She develops a perfect little life for herself by molding herself into the ideal image, all the while still being in love with
She and her fiance Larry look at each other with “fondness” and “tenderness” (23-24). Even though Larry is not conforming with the lifestyle that her mother and Elliott want for her, Isabel is protective of his name and does not initially seem to mind that he just wants to “loaf’ instead of go to work. But when it comes down to it, Isabel kicks that bubbly girl to the curb and falls in line with what is expected. She is tired of defending Larry and goes on the offensive herself, claiming “It [Larry’s wonderings] all seems so adolescent to me” (72) in a pivotal argument between them. She finds in childish and stubborn that Larry will not give up his idea of learning and travelling for a steady job and a fat paycheck. It becomes clearer and clearer that Larry’s life goals are not the same as her own, so Isabel tosses out her heart with the ring and throws herself full-on into the stereotypical life of a wealthy American girl. Festivities set up by Elliott consume her days and she marries Larry’s friend Gray for his the depth of his pockets as opposed to his mind. She develops a perfect little life for herself by molding herself into the ideal image, all the while still being in love with