THE FORCE OF CIRCUMSTANCE, Somerset Maugham

n "The Force of Circumstance" by Somerset Maugham, Doris, a young Englishwoman, marries Guy, a colonial officer stationed in the remote outpost of Sembulu. Despite their love and her efforts to make their home pleasant, Doris discovers the presence of a Malay woman and child, who turn out to be Guy's former concubine and son from before their marriage. Guy's casual dismissal of his past and the child's future disturbs Doris, highlighting the cultural and moral conflicts of their colonial life. Feeling betrayed and unable to reconcile with the reality of Guy's previous life, Doris ultimately ...............

[@dianesleeman5940]

East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet.....etc. I love Maugham's stories of The White Man's Burden😊

[@nubiacairo8835]

What a laugh. The white man's burden.

[@gaelricciulli4268]

A great story beautifully read by a gorgeous English voice. I liked the picture too which added to the atmosphere. Thank you for this great collection of one of our best story-tellers.

[@magenta4085]

A georgeous AI English voice paralleling Stanhope.

[@Shineon83]

***Spoilers*** This is a S. Maugham I hadn’t read before….What a pity, as it is truly a **master class** in characterization…Maugham sketches each with a deft hand, gradually building storylines and adding plot twists-until he just sits back, and lets his characters speak… The newlywed wife-born into a world of class- and race-consciousness, suddenly confronted with a fait accomplis : her new husband’s 3 mixed-race children and his ex-partner…It’s a situation with which she simply has no tools to cope … The husband is revealed to be a rather weak, selfish and morally ambiguous man : unable to tolerate solitude, he explained his decision to take a native mistress ( “Everyone does it”), while simultaneously, dehumanizing them, describing them as “unfeeling,” and content to be discarded, once they became inconvenient…He ends the 10-year relationship by announcing his intention of “finding a wife” in England. His native family is now an embarrassment & and inconvenience to him, so they are expected to “disappear.” His focus on what can only be called “wife-shopping,” during an extremely truncated leave, left me wondering what he would have done if she had said “no?” ….I have my hunches. He doesn’t tell his soon-to-be fiancé about his (very) recent ex-partner. Or about their 3 children (later explaining to her that he was “afraid” of losing her).… While the “fear” was undoubtedly real, by now, we’ve seen enough of our guy to know that he puts a premium on HIS feelings & desires ( the ethical implications in concealing the existence of 3 biological children & an ex-partner seemed never to have occurred to him ). As for his children, he sees them almost as alien beings-completely detached from himself, admitting that he feels no paternal affection toward them ( going so far as to say, “…I mean, I wouldn’t be HAPPY if something bad happened to them”)… …And as for the woman he lived with for 10 years? We first hear him “snarling” at her, out of sight, before he issues a threat, and “slams the bolt in the door with uncommon fury.” …He is, apparently, perfectly content with her being brutalized by his staff, in order to keep her away ( not even bothering to ask what was done to her, after his wife complained to him of their “brutality”) As for the newlywed wife, we are taken on her journey, from joy in her new husband and life-to despair. We see through her eyes : how alien the natives appear to her, the shock over her husband’s past and his secrecy….Her inability to view her husband as anything other than “damaged goods,” and as belonging to the other woman (it brings to mind Nellie Forbush’s reaction to her lover’s confession of a deceased native wife & children in the musical, “South Pacific”)…Shocked as she is, Maugham shows us a woman who doesn’t act on impulse : she requests 6 mos. to decide what she will do ( I found it telling how Maugham chose to emphasize just how long the husband’s former relationship had lasted, by having her confess to him: “If you had had just ONE child with her, I might have been able to bear it”)… She does, in the end, the only thing that she can do-sail for “home”….In a final character reveal, we see the husband (whose past-and concealment of that past -have caused such heartache) surrender, and invite the “past” back into his life-on the very day his wife leaves him…. **My impressions: Girl dodged a bullet 🤣 ….While I have sympathy for the isolation and loneliness of an ex-pat in his former position, he’s just a wee bit too slick & self-pitying. By far the most common relationship for such men was casual (one-night stands & short term relationships)….For those men (less than 10%) who lived in long-term relationships with a particular woman, most eventually married the woman (particularly if children were involved)… The thought of this guy living a DECADE with a woman who bore him 3 children ( which he presumably saw and interacted with on some level, on a daily basis) just flipping some internal “switch,” and mentally “disappearing” them all is beyond creepy. Throwing them all out of their home-because he wants it vacated for the “new wife?” Again, Level I “Creepy.” ….He’s great at self-pity, but there is something seriously broken in this man….SHE sees it, and the enormity of his actions & their repercussions. He’s just incapable of doing so…. ( I like to think that she returned to her position as Private Secretary to a Member of Parliament-and to an overjoyed Mum )

[@Edo9River]

To write as much as you did shows a mark of respect. However for elders all you did was rehearse, nothing added nothing gained. Maybe you wrote for yourself and not for us. You’ve processed their actions. So what does it mean. to you.? There’s interviews with Maugham on KZbin. Non judgemental. However ever deed iis a judgement. And here we are now, how many years later. Probably global warming will be like race relations. The saving grace is that with each generation the antipathy is a little less. What with another century, this might be quaint for the ones who survive.😂😂😂

[@Shineon83]

@@Edo9River Old habits, I fear (I’m an editor)…Lacking the creative spark, I often process works by writing a synopsis (for myself). I couldn’t tell you why I posted this 😂….Being under-40, I suppose I wouldn’t qualify for “elder” status, however, I do appreciate, and yes, respect, Mr. Maugham …. As for what this story “meant” to me? Like most of SM’s works, I found no deeper “meaning”-only characters that almost leapt off of the page with authenticity.…Although a raging misogynist, SM’s lifelong, near-pathological study of people allowed him to realistically capture & portray the emotional angst of a 1920s-era, middle class woman, confronted with a situation beyond her ability to rationalize, or cope with….I found it compelling. And realistic. ( That’s really about it :)

[@Edo9River]

@@Shineon83 I appreciate the kindness of your lengthy reply. I applied the evaluation procedure of ToastMasters Club, which I’ve been active in since moving here to Japan. Still here, by the Grace of God, despite a reasonable effort to move on…..This reply is like continuing to rub 2 sticks together….lol…Maugham is a bit worrying for me, making me restless…..I signed up for a journal encouragement newsletter.

[@stellaburnell7947]

I also thought of Nellie Forbush !

[@Shineon83]

@@stellaburnell7947 😘

[@riverbend100]

Those evocative illustrations always add a special flavour to all the recordings.

[@stellaburnell7947]

Thanks for this vintage Maugham !

[@antheairenedevilliers1657]

Well it's no good crying now! He should have kept his pants on from the beginning! Who did he think was going to be responsible for his children?

[@rys2754]

Similar things happened to peasant women and servant girls in Europe. "Funny" how they were also accused of lacking feelings and considered fully disposable. I guess the British Empire didn't invent the wheel.

[@rheinhartsilvento2576]

No indeed. Same thing happened to slave girls in the Ottoman Empire, to serving girls in the Mughal Empire, or low-level concubines in China. Etc.

[@kevinjones2145]

Rings true. Heartbreaking

[@__-1234]

Very nicely narrated.

[@pattih7]

Reminds me of my return to home, after a year separation from husband. He had brought his “friend” and her children into our home, soon after I moved out of town. His friend was the daughter of another friend’s wife. When her mother discovered their living together, she disowned him and disowned her daughter. They had their time there, then left. I found her goodbye note! She had slept in our bed, smoked pot on our deck, but I was lambasted for having a cigarette in the den. I was expected to pick up where we left off! Not me! I took over the den, nd stayed there a long while. When I finally took a chance with him, he started his same old abuse and demands. Eventually We divorces, and I moved on. We had no children. I took my cats and left him with his cats! He’s passed on, now. Does that make me a widowed divorce’ or a divorced widow?! Just punning, dears. At 73, I’m glad to be alone! 🙏🦋🌺😊✌️

[@thelmacharles7947]

Glad you took what's important..the cats. At 77 living alone, with cats, it's good.

[@lindaellingham]

@@thelmacharles7947 JD Vance? Don't give him a thought! ;-)

[@djf8619]

It seemed this sort of thing happened everywhere there was colonization. It happened here in Canada as well. Lots of natives have Scottish, French, and English names.

[@marianareinartz9257]

I sobbed hearing this but was ultimately delighted.

[@arabelladenine8566]

Excellent ❤

[@reddy5985]

Thank you 🙏🏾

[@janjordal9451]

Having grown up and lived in East Africa a third of my life, I can relate to this story.

[@nubiacairo8835]

Ii bet.

[@janjordal9451]

@@nubiacairo8835 No need to bet. Ive seen it all but never done it.

[@heidifluteatl]

This is the first one when I felt like I knew the ending right from the start. But it was still well told story.

[@alanbarnes3569]

This story is as old as time itself. Very well read thank you 😊

[@LoraD-oo9xz]

Such a sad story. Maugham is indeed a master.

[@goldkhw]

In his mind he was a divorced man with children. He just didn't tell his new wife that he had been married before. If you bring it up to date, that's what he was. He always knew that he could leave his wife and children and that it wasn't permanent. It was an arrangement. The "arrangements" are still being made to this day.

[@jennybertenshaw7694]

well there will be some censure I am sure...from those who have never been lonely ex-pats away from everyone and everything from their own culture..I have been an ex-pat luckily not in a situation like this..but with a husband and family however I can relate to the lonely young man lost in translation...His 'crime' if there was one was to pretend it never happened and ruin two women's lives..but that was then

[@johng4093]

The first woman and children did move back in with him, so the disruption of her life was short-lived, as far as we know. But I agree about people dealing with loneliness in a foreign country

[@Geewhizzy]

Yeah. Thé européen wife Didnt blâme home. She understood. However, hé should have been in earnest about finding and falling in love with a native woman to end his loneliness. Have a Real meaningful relationships . And then stick with her. What hé did wrong was to use someone, fully intending...as hé states...to later marry a européen and throw away thé expendable native. Everyone did it doesnt make it an ok solution to loneliness.

[@rosenamarshall5502]

And ruin children’s lives by being treated as though they are nothing to him .

[@ingridlowrie1029]

I enjoy the stories but cringe when the automated audio misses crucial accentuation and emphasis. It can become monotonous after a while. But I stick at it to the end as the story lines are wonderful.

[@carolann724]

I feel you on this! When that happens, I repeat the line outloud with the correct accentuation,usually more than once,like somehow I'm setting something straight in the world. Sometimes, I miss the next few lines while I'm busy making the correction to nobody but myself. It's odd how deep the agitation runs within me.

[@pmmm8440]

Finally a story that has a reasonable ending!

[@Edo9River]

Such a nice little story to make me feel miserable. And the ending music is like a. Nice little nail i stepped on, to make me think of tetanus infection. Maugham had me until the very last word.

[@margaretphillips4894]

She's like Nellie Forbush in South Pacific, but without overcoming her prejudice. You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear, You’ve got to be taught from year to year, It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear- You’ve got to be carefully taught! You’ve got to be taught to be afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made, And people whose skin is a different shade- You’ve got to be carefully taught. You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late, Before you are six or seven or eight, To hate all the people your relatives hate- You’ve got to be carefully taught! You’ve got to be carefully taught!

[@bluechurch776]

Thanks!

[@neuralsurfer]

Thanks for the encouragement. Our hope is to have 1,000 free audiobooks by September.

[@teresamoore5204]

He had no business not telling her the truth from the beginning. He thought he could just wash his hands of his three children. He may have been a jolly person but he was a nasty man.

[@marisamartin3664]

Most of his work is a little reserved or abstract or something for me, but this was a great work. I had never heard or read it, thank you!

[@danetteperez3863]

His wife knew he would return to his concubine. She thought this through for six months.

[@Grace.allovertheplace]

The audacity of that excuse to a man “Guy” he should have been named “Guilty Guy”!

[@Grace.allovertheplace]

Thank you 🙏

[@PippaAT]

What a very sad story.

[@mattneillninasmom]

Sad, but predictable. One option not explored was for the couple to return to England to live and restart their life together.

[@vlera8447]

Perhaps it's better not to post spoilers

[@mattneillninasmom]

@@vlera8447 Vague enough a comment not to give away the plot.

[@michaelynedwards1043]

Knew ending 15 mins in.

[@Shineon83]

It would have made no difference. The husband was “damaged goods” in the wife’s eyes, forever the lover of the other woman, and father to 3 mixed-race children….She couldn’t bear even the touch of him, and knew it was over, telling him (or attempting to make him understand) that, “THEY (the woman & children) are your family.”…. Not revealing to his fiancé that he had had a 10-year relationship and 3 children was unconscionable; not giving her a choice to decide for herself before she married him, despicable.

[@AS-ji2wc]

@@Shineon83And throwing your children out like trash is even more despicable

[@johng4093]

Doris could have given a master class in passive aggressive behavior. Are you angry? Oh no, not at all, everything is fine, BTW don't touch me and I'll be be leaving on soonest ship outta here, forever.

[@luzvaldes1030]

I rather enjoyed the ending …. Doris’ intransigence was killing me……

[@loudle1]

The fact that Doris is so disgusted by the brown arms around her husband’s neck is quite disgusting. It seems if he had a white women before her, she could have borne it.

[@artandminisbyvilma8116]

Wow. She won.

[@evinnra2779]

Won what? If you meant the native girl, she won a loveless relationship with a coward who uses her as sp..m container.

[@johng4093]

He won. 😊

[@maureenbrophy7852]

Interesting

[@laysayfair]

I thought that was a very happy ending. Three little children have their Father back and their Father is going to be a better man for because of it. If It were my story you would have found out that the Wife was lying about her reason for leaving. That she did it because she knew she couldnt be happy knowing there were 3 little fatherless babies out there and that if she were not in the picture they would have a chance to be a family. That she sacrificed herself ti help her husband grow a conscience and be a Man to his children.

[@rosenamarshall5502]

Typical upper class using poor people and then dismiss his own children like they are nothing important and even calling his son an it . That alone would of made me angry showing he is callous .

[@MrRatherino]

kazowaaa

[@d.deckert6634]

I think he should have made all arrangements and got on the boat with his love... Just sayin'... Life begins when you get out of your comfort zone...

[@Jared_Albert]

Britannia, how you are missed.

[@ginagabriel2613]

🙏💕

[@lisacup6876]

The moral of this story is self control😂😂😂

[@AlgorithmEngagementEntity]

White colonialists, so sophisticated

[@SjohnX]

What a ridiculous comment. This and much worse was happening hundreds of years before any "white colonialists"

[@Sparrowdean]

@@SjohnX It's your comment that's ridiculous.

[@anotherblonde]

Jungle loins lol

[@shaziawaseem9584]

I never realized Maugham was so racist. Dorris saying " I can't imagine those thin black arms around you and your black children" The emphasis was on the other woman being black. The irony is Malays as he calls them are not even black. But to a white racist any other race is just black..

[@pamelapacific943]

It was the time.

[@shaziawaseem9584]

I understand but never expected this from Maugham 😢

[@johng4093]

His character says that, and she wasn't portrayed in a favorable light IMO.

[@Chipdenn]

This story is set on so many decades earlier when probably neither the word racist nor yellow chinks are considered inappropriate.

[@susanthoms6268]

The character said that..Maugham was portraying a certain woman from a certain class. He was not writing about his own attitude.

[@nubiacairo8835]

That is how colored women were always treated by white men. And that id how racist white women thought of colored women. Exactly as how this wife said it to her husband. A good story though.

[@rhonaharker6358]

This hasn’t aged well

[@Riklott1111]

That’s a matter of opinion

[@artandminisbyvilma8116]

The racism is thick all over the place 😄

[@roberthuff3122]

@@artandminisbyvilma8116And your stupidity is timeless.

[@BeverlyM52]

Great story, but yes... I've been thinking of this. I love "Huck Finn, and was able to view it as being true to history...loving Jim as he was. Thinking of that, I've tried to apply the same consideration here. I've also tried to equate it to stories with extreme sexism. Those don't bother me because I see them for the art of the story telling AND as proof that we have all grown wiser...and just "BETTER." So...maybe they've aged beautifully for that reason.

[@roberthuff3122]

@@BeverlyM52 All fictional stories are read in a multi-dimensional context. To do otherwise is to pursue pseudo-anthropology. And the notion that we have grown wiser is a bit of speculative fiction in itself.

[@loudle1]

The fact that Doris is so disgusted by the brown arms around her husband’s neck is quite disgusting. It seems if he had a white women before her, she could have borne it.