Isabel Lizrraga Saldvar |1

Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico

Facultad de Filosofa y Letras
Seminario de Commonwealth II
Mtro. Hernn de Jess Lara Zavala
Isabel Lizrraga Saldvar 411022837
06 de Junio del 2013
Prejudices and Repression in Somerset Maughams Rain
To think of the British Empire is to think of colonialism, trading posts, exotic lands, aromatic
seasonings and travelling by sea to unknown lands. Many of these concepts appear in the stories
portrayed on paper by the four representative authors of the British Empire: Rudyard Kipling,
Joseph Conrad, Edward Morgan Forster and William Somerset Maugham. According to
Mouloud Siber, these writers not only wrote talented fiction, but also they depicted the key
concepts of the British Empire Traditions in their works. In addition, [t]he liberal and
conservative attitudes towards the imperial affairs are central to the work of the four writers[;]
[and] [t]hey generally fall into one of the other attitude, echoing the ideas of the major precursors
of these trends (2012: 264).
Moreover, Siber goes on by saying that these writers works
constitute a reservoir of attitudes towards empire as they were held by the Liberals
and the Conservatives. Depending on whether they conform to one or the other, their
texts read as politically loaded with the principles of Liberalism or Conservatism.
Kipling is the spokesman of the latter while the other writers stand as representatives
of the variety of principles and ideas associated with the British liberals. If the
principles of Conservatism make up one homogeneous attitude, Kipling stands as
its mentor in fiction. However, because of the long time span from the first time the
Liberals started to have imperial power to the last years of Liberal imperialism, there
emerged varieties of Liberalism[s], so Forster, Maugham and Conrad pose as the
representatives of these different Liberalism[s] in fiction. (2012: 271)

William Somerset Maugham agrees with Forsters belief that it is necessary to have
democratic compromises as well as tolerance for salvaging the empire. Mutual
understanding and sympathy with the natives cannot be achieved unless there is the
fundamental democratic feeling (CT: 94). This feeling expresses itself through
considering the natives in equality with the colonisers at certain moments. For him,
equality before justice should also be the basis of any colonial situation. (2012: 28384)

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Furthermore, as Siber mentions, Maughams works adopt not only a liberal idea towards
the Empire and its traditions, but also the romantic project of escape to the outposts of the
empire (2012: 286). In addition, he considers that this romantic idea is
an aspect of liberalism as the liberty of the individual is given prominence over the
community. Therefore, in his fiction there is a category of people who struggle
against the constraints of their societies and others who have managed to leave their
homelands to establish peaceful lives in the Far East. (2012: 286)

The idea of the characters struggling due to the restrictions or repressions of their society is
present in Somerset Maughams short story Rain. [The purpose of this essay is to compare two
central characters in Somerset Maughams story Rain. To accomplish this, I will analyze how
Mr. Davidson and Dr. Macphail are characterized as opposites; one described as a rational man
while the other is portrayed as a religious fanatic. Through this comparison, I will try to
demonstrate that the prejudices of the missionaries in the story are the results of not only their
repressions but also their indoctrination which is, perhaps, the reflection of the English
Imperialists society of the period.] el primero es el original y el Segundo es el modificado pero
todo mal tambin [The purpose of this essay is to compare two central characters in the story
previously mentioned. To accomplish this, I will analyze some passages in which Mr. Davidson
and Dr. Macphail are characterized as opposites. Through this comparison, I will try to
demonstrate that the fall of the reverend is the result of not only his repressions, but also his
irrational belief of superiority and sense of righteousness, which is caused by his indoctrination
and, perhaps, the vision of the Colonialism. ]
The first character that I will analyze is Rev. Alfred Davidson. He and his wife, the latter
known as Mrs. Davidson in the story, are a couple of missionaries stationed in a group of islands
at the north of Samoa. Their characterization is so complete and well-crafted that it goes beyond
the physical level by providing the psychological side of them both. Taking this into
consideration, Mrs. Davidsons lack of name cannot be a random detail. A possible interpretation
of this, based on her attitude, which constantly mirrors her husbands, could be that she functions

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as an extension of him. This is accentuated by the fact that they work as a team and that her role
is subordinated to her husbands. In addition, her constant usage of the plural we, even when
her husband is absent, reiterates her subordination to him. Thus, it is possible to deduce that
many of her prejudices and repressions are the reflection of her husbands and that her
characterization complements, indirectly perhaps, Rev. Davidsons.
One the passages that portray this takes place when the boat arrives at Pago-Pago and Dr.
Macphail notices, with his professional eyes glisten[ing], the diseases and sufferings of the
people that wear the lava-lava, while the Reverends wife comments as she notices their
very indecent costume [] [that] Mr. Davidson thinks it should be prohibited by law.
How can you expect people to be moral when they wear nothing but a strip of red
cotton round their loins? (Maugham 16)

However, Dr. Macphail answers that it is practical because of the weather, which demonstrates
his rationality and practicality. Also, he seems to dismiss the repression Mrs. Davidson feels
towards seeing their nakedness. Similarly she ignores the comment and adds:
In our islands [] weve practically eradicated the lava-lava. [] women have all
taken to the Mother Hubbard, and the men wear trousers and singlets. At the very
beginning of our stay Mr. Davidson said in one of his reports: the inhabitants of these
islands will never be thoroughly Christianized till every boy of more than ten years is
made to wear a pair of trousers. (Maugham 16)

The previous fragment sustains the interpretation of how Mrs. Davidsons mirrors her husbands
prejudices, and provides details that complement his characterization. In addition, it shows their
intolerance towards the natives way of dressing, and their prejudice, based on the idea that the
natives had a precocious sexual nature, seems to be enhanced by the wearing of the lava-lava
among other cultural elements such as dancing. Moreover, the excerpt also reveals how the
colonization not only brings repression with it but also cultural changes, such as the imposition
of a new dress code, and, consequently, the probable disappearance of some of their own cultural
traits. Furthermore, Dr. Macphails attitude seems to allow a glimpse of the authors disapproval
of the Davidsons moral enforcement, which might be due to Maughams liberal ideas.

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It is not until they have arrived at the island that Mr. Davidson appears and with him, the
rain began to fall in torrents as if the atmospheric change in the story functioned as an omen of
what is coming. The Reverend is described by the narrative voice as a:
silent, rather sullen man, and you felt that his affability was a duty that he imposed
upon himself Christianly; he was by nature reserved and even morose. []; he had so
cadaverous an air that it surprised you to notice how full and sensual were his lips.
His dark eyes, set deep in their sockets, were large and tragic; [] But the most
striking thing about him was the feeling he gave you of suppressed fire. It was
impressive and vaguely troubling. (Maugham 16)

The previous description emphasizes the characters repression by contrasting his cadaverous
air with both his full and sensual lips and the feeling of suppressed fire.
However, other parts of the story reveal a different side of him.

In contrast, the other character is Dr. Alec Macphail who is travelling with his wife, Mrs.
Macphail, ne of the fragments that depicts Dr. Alec Macphail as a rational, critical and openminded man is when his wife tells him of how the couple of missionaries would not mix with
all that rough lot (13), to which Dr. Macphail answered the founder of their religion wasnt so
exclusive (Ibid). His reply demonstrates the exclusivity and the
Contrastingly, one of the fragments that depicts not only the prejudices of the Rev. Alfred
Davidson against the natives of the island but also his own repressions is when

Conclusion

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Works Cited
Maugham, W .Somerset. Rain in Sixty-Five Short Stories. London: Octopus Books Limited,
1988.
Rogal, Samuel J. A William Somerset Maugham Encyclopedia. Connecticut and London:
Greenwood Press, 1997. Web. Accessed: 06/03/13.
Siber, Mouloud. Rudyard Kipling, Edward Morgan Forster, William Somerset Maugham and
Joseph Conrad: The British Imperial Traditions and the Individual Talent. Algeria:
University of Tizi-Ouzou. October 2012. Thesis. Web. Accessed: 06/03/13.
Wiggins, Barbara Hardee. W. Somerset Maugham: The Impact of Environment on Characters
within His Short Stories The Pool, Rain and Sanatorium. Faculty of California State
University Dominguez Hills. Fall, 2005. Thesis. Web. Accessed: 05/20/13.