Larry's search for meaning
What kind of job does Larry take after leaving Paris to “clear his head” and live simply?
He works in a coal mine
Which two belief systems most influence Larry’s outlook by this section of the book?
Hinduism and Buddhism
Who narrates the story and reconnects with Larry in Paris?
W. Somerset Maugham
Who is Sophie Macdonald to Larry earlier in life?
A childhood friend and love interest.
Who dies around the same time as Sophie, leaving behind a dramatic will?
Elliot Templeton
Who is the ex-soldier Larry befriends and travels with for part of his journey?
kosti
What does Larry say people search for beyond moral rules or material success?
True understanding or enlightenment
Who is Isabel married to when Larry returns?
Gray Maturin
What addiction does Sophie relapse into after Isabel’s interference?
Alcoholism
What social world does Elliott represent throughout the novel?
Upper-class society obsessed with wealth and appearances.
Larry’s spiritual growth eventually leads him to an ashram in what country?
India
What practice does Larry value as a path toward that enlightenment?
Meditation and contemplation
Larry helps Gray with his debilitating headaches. What strange act does he perform to relieve them?
A spiritual or mental healing
What item does Isabel deliberately leave out to tempt Sophie?
A bottle of Vodka
What irony does Maugham highlight through Elliott’s character?
Social success doesn’t equal moral or spiritual worth.
What major idea does Larry reject about traditional religion during his spiritual questioning?
The idea of God as a vain or flawed father figure.
How does Larry describe Western society’s obsession with money and comfort?
Spiritually empty and meaningless
What does this moment suggest about Larry’s transformation?
He has achieved real spiritual power and inner calm
Where is Sophie found dead?
Toulon, France
What lesson does Isabel not learn by the end of this section?
That love and control aren’t the same thing.
By the end of his spiritual quest, what core value does Larry choose to live by instead of wealth or status?
Detachment and Inner Peace
Larry’s worldview at this point could best be described using which literary archetype?
The seeker or spiritual pilgrim
How does Larry’s new lifestyle contrast with Isabel’s?
He chooses simplicity and purpose over luxury and control.
How does Sophie’s death deepen the novel’s theme of spiritual vs. material struggle?
It shows how losing faith or purpose can destroy a person
How does Larry’s choice to live outside society comment on Maugham’s theme of self-knowledge?
True purpose comes from introspection, not social approval.