The Casuarina Tree
Encyclopedia
The Casuarina Tree is a collection of short stories
set in 1920s Malaya
by W. Somerset Maugham
that came out of travels he paid for by working for the British Secret Service
as a spy. It was first published by the UK publishing house, Heinemann
, in 1926.
tree of the title is native to Australasia
and Southeast Asia
, often used to stabilise soils. In Maugham’s foreword, he says the title was a metaphor for "the English people who live in the Malay Peninsula
and in Borneo
because they came along after the adventurous pioneers who opened the country to Western civilisation." He likens the pioneers to mangroves reclaiming a swamp, and the expatriates to Casuarinas, who came later and served there. He then learned that his idea was incorrect botanically but decided it would suggest the planters and administrators who for him, were in their turn the organisers and "protectors" of society. The book and the author are true to their times but express views and language that are considered politically incorrect today.
Maugham wrote the introduction
, "The Casuarina Tree" and postscript
, himself.
The strong thread running through the stories is alienation and contrast – between people and cultures. For most of the characters, after a crisis in their circumstances, life seems to take up where it left off and closes over the revelations that bring in the drama.
People who are regarded as sane and level-headed, reliable and "well brought-up" show their unexpected real character in a crisis, their inner workings become exposed in reaction to surprise events. The exceptional circumstances are about being away from the England
of law and order, in a wild, unfathomable foreign country where they may be misled, misunderstood, faced with life-or-death decisions, physically and mentally at risk or beyond the scrutiny of their peers.
. While they are gathering to leave, after a few questions too many, Millicent declares the real reason he died. Explaining that she discovered he was an incorrigible drunk with a life long reputation, she describes her dogged attempts to help him reform. When he relapses badly after so many promises she reacts by killing him herself. The true circumstances dawn slowly on the family and the father, a lawyer, is faced with a dilemma.
and retirement after 25 years as a planter in the Federated Malay States
. Mrs Hamlyn herself is 40 and recently separated because her husband fell in love with another woman. Things are merry as the various passengers plan a Christmas party until the planter, Mr. Gallagher, develops incurable hiccups. His assistant, Mr. Pryce becomes exasperated with the doctor’s ineffectiveness, confiding to Mrs Hamlyn that the native woman he left behind put a spell on him to die before reaching land. Despite a witchdoctor's efforts to beat the curse, Gallagher does die at sea and through his death Mrs Hamlyn becomes aware of the importance of living, finding the courage to write a letter of forgiveness to her husband.
officer, Mr Warburton and his newly arrived uncouth assistant Mr Cooper. In a battle of class difference, the feisty Cooper manages to repel his more refined boss and make enemies with the native helpers. Both are as lonely as each other, with the seeds of the outcome in both their natures and attitudes to their circumstances leading to a fatal conclusion.
, returning there as best friends to set up a home away from home. When a native woman casts a shadow over their lives, Doris discovers Guy's past and rejects him for giving in to circumstances, even though they were lonely and difficult for him.
and frail human nature in the face of death. Izzart is an insecure snob with a secret who is put in charge of the safety of Campion, a mining engineer hired by the Sultan
of fictional Sembulu to discover mineral possibilities in Borneo
. Drink, vanity, carelessness and self doubt bring Izzart to cracking point when an incident with a tidal wave on the river means it's every (white) man for himself. Not only his weakness, but his inner torment is clear to the more experienced Campion.
between the Wars
through the characters of a suave lawyer Mr Joyce and the more rustic rubber planter, Robert Crosbie. Then there’s the mousey wife, Leslie Crosbie who "wouldn’t hurt a fly" awaiting trial for the murder of popular ladies' man Geoffrey Hammond, claiming self defense in an attempted rape. The letter is a point of evidence that surfaces as evidence to unpick the woman's story, disclosing a character beyond recognition; and is a lever threatening to unwind a fragile marriage.
Maugham explains choosing imaginary names for anywhere outside of Singapore because he based a lot of his material on personal experiences though the characters are composites. In his disclaimer he recounts that while the people are imaginary, an incident in The Yellow Streak was "based on a misadventure" of his own.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
set in 1920s Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
by W. Somerset Maugham
W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham , CH was an English playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and, reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s.-Childhood and education:...
that came out of travels he paid for by working for the British Secret Service
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
as a spy. It was first published by the UK publishing house, Heinemann
Heinemann (book publisher)
Heinemann is a UK publishing house founded by William Heinemann in Covent Garden, London in 1890. On William Heinemann's death in 1920 a majority stake was purchased by U.S. publisher Doubleday. It was later acquired by commemorate Thomas Tilling in 1961...
, in 1926.
Explanation of the title
The CasuarinaCasuarina
Casuarina is a genus of 17 species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australasia, southeast Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It was once treated as the sole genus in the family, but has been split into three genera .They are evergreen shrubs and trees growing to 35 m tall...
tree of the title is native to Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, often used to stabilise soils. In Maugham’s foreword, he says the title was a metaphor for "the English people who live in the Malay Peninsula
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
and in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
because they came along after the adventurous pioneers who opened the country to Western civilisation." He likens the pioneers to mangroves reclaiming a swamp, and the expatriates to Casuarinas, who came later and served there. He then learned that his idea was incorrect botanically but decided it would suggest the planters and administrators who for him, were in their turn the organisers and "protectors" of society. The book and the author are true to their times but express views and language that are considered politically incorrect today.
Contents
The stories—- Before the Party
- P. & O.
- The Outstation
- The Force of Circumstance
- The Yellow Streak
- The Letter
Maugham wrote the introduction
Introduction (essay)
An introduction is a beginning section which states the purpose and goals of the following writing. The introduction is usually interesting and it intrigues the reader and causes him or her to want to read on. The sentence in which the introduction begins can be a question or just a statement...
, "The Casuarina Tree" and postscript
Afterword
An afterword is a literary device that is often found at the end of a piece of literature. It generally covers the story of how the book came into being, or of how the idea for the book was developed....
, himself.
Major themes
The major themes are class division, racial difference, adultery, personal competitiveness and human nature in reaction to fate.The strong thread running through the stories is alienation and contrast – between people and cultures. For most of the characters, after a crisis in their circumstances, life seems to take up where it left off and closes over the revelations that bring in the drama.
People who are regarded as sane and level-headed, reliable and "well brought-up" show their unexpected real character in a crisis, their inner workings become exposed in reaction to surprise events. The exceptional circumstances are about being away from the England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
of law and order, in a wild, unfathomable foreign country where they may be misled, misunderstood, faced with life-or-death decisions, physically and mentally at risk or beyond the scrutiny of their peers.
Before the Party
The Skinner family is preparing to attend an upperclass party. Among them is the aloof daughter Millicent, recently bereaved when her husband committed suicide while they lived in BorneoBorneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. While they are gathering to leave, after a few questions too many, Millicent declares the real reason he died. Explaining that she discovered he was an incorrigible drunk with a life long reputation, she describes her dogged attempts to help him reform. When he relapses badly after so many promises she reacts by killing him herself. The true circumstances dawn slowly on the family and the father, a lawyer, is faced with a dilemma.
P. & O.
A recently separated woman befriends a middle-aged man heading back to IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and retirement after 25 years as a planter in the Federated Malay States
Federated Malay States
The Federated Malay States was a federation of four protected states in the Malay Peninsula—Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang—established by the British government in 1895, which lasted until 1946, when they, together with the Straits Settlements and the Unfederated Malay...
. Mrs Hamlyn herself is 40 and recently separated because her husband fell in love with another woman. Things are merry as the various passengers plan a Christmas party until the planter, Mr. Gallagher, develops incurable hiccups. His assistant, Mr. Pryce becomes exasperated with the doctor’s ineffectiveness, confiding to Mrs Hamlyn that the native woman he left behind put a spell on him to die before reaching land. Despite a witchdoctor's efforts to beat the curse, Gallagher does die at sea and through his death Mrs Hamlyn becomes aware of the importance of living, finding the courage to write a letter of forgiveness to her husband.
The Outstation
A story of brinksmanship follows two incompatible rivals, the precisely disciplined ResidentResident (title)
A Resident, or in full Resident Minister, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indirect rule....
officer, Mr Warburton and his newly arrived uncouth assistant Mr Cooper. In a battle of class difference, the feisty Cooper manages to repel his more refined boss and make enemies with the native helpers. Both are as lonely as each other, with the seeds of the outcome in both their natures and attitudes to their circumstances leading to a fatal conclusion.
The Force of Circumstance
Guy meets and marries Doris in England while on leave from MalayaPeninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
, returning there as best friends to set up a home away from home. When a native woman casts a shadow over their lives, Doris discovers Guy's past and rejects him for giving in to circumstances, even though they were lonely and difficult for him.
The Yellow Streak
"The Yellow Streak" is an internal story of class snobbery, racismRacism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and frail human nature in the face of death. Izzart is an insecure snob with a secret who is put in charge of the safety of Campion, a mining engineer hired by the Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of fictional Sembulu to discover mineral possibilities in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. Drink, vanity, carelessness and self doubt bring Izzart to cracking point when an incident with a tidal wave on the river means it's every (white) man for himself. Not only his weakness, but his inner torment is clear to the more experienced Campion.
The Letter
The author contrasts outward appearances with inner passions in SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
between the Wars
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
through the characters of a suave lawyer Mr Joyce and the more rustic rubber planter, Robert Crosbie. Then there’s the mousey wife, Leslie Crosbie who "wouldn’t hurt a fly" awaiting trial for the murder of popular ladies' man Geoffrey Hammond, claiming self defense in an attempted rape. The letter is a point of evidence that surfaces as evidence to unpick the woman's story, disclosing a character beyond recognition; and is a lever threatening to unwind a fragile marriage.
Postscript
In the postscriptPostscript
A postscript, abbreviated P.S., is writing added after the main body of a letter . The term comes from the Latin post scriptum, an expression meaning "written after" .A postscript may be a sentence, a paragraph, or occasionally many paragraphs added, often hastily and...
Maugham explains choosing imaginary names for anywhere outside of Singapore because he based a lot of his material on personal experiences though the characters are composites. In his disclaimer he recounts that while the people are imaginary, an incident in The Yellow Streak was "based on a misadventure" of his own.