The short story "The Ant and the Grasshopper" by W. Somerset Maugham is a fable that illustrates the consequences of being unprepared for the future. The story follows the lives of two insects, an ant and a grasshopper, during the winter season.
The ant is a hardworking and practical creature, who spends the warm months gathering food and preparing for the cold winter ahead. In contrast, the grasshopper spends the summer singing and dancing, taking no thought for the future. When winter arrives, the ant is well-fed and comfortable in her cozy nest, while the grasshopper is left hungry and cold, regretting his lack of foresight.
This story serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of planning and preparing for the future. It teaches us that while it may be tempting to live in the moment and enjoy the present, it is important to consider the long-term consequences of our actions. Those who take the time to plan ahead and work hard are better equipped to weather the storms of life, while those who neglect to prepare often suffer the consequences.
The story also touches on the theme of self-sufficiency. The ant is able to provide for herself and her family, while the grasshopper relies on the kindness of others to survive. This highlights the value of being independent and self-sufficient, as it allows us to take control of our own lives and destiny.
Overall, "The Ant and the Grasshopper" is a timeless tale that reminds us of the importance of hard work, preparation, and self-sufficiency. It serves as a valuable lesson for all of us, reminding us to think about the future and the consequences of our actions.
"Somerset Maugham Hour" The Ant and the Grasshopper (TV Episode 1960)
In four years he'll be fifty. He had a good wife, to whom he had never been unfaithful even in thought, and four daughters to whom he was the best of fathers. Well then, Turn a pirouette, Dine on a mazurka, Have polka for supper. He was a most amusing companion and though you knew he was perfectly worthless you could not but enjoy his society. He left his wife and job to lead an irresponsible and pleasure-driven existence, where Tom frequently causes troublesome situations. I was sorry for him: I suspected at once that his unfortunate brother had been causing trouble again. In recent times, the fable has again been put to political use by both sides in the social debate between the enterprise culture and those who consider the advantaged have a responsibility towards the disadvantaged.
Short Story Analysis: The Ant and the Grasshopper by W. Somerset Maugham
For instance, Maugham writes: The Ramsays were perfectly respectable people, and there was every reason to suppose that Tom Ramsay would have a useful and honorable career. These two individuals are products of operant conditioning, where the older brother escapes punishment, and the younger one strives for reward Farnsworth. George deserves to have happiness yet it is Tom who appears to be happy. During World War I, Maugham worked for the British Secret Service. This is further brought out by les Other French fabulists since La Fontaine had already started the counter-attack on the self-righteous ant. In four years he'll be fifty.
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He wanted to enjoy himself. He certainly had a very good time. He rubbed his hands and said: 'It was all very well when Tom was young and good-looking, but he's only a year younger than I am. George never forgave me. For a long time, the illustrators of fable books had tended to concentrate on picturing winter landscapes, with the encounter between the insects occupying only the lower foreground. In this admirable fable I apologize for telling something which everyone is politely, but inexactly, supposed to know the ant spends a laborious summer gathering its winter store, while the grasshopper sits on a blade of grass singing to the sun. The painting was exhibited at the 1872 Salon with a quotation from La Fontaine, Quand la bise fut venue When the north wind blew , and was seen as a critique of the lately deposed The grasshopper and the ant are generally depicted as women because both words for the insects are of the feminine gender in most La cigale et la fourmi" from 1875.
