Breaking Free from Materialism: Money, Ethics, and The Search for Purpose in The Razor’s Edge

Abstract

W. Somerset Maugham’s The Razor’s Edge (1944) examines the enduring conflict between material affluence and spiritual integrity in the morally disoriented landscape that followed World War I. Through the opposing lives of its principal characters, the novel interrogates how the pursuit of wealth can obstruct moral clarity and hinder the search for authentic meaning. This paper explores how Maugham employs his protagonist, Larry Darrell, as an emblem of spiritual rebirth in a society enthralled by greed, ambition, and appearance. In contrast, figures like Isabel Bradley and Elliott Templeton reveal the ethical compromises and emotional emptiness of a generation enthralled by status and consumption. By contextualizing The Razor’s Edge within the postwar crisis of faith and drawing connections to modernist critiques of consumerism, this study argues that Maugham presents his work as both a reflection of interwar disillusionment and a timeless moral allegory. The novel challenges the illusion that happiness lies in prosperity, proposing that enlightenment and ethical awareness are the only paths toward genuine fulfillment. This idea continues to resonate in today’s consumer-driven world.