The Ant and the Grasshopper by Somerset Maugham- An Analysis

The Ant and the Grasshopper

by Somerset Maugham

Somerset Maugham is one of the well-known English writers. His short story “The Ant and the Grasshopper” is a striking example of life’s little ironies. In this story, the writer reverses the moral of the traditional fable. In the fable, the ant gathers food during the summer whereas the grasshopper wastes time. When the rainy season comes, the grasshopper begs the ant for food. But the writer is very sceptical about the moral of this fable and presents a different situation in his story.   

The story is narrated by an unnamed narrator. George Ramsey is a hardworking person. He saves money for his peaceful retired life. But his brother Tom is a different personality. He does not go to job and prefers to enjoy life. He abandons his wife and children. He borrows money from many persons and Ramsey settles some of the debts in order to save the reputation of the family. He expects his brother Tom to have an unpredictable future since he has no savings.

However Tom is engaged to an old woman who is old enough to be his mother. The lady dies suddenly from whom he inherits half a million pounds. Referring to this incident, Ramsey feels as though there has been an injustice done.  It is very much like the ant (George) versus the grasshopper (Tom). As the grasshopper made no provisions for the winter, Tom too made no provisions for his future. But in real life, Tom enjoys life better than his brother and well-settled in life.

When George is sharing about the new fortune of his brother, the narrator laughs heartily. His reaction to Tom’s success in life mirrors the attitude of the society also. In modern times, the society does not care for the means of someone’s success. This story records the truth that all those who work hard do not gain success. Though this story presents the darker side of life, it discloses the drastic changes that take place in the minds of the people regarding life.