Charles Strickland a conventional stockbroker abandons his wife & children for Paris & Tahiti to live his life as a painter Whilst his betrayal of family duty & honour gives him the freedom to achieve greatness his decision leads to an obsession which carries severe implications Inspired by the life of Paul Gauguin The Moon & Sixpence is at once a satiric caricature of Edwardian conventions & a vivid portrayal of the mentality of a genius