יום חמישי, 19 באוגוסט 2021

Somerset Maugham’s “Mr. Know-All”: Allusions to God’s Attributes in Mr. Kelada's character


Somerset Maugham’s Mr. Know-All

Allusions to God’s Attributes in Mr. Kelada's character

 

According to Christian Theology, God has many attributes.

For example, God is: Good, Eternal, Holy, Infinite, Infallible.

Three of God's most well-known attributes are the three “all-encompassing” ones, omni-
* God is all-powerful (omnipotent),
* God is everywhere-present (omnipresent, ubiquitous)
* God is all-knowing (omniscient).

Curiously enough, Maugham mentions them when referring to the protagonist, Mr. Max Kelada.

1.     Omnipotent
this is referred to implicitly, when we are told that
“He (i.e. Kelada) ran everything. He managed the sweeps, conducted the auctions, collected money for prizes at the sports, got up quoit and golf matches, organized the concert and arranged the fancy-dress ball.”


Mr Kelada would certainly have had it all his own way

He had us at his mercy

Well, there are plenty more where that came from, and if you`ve got any friends on board, you tell them you’ve got a pal who’s got all the liquor in the world.”

 

2.     Omnipresent
He was everywhere and always”.

3.     Omniscient
We called him Mr. Know-All He knew everything better than anybody else”

“The possibility that he could be mistaken never occurred to him” (i.e., he is infallible, another attribute of God)

 

“He knew everything better than anybody else”


* * *

Well, what do you think?

         

 


 

  

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