Topic number 1 and 3
In fact, I agree with the message in Maugham's story. And, I think Maugham's story is closer to real life than Aesop's fable. Life is not fair. Aesop's fable just gives out false hope that you can earn your living and live a happy life from hard work. It's highly probable that you work hard all your life and still get nowhere. Don't go far; look at George. The only thing George did all his life was work, and he couldn't get to enjoy his life seeing that he had never taken more than a fortnight's holiday in the year for a quarter of a century. Of course he was industrious and he was a model for everyone, but he looked sixty when he was 47! What good does it do when you don't have fun living? You're just like a machine providing for your family and I would dare say this life is a life wasted. On the other hand, Tom had fun living his life. He got to know people in various parts of the world, and he spent his life on eating nice food, gambling, and racing. He enjoyed his life! Although it's not very admirable he lived off other people's money, I'm pretty sure other people lent him money because he had charm and he was worth it. It's not uncommon to earn your living by charming people these days, like celebrities. They earn vast amounts of money from charming people and you don't blame them for doing that. So, in a way, you could say Tom worked on his lifeskill. Like George worked on his lifeskill, Tom lived in his own way. In conclusion, Maugham's story illustrates how life really works. You might live by working hard or having fun with other people.
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