The Trembling of a Leaf: Little Stories of the South Sea Islands

"The Trembling of a Leaf: Little Stories of the South Sea Islands" by W. Somerset Maugham is a set of short stories set in the South Sea Islands during the early 1900s, offering glimpses into real life and the interactions between people from Western countries and the islanders. Maugham uses varied characters in many different situations to try to show the feel of the islands and the different lives of the people who live there. The book starts by describing the Pacific Ocean, talking about how it can change and how it affects a sailor's feelings before focusing on Mackintosh, who is working as an administrator on one of the islands. His difficult relationship with his boss, Walker, is shown to highlight the stress and dislike between them. Readers are shown Mackintosh's private thoughts, his observations of the local people, and his disagreements with Walker, a respected man who has his own weaknesses, laying the groundwork for the further study of authority, cultural clashes, and personal ethics in the stories that come next.