World War I

The fuse that ignited World War I was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, on a fateful June day in 1914, within the tense streets of Sarajevo, Bosnia. A mere month later, Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia set the stage for a wider conflict. In a swift cascade of events, various European powers joined the fray, with Britain entering the war on August 4, responding to Germany's audacious advance into France. The ferocious clash between the Allied forces—France, Russia, Britain, and later the United States—and the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary endured until 1918. The war's toll was staggering, with casualty figures reaching a haunting 10,000,000, including some 750,000 British lives.

Following the war, a brief period of economic bloom was overshadowed by a rise in unemployment, as a wave of soldiers returned to England seeking jobs. By 1921, the ranks of the unemployed swelled to 2,000,000, escalating further to 3,000,000 by 1932.

In the wake of such a cataclysmic conflict, British society found itself adrift in a sea of change. The established pillars of faith in God, nation, and humanity trembled under the weight of war's devastation. Disoriented and disillusioned, many began to question, if not outright abandon, the tenets of traditional morality and belief.

World War II

The 1930s heralded a decade of mounting aggression that would culminate in the eruption of World War II. This global conflict stemmed from the rise of totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan, which emerged amid the economic turmoil of the Great Depression and the fragile peace frameworks post-World War I. These belligerent governments pursued territorial expansion relentlessly. In Germany, Hitler bolstered the military might during the 1930s. Meanwhile, 1936 saw Mussolini's Italian forces seize Ethiopia. From 1936 to 1939, Spain was engulfed in a bitter civil war, with Franco's fascist legions receiving aid from Germany and Italy. Germany's annexation of Austria in March 1938 was followed by its occupation of Czechoslovakia a year later. Italy's invasion of Albania in April 1939 further heightened tensions. Just one week after Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a Treaty of Nonaggression, Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, triggered the onset of World War II. On September 3, Britain and France, appalled by the sinking of the British ship Athenia off Ireland's coast, declared war on Germany. The sinking of another vessel, the Courageous, on September 17 underscored the peril at sea. Soon, the entire British Commonwealth, save for Ireland, stood shoulder to shoulder with Britain and France in their declaration of war.

Suspense

Maugham masterfully constructs his narratives by weaving together elements of conflict, climax, and resolution that echo the intricacies of a classic drama. His storylines often revolve around hidden truths that, by the play's conclusion, are inevitably unveiled. This unveiling keeps the audience on the edge of their seats as they anticipate these revelations. In For Services Rendered, Maugham adheres to this formula. Two pivotal secrets drive the narrative: Mrs. Ardsley's battle with cancer and Lois's entanglements with both Wilfred Cedar and Howard Bartlett. While the revelation of Mrs. Ardsley’s illness does not stir much discord, Lois’s clandestine affairs provoke significant turmoil. The play crescendos with her decision to flee with Cedar and possibly embark on a forbidden relationship with Howard, her brother-in-law, threatening to shatter her sister's, Gwen's, marriage and tarnish Lois's family's honor.

Another gripping thread in the play is the tumultuous relationship between Eva and Collie, which spirals into devastation when Collie, overwhelmed, takes his own life, leaving Eva to grapple with the shards of her sanity.

Irony

Maugham deftly wields irony through the character of the sightless Sydney,...