▁purs ue ▁his ▁desire ▁to ▁become ▁an ▁artist . ▁The ▁story ▁is ▁in ▁part ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁painter ▁Paul ▁G au gu in . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁is ▁written ▁largely ▁from ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁narr ator , ▁a ▁young , ▁asp iring ▁writer ▁and ▁play w right ▁in ▁London . ▁C ertain ▁chap ters ▁entirely ▁compr ise ▁accounts ▁of ▁events ▁by ▁other ▁characters , ▁which ▁the ▁narr ator ▁rec alls ▁from ▁memory ▁( select ively ▁editing ▁or ▁elabor ating ▁on ▁certain ▁aspects ▁of ▁dialog ue , ▁particularly ▁Str ick land ' s , ▁as ▁Str ick land ▁is ▁said ▁by ▁the ▁narr ator ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁very ▁poor ▁ability ▁to ▁express ▁himself ▁in ▁words ). ▁The ▁narr ator ▁first ▁develop s ▁an ▁acquaint ance ▁with ▁Str ick land ' s ▁wife ▁at ▁literary ▁parties , ▁and ▁later ▁meets ▁Str ick land ▁himself , ▁who ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁un remark able ▁business man ▁with ▁no ▁interest ▁in ▁his ▁wife ' s ▁literary ▁or ▁art istic ▁t ast es . ▁ ▁Str ick land ▁is ▁a ▁well - off , ▁middle - class ▁stock bro ker ▁in ▁London ▁som etime ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁or ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁Early ▁in ▁the ▁novel , ▁he ▁leaves ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁children ▁and ▁goes ▁to ▁Paris . ▁( The ▁narr ator ▁enters ▁directly ▁into ▁the ▁story ▁at ▁this ▁point , ▁when ▁he ▁is ▁asked ▁by ▁Mrs ▁Str ick land ▁to ▁go ▁to