The Razor’s Edge

The Razor’s Edge

by

W. Somerset Maugham

Patsy Character Analysis

Patsy is Larry’s closest friend in the air corps during World War I, and Patsy dies while trying to save Larry’s life. In part due to witnessing Patsy’s death, Larry comes back from the war visibly changed, with Dr. Nelson speculating that Larry suffers from “delayed shock,” something we might now call PTSD. Those wartime experiences then lead Larry to forego a conventional life of marriage, career, and family. Instead, Larry feels compelled to find answers to the mysteries of the universe, including the question of why evil exists and why good people like Patsy are cruelly killed.

Patsy Quotes in The Razor’s Edge

The The Razor’s Edge quotes below are all either spoken by Patsy or refer to Patsy. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Wisdom and the Meaning of Life Theme Icon
).
Part 1, Chapter 10 Quotes

“You think of a fellow who an hour before was so full of life and fun, and he’s lying dead; it’s all so cruel and so meaningless. It’s hard not to ask yourself what life is all about and whether there’s any sense to it or whether it’s all a tragic blunder of blind fate.”

Related Characters: Larry (speaker), Isabel, Patsy
Related Symbols: Flight
Page Number: 47
Explanation and Analysis:
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Patsy Quotes in The Razor’s Edge

The The Razor’s Edge quotes below are all either spoken by Patsy or refer to Patsy. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Wisdom and the Meaning of Life Theme Icon
).
Part 1, Chapter 10 Quotes

“You think of a fellow who an hour before was so full of life and fun, and he’s lying dead; it’s all so cruel and so meaningless. It’s hard not to ask yourself what life is all about and whether there’s any sense to it or whether it’s all a tragic blunder of blind fate.”

Related Characters: Larry (speaker), Isabel, Patsy
Related Symbols: Flight
Page Number: 47
Explanation and Analysis: