Rain Essay Questions

What quality most distinguishes Dr. Macphail from Rev. Davidson?

Although the men are close in age, social standing, and cultural background, a fundamental difference of belief in a person's right to individual autonomy divides them. While Davidson has made a career out of imposing his morality onto native Samoans who had been living comfortably without a sense of sin, Dr. Macphail has an aversion to involving himself in other people's business. The difference in attitude first arises when Dr. Macphail feels repelled by Mrs. Davidson's disparaging comments about native Samoans and gently suggests that their lavalava garments seemed suited to the hot climate. Dr. Macphail's desire to stay out of others' business arises again when Davidson becomes irate at the revelation that Miss Thompson is a sex worker. As the story progresses, Davidson grows increasingly fervent in his endeavor to break Miss Thompson's defiant spirit; meanwhile, Dr. Macphail becomes more vocal about his wish to not become involved and his belief that Davidson should stay out of other people's business.

What is the significance of Miss Thompson's gramophone?

Miss Thompson's gramophone represents her shamelessness as a non-Christian. The gramophone enters the story when the Davidsons and the Macphails hear it playing through the floor after dinner. Though Macphail suggests she must be entertaining guests she became friends with on the steamer, Davidson realizes—with horror—that the music is accompanying Miss Thompson's sex work. He goes downstairs, enters her room, and stops the music to argue with her. Soon he is ejected from the room and the music starts up again, defiantly loud. Later in the story, Davidson manages to break Miss Thompson's spirit. After she accepts the Lord and feels the shame of what she has done, she no longer plays music. However, on the morning Davidson's body is found on the beach, Miss Thompson uses her gramophone again, the revelation of Davidson's hypocrisy having provoked her to transform back to her 'shameless' self.

Why does Davidson kill himself?

"Rain" reaches its climax when Dr. Macphail learns that Davidson's body was found on the beach. Davidson's throat has been cut and there is a straight razor in his hand. The reason for Davidson's sudden suicide is a mystery until Macphail encounters Miss Thompson in the boarding house. No longer meek and repentant, she is playing her gramophone loudly and chatting up a sailor in her doorway. When she tells Macphail that all men are the same, that they are all pigs, Macphail understands that she is making reference to Davidson. Although Maugham lets the reader piece together the same clues Macphail does, it is clear that Davidson killed himself because he tried to commit adultery with Miss Thompson, his obsession with her having proved to be about more than rescuing her soul. Disillusioned by Davidson's hypocrisy, Miss Thompson rejects the morality he tried to impose on her.