“The Happy Man” by William Somerset Maugham

Exposition:
The text begins with a short monologue by the author about people's lives,
about how some people make decisions for other people's lives. At the
beginning, the action takes place in the author's apartment in London. The main
characters are the author and the doctor Stephens.
Rising action:
One day, a man named Stephens comes to the author's door and asks if he
deserves to move to Spain, because he wants a radical change in his life, because
every day is the same. The author did not know what to say to him, so he told
him to make his decision as he felt it would be better. And then he forgot about
the situation.
Climax:
The climax of the text is when many years later the author leaves for Spain
and needs an English doctor, and coincidentally reaches Stephens, whom the
author did not recognize.
Falling action:
After Stephans reminded them of their interview, the author remembered him.
The doctor tells her about his life, although poor but full of happiness because
he deals with what he likes.
Resolution:
The problem was solved when the author gave him the best advice, to do as
he feels, so in the end, Stephens lives happily in Spain escaping the daily
routine.
Theme and Idea:
The main theme of the text is the pursuit of the dream, freedom, etc.
In my opinion, the idea of the text consists in the fact that we must always
follow our dreams, to act as we feel, to think only of our happiness and in any
situation regardless of the advice of those around us.