The Last Lecture was a novel by Somerset Maugham in 1919. The novel was set in 1914 during the First World War, and through the love story between a young man, Max, and a female student, Annie, it showed the impact of war on human nature and morality. Maugham was studying at University College London. After the war broke out, he actively participated in volunteer work and joined the British army. During the war, he had experienced many difficulties and pains, and at the same time, he gradually realized the cruelty of war and the complexity of human nature. Therefore, when he wrote The Last Class, he tried to express his thoughts and reflections on war and human nature through this story.