Part 1, Chapters 1-5 Summary

Maurice is a fourteen year old boy who is about to leave his private elementary school in order to attend the public school is father attended before him. Maurice's father has died, leaving him with his widowed mother and two younger sisters, all of whom Maurice is expected to provide for when he has finished his education. Maurice is also expected to take his father's place at the stock broker firm where he worked before his death.

In chapter 1, Mr. Ducie, a teacher at Maurice's school, pulls Maurice aside while the entire school is taking a walk. Mr. Ducie takes Maurice to the beach and talks to him about sex, drawing diagrams in the sand in order to illustrate his point. Maurice listens politely, but is confused by Mr. Ducie's lecture because he has never had any of the...