Question

Character sketch of Salvatore by W. Somerset Maugham

Answer 1

In his short story "Salvatore," Maugham starts out by saying, "I wonder if I can do it." The reader is unsure what Maugham is trying to do as the author draws a portrait of a man named Salvatore who faces a series of disappointments in his life. While serving in the military in China, Salvatore falls ill. Consequently, the woman he wants to marry refuses to marry him because she is afraid he will not be strong enough to work.
Rather than wallow in self-pity, Salvatore agrees to marry Assunta, a woman he claims is "as ugly as the devil," and he then faces life with determination and "the most beautiful manners I [the author] had ever seen in my life." Though he does not live the life he imagined, Salvatore comports himself with goodwill and makes the most of his marriage, his job as a fisherman, and his children. In the end, the author states that his task was to see if he could hold the attention of the reader long enough to tell the tale of a good man who possesses an extremely rare quality that the author describes as "Goodness, just goodness."
Maugham's story has the style of a parable, a didactic tale that is meant to teach a lesson. His character, Salvatore, is not dynamic; he is static and shows no change as he continually faces life with a cheerful acceptance and integrity. Maugham holds Salvatore up to the reader as an example of pure radiance and goodness and as someone who should be emulated in dealing with the trials and tribulations of life

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