Question

How does maugham bring out the idea of fatalism in the tale

Answer 1

Somerset Maughm (1874 – 1965), a leading British writer, brings out the idea of ‘fatalism’ in his story ‘Appointment in Samarra’. This story was originally written by American writer John O’Hara and published in 1934. Later, it was retold by Somerset Maughm.

A servant runs into someone, at a local market in Baghdad and to her horror realises it is death himself! She wants to escape from death and begs her master for a horse, to ride to far away Samarra. The narrator of the story mentions that he was ‘astonished to see the servant in Baghdad, for tonight, he had an appointment with him at Samarra’. The narrator was death himself.

The gist of the story is that one cannot escape fate and it is inevitable.