II Salvat ore

W. Somerset Maugham [1874-1965)

'.
1. INTRODUCTION • I~

William Somerset Maugham was born on January 25, 1874 at the British Embassy
in Paris, France. He was the fourth son born to socialite and writer Edith Mary
and Robert Ormond Maugham, a lawyer for the British Embassy.

He was a British playwright, novelist and short story writer who became an
orphan by the age of ten. Maugham attended King's school in Canterbury before
travelling to Heidelberg University in Germany at the age of sixteen to study literature
and philosophy. Back in England, and after a short stint as an accountant, he
studied medicine at St. Thomas's Hospital in London.

Maugham had an interest in making career in writing, thus with the publication
of his first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), which sold out so rapidly that he gave
up medicine to write full time. It was ten years later in 1907 that his successful
play Lady Fredrick was published. By the next year, he had four plays running
simultaneousl y in London. Maugham published The Magician, a supernatural
thriller in 1908 whose principal character was based on the well-known Aleister
Crowley. His other major works are Of Human Bondage (1915), The Moon and
Sixpence (1919), The Painted Veil (1924), The Razor's Edge (1944), etc.

Salvatore by W. Somerset Maugham sketches the character of Salvatore as a

man personifying the quality of goodness. Salvatore is the portrait of an ordinary
fisherman, who possessed nothing in the world except goodness. He falls ill with
rheumatism from which he never recovers, and the girl he loves abandons him
but he never complains and accepts the life happily as it comes to him.

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Storyline

► The author wonders if he can hold the attention of the readers for a few
pages while he sketches the portrait of a man named Salvatore.
r
I
-- ·-w-

► sa1vatore th e
ca
eldest son of a fisher man was p 1eas
re of his two young
► He fell in Jove an
er brothe rs.
.
d was betrot hed to an un
ant faced and happi ly took

.
name d girl, who lived on the
the sea and dress ed them accor dingly when
hill for the midda y meal .
3. Salva tore's Fallin g in Love: When Salva
they had to climb the hot. vine clad

tore grew up , he fell in love with a

Grand e Marin a. girl who lived on the Grand e Marin a . The girl
felt nostal gic and home sick and w as pretty and had be a utiful eyes.
to becom e a sailor; he They got engag ed and Salva tore for the firs t
Salvat ore left home time left the island to becom e a s ailor
► . h . fiance e the most. in the navy of King Victo r Emm anuel .
missed is ffi . g from rheum atism he was consi dered
► He then fell ill, and ~s he was su enn 4. Salva tore's Attac hmen t to his Home : Salva
tore was deepl y attach ed to his
unfit for furthe r servic e. home , an island in Italy. The surro undin g
moun tains lschia and Vesuv ius were
. . d his illness and felt happy to return to his as much as part of him as his hand s and
► Salvat ore did not mm family and his feet , which he realis ed only after
movin g away from them . Away from home
fiancee. he used to weep like a child and felt
.
dly welco med by his family but his , dread fully home sick . Moreo ver, he extrem ely
fiance e s mothe r misse d the girl he loved .
0 his return he was gran
► n h
Id h ·m that her daugh ter could not marry 1m. " 5. Salva tore's Retur n Home : Salva tore fell ill
bluntly to 1 with some form of rheum atism and
. d Salvat ore unhap py but he did not blame this made him unfit for furthe r servic e . Instea
the girl. d of feelin g sad or dejec ted , his heart
► This ma e ' exulte d at the thoug ht of going back home .
. th The only thing that matte red for him
then told him about Assun ta, a girl older than was that he was going back to the girl and
► Hts mo er him who had the island he loved .
fallen in Jove with him and wante d to marry him. .
6. Salva tore is Heart broke n: When Salva tore
► On his mothe r's advice he got marri ed to Assun finally came back home he saw his
ta; and had two childr en. father , mothe r and two broth ers stand ing on
the jetty waitin g for his arriva l , but
► Salvat ore had to work hard; he used to catch his eyes could not find the girl. Salva tore then
went to meet her at her house in
cuttle fish at night ; he also
used to work in his viney ard the whole day. the eveni ng only to find out that she would not
marry him becau se of his ailme nt .
Salva tore felt broke nhear ted and on reach ing
► His rheum atism often took its toll on him; he would home he wept on his moth er's bosom .
then lie abou t the beach He was terrib ly unhap py but he did not blame
with pain rackin g his limbs but never did he the girl.
utter an unple asant word for
7. A New Marr iage Propo sal for Salva tore: Few
anyon e. mont hs later , his moth er offere d
him a propo sal to marry a young woma n , called
► Salvat ore was truly affect ionate towar ds his than him, she could buy him a boat of his
, Assun ta. Thou gh she was older
child ren, at times he gave them own and take a viney ard on rent . His
a bath and used to hold them tende rly as if moth er also told him that Assu nta had seen
they were flowe rs . him at the festa and had fallen in
► The autho r throu gh this narrat ive thus love with him. Salva tore, smilin gly said he
would think abou t it.
sketc hes Salva tore's portr ait as a
man who posse ssed nothin g but goodn ess. 8. Salva tore Acce pts the Marr iage Propo sal:
On the follow ing Sund ay, Salva tore
dress ed in stiff black clothe s went up to the
Story in Detai l High Mass at the Paris h Chur ch and
havin g looke d at the woma n finally agree d
to marry her.
1. Salva tore's Early Years : The autho r knew
Salva tore since he (Salva tore) was 9. Salva tore and Assun ta's Marr ied Life: After
a boy of fifteen . Salva tore was a thin boy, who gettin g marri ed, the coupl e settle d
had a "plea sant face, a laugh ing down in a tiny white -wash ed house in the middl
mouth and care-f ree eyes." Since he used to live e of a hands ome viney ard . Salva tore,
on an island , he spent his morn ing a big husky fellow now, still wore his ingen
lying about the beach . He used to swim effort uous smile . He was still trusti ng and
lessly in the sea. kind to the peopl e. Assun ta, "a grim- visag ed
femal e", was good at heart and was
2 · Salva tore's Carin g a devot ed wife. She could not bear the girl
Natur e: Salva tore was the eldes t son in the who broke her husb and's heart and
family . His
fa ther was a fisher man , who owne d a little thus she had nothi ng but only harsh words
viney ard and Salva tore acted as a for her.
nursem aid to his two young er broth ers. He 10. Salva tore's Hard work: Salva tore, all throu
took care of them while their father gh the fishin g seaso n on eveni ngs,
was away. He shout ed at them to come near would set out in his boat with one of his
the shore whe.n they went too far in

•
broth ers for the fishin g groun ds .

WORKBOOK ON ECHO ES: ISC SHOR T STOR SALVATORE

IES
 . fl bl cuttlefish. Then there was the long
. ht catching the pro ta e
"He spent the mg . time for it to go on the early boat tenant: someone who rents or leases a
. in order to sell the ca tc 1., tn . cuttlefish: a sea anim al with a soft bodv
row back agam ki' . his vineyard from dawn till the heat house , apartment, etc ., from a landlord .
th times he was wor ng 111 · a nd hard s hell . ..
to Naples. At o er . I ·t was a trifle cooler, till dusk. "
. to rest and then again , w 1en I ragged: in a bad condition espec ia lly
drove h rm d h · l' b h ra cked: tortured.
. heumatism caused him pain that racke IS im s, e Would because of being torn .
Even when h 1s r
only utter pleasant words for everyone. sp rawled: sat wit h a rm s a nd legs s pread
parish: an area that has its own local
, R 1 tionship with his Children: Salvatore had two boys anct ou t.
11 Salvatore s e a . church and priest or ministe r.
· b • th m down to the beach to give them a bath . Salvatore hact s toicis m : the quality of a person who acce pts
he used to nng e . . h husky: burly, robust.
when he bathed his children and dipped them m t e water
enormous h an d s, but . . . , ' what ha ppens without co mplaining.
.d •t tenderly as if they were flowers. Looking at his child s smallness he grim -visag ed : a face tha t re fl ects fee lin g
he d i I so d 'd h' of sadness or worry ; ha ving a ve ry lus t.ily: with stren gth and energy.
would laugh like an angel and his eyes would appear "as can 1 as 1s child's"
serious appearance or ma nne r.
cand id: expressing opinions an d feelings
12. The Author's Intervention: The author intervenes in first person and tells
the readers that he wanted to see if he could hold their attention for a few pages expostulations: earnest and kindly protests. in an hon est and si nce-re way .
while he drew the portrait of an ordinary fisherman, Salvatore , who possessed
nothing in the world except goodness.
4. TITLE

3. NOTES The t~tle of the story Salvatore by Willi a m So me rse t Ma u gham is direct and a pt.
The title tells us that the narrative to follow would be about Salvatore , the main
character around whom the story revolves . In fact , Salvatore is a popula r Italian
rail· a bar extending from one post or sailor: a person who works on a boat or
name which means "saviour" . Literally "saviour" is someone who is kind , ge nerous
support to another and serving as -a ship as part of the crew.
and filled with goodness . The protagonist of the story, a humble fis h erma n , h a d
guard or barrier. Jschia: a volcanic island in the Gulf of all these qualities to be called 'Salvatore '.
Scrambling: moving or climbing over Naples (Italy) . . We, as readers , are presented with Salvatore's life 's s tory. We are give n a
something quickly especially while also rheumatism: a disease that causes gl_1 mpse ?f his childhood, his acting a s a nursemaid to his two yo u nge r brothe rs,
using your hands. stiffness and pain in the muscles and his pass10n for the girl he loved , his military service where h e feels homesick and
jagged: having a sharp, uneven edge or swelling and pain in the joints. falls ill due to rheumatism , his being dejected in love because of his illness his
marriage to another girl Assunta, his hardwork and his childlike moments 'with
surface. exulted: felt great happiness. his children.
vineyard: a field where grapes are grown. rowing-boat: a small boat that is moved
The author has skillfully highlighted the character trait of Salvatore's inate
nursemaid: a person whose job is to take through water using oars. goodness. Despite being heartbroken, Salvatore never blam ed the girl who left him .
care of children. jetty: a long structure that is built out He never uttered harsh words for her or for anyone . He was gentle and sweet to
into water and used as a place to get his wife Assunta and behaved childlike with his children . Maugham thus seems
inshore: towards the shore away from
on, get off, or tie up a boat. to admire the good , kind and gentle protagonist and his naming the story after
the water.
him is evidence of this sincere admiration .
ventured: went somewhere that is blunt: saying or expressing something
unknown, dangerous, etc. in a very direct way that may upset
some people.
5. SETTING
vineclad: covered with vines .
bosom: a person's chest.
apace: at a fast speed or pace. The major part of the story is set on an Ita li a n island. lschia and Vesuvius were
endurance: the ability to deal with pain or as much a part of Salvatore as his hands and his feet . Salvatore as a young boy
2ffian.ced: betrothed; promised to marry.
suffering that continues for a long time.

WORKBOOK ON ECHOES: ISC SHORT STORIES

SALVATORE II
 · h b h Salvatore spent his childhood
f anner on t e eac · a father. He kept Assunta happy; "she never ceased to be touched by his gentle
would lie about in a care ree m h" lf became the father of two sons, he
. ·1 E en when he imse . sweetness ." Even after suffering from rheumatism, he worked hard to sustain his
here with his fam1 y. v th beach and would give them a bath
• I · g with them on e ' .
would spent time P aym . M when at times, he felt excruciating family. He used to work full day in the vineyard and spent the night catching fish
. . th m m water oreover , with one of his brothers .
by tenderly dippmg e . · . the same beach to relax himself. Only
. r b he would. s1mp 1y 1ie on
d.d h leave
.
the island to become a sailor in the
pains in his im s, As a father of two young children, he loved them and spent time with them.
b · f eriod of time 1 e .
once, for a ne P . d h. . home and the island where he hved . The It seemed he took part equally in the rearing of their children. He used to give
It was here that he m1sse is
navy. . d the beach the sea the seashore, thus forms them a bath and used to hold them tenderly and delicately. He would enjoy his
little white cottage, the vmeyar ' ' '
children's laughter and would laugh with them .
the setting the story.
A Man of Inherent Goodness: Salvatore was a man of inherent goodness and
6. CHARACTERISATION this is what the author has also tried to depict in the story. Salvatore 's inherent
goodness came to forefront when he did not blame the girl he loved for leaving
him. He did not speak bad about her but seemed to understand her decision .
Salvatore
He married another girl, named, Assunta and kept her happy. He did not let
· the protagonist of Maugham's story. Not only is the story named after his past affect his present and future. Also when his limbs racked in pain at times ,
Salvat ore is •h • h t d
him but also it intends to develop him as a character filled wit m eren goo ness. he would simply lie down to rest, giving way to only pleasant words for everyone .
Physical Appearance: Salvatore, when young, had ~ pleasant_ face, a laughing Assunta
mouth and care-free eyes. His brown body was as thm as a rail. Salvatore when
married, was a "tall, broad and big husky fellow'' . He had enormous hands , that Assunta, Salvatore's wife, was a "grim-visaged woman" who looked old for her
became coarse and hard from constant toil. age. She looked ugly to Salvatore initially but what mattered was that she had
a good heart. She was a devoted wife who admired and respected her husband .
A Responsible Brother: Salvatore, the eldest of three brothers, was like a She judged Salvatore by his goodness and not his ailment and thus could not
mother to his two younger brothers. He took care of them and as a responsible stop herself from using harsh words for her.
guardian he used to shout to them to come ins~ore whe~ they venture? out
too far. He would also dress them when it was time to chmb the hot hill for
the midday meal. 7. THEMES

A Man of Emotions: Salvatore was overtly emotional for his family . He had
never been alone and thus when he left to become a sailor in the navy, he wept Goodness
like a child. Away from home, he was dreadfully homesick. He missed his fami~y Goodness is one of the important themes of the story as this is what the author
and the girl he loved. When he returned home from military service, and met his intended to portray through the character of Salvatore.
family, there was a great deal of kissing and crying. Moreover when he was left Salvatore's Concern for his Brothers: Salvatore, since his childhood, had been
brokenhearted by the girl he loved, he wept on his mother's bosom. kind and caring. Salvatore being the eldest brother used to take care of his two
A Passionate Lover: Salvatore was madly in a love with a girl from his island. They younger brothers . As his duty and out of love he would not let them venture too
were affianced and had to wait for marriage until he completed his military service. far in the sea. He would also dress them appropriately when they had to climb
Moreover when the doctors announced the news that he was suffering from the hot vineclad hill for the midday meal.
rheumatism, from which he would never recover; it did not shatter him. It made Salvatore's Endurance: When Salvatore fell ill and was kept in a hospital for
him happy as it would allow him to go back to the girl he loved so much. several months he "bore" the pain with "mute and uncomprehending patience".
A Dutiful Husband and Father: Salvatore , after being rejected by the girl he He was happy despite the fact that he would never be well again.
loved, married Assunta. He fulfilled his responsibilities of being a husband a
nd
SALVATORE
WORKBOOK ON ECHOES: ISC SHORT STORIES
 "li e about the t for the Ol.rJ : ~alv£1to rc on cominn~ bnck lio rn n~ from 111s 1n1.J.H.a rv
Even when rheuma tism "racked his limbs " wi th pa in he would Salvat
.
ore's Respec
.
sufferi ng he had a blun tl y wld him t hi;!
beach" with a "pleasa nt word for cvctyo ne" . Des pite a.II his service was rejecte d by the gi rl he loved Thr .f4J rl ·s moth!"r
. Salvn torr wus
positive outlook toward s life. her daught er would not marry a me.11 s ufferin ~ from 8 diseHse
bl h
Salvato re's Respec t for the Girl He Loved: Wh e n Salvato re return
ed prema turely broken hearted . He wept on h.is mother 's boso m H!" wes re rr1 v l.in n ppy b ut h e
was engage d to. He but rus ln h · t d ·
from his militar y service he was left by the girl he loved and did not blame the ~girl. She refused to marry h1m
· - eren ioo ness Hnci
terribly unhap py, true love that he fe lt fo r her did not al low h.im tn ~oy 13 •hn~
rd word fo r of lhc> ~1rl
was broken hearted . He wept on his m other's bosom and though
could not afford to marry a man
he never blamed her. He und erstood that "a girl he had loved so we ll.-
words for h e r .
who might not be able to suppor t her". He never uttered harsh ro ,\ s<;un tn und rh r- v
Salvat ore's Love for bis CbJldren: Sa lvato re got mu rned
named , Assunt a .
Salvat ore's Married Life: Salvato re then marri ed anothe r girl, ha d two sons. He wo rked ha rd to s ustai n his fa m ily evrn thou~"-
'Y'
he w .1:-. .<: u ITr nnt~
as his wife . He still wore his
He was never rude to her but happily accept ed her from rheum atism . He u sed to work who le day in his vm eyard
und sp!"nt thr· n.i ~h l
the a uthor had ever
ingenu ous smile and had the most pleasa nt dispos ition that catchin g the profita ble cuttl e fi s h.
her.
seen in his life. He was a kind and gentle husban d a nd fat
ldhke wirh them .
growin g old nothin g Salvato re was deeply attac hed to hi s c hiJdre n. He acted ch1
As a young boy he used to take care his two brothe rs; on u~d to bnng them
used to work hard to He loved them and used to spend qua lity time with th em. He
change d except he became a happy father of two so n s. He ,n wnter taidcrly Dnd
his limbs, he would down to the beach to give the m both : he would dip th em
suppor t his family and even when at tim es, the pa in racked tho n O moOier to them.
nt word for everyo ne." delicate ly. He would laugh with them o nd ci.cted no less
simply "lie about the beach, smokin g cigaret tes , with a pleasa
in the world except a
Thus as said by the author , Salvat ore "posse ssed nothin g
st that anyone can
quality which is the rarest, the most precio us and the lovelie 8. STYLE
have" i.e., goodne ss.
True Love 1. Narrat ive Metho dology : Th e sto ry fo ll ows the pat te rn
of third person na rra tion .
actually l'°ads the
true love. Salvato re is a simple story withou t mu c h ac tion . Maugh am
One of the other themes that is depicte d in the story is s statem e nt · 1 wo nd er
ore fell madly in love readers into the story by first arousin g th e ir curios ity by hi
Salvat ore's Love for his Family , Home and Fiance e: Salvat if I can do it". The entire s tory is desc riptive biograp hy of
a fishe rman fro m th e
could not marry till
with a girl who had pretty eyes. The were affianc ed but they author 's point of view. For exampl e, Salvato re 's c ha nge of mi
nd to marry Assunt a
to serve as a sailor,
Salvato re had comple ted his militar y service . When he went and his subseq uent marria ge is s imply stated; withou t any
explana tio n. The la s t
ick and missed his
in the navy, he wept like a child . He felt dreadf ully homes part is so unexpe cted that the reader is left e ith e r infuria
ted or amu sed . Th e
family and the girl he loved . author simply ends with "Goodn ess, just good ness".
he was a part of. His
Also when he came back home , we saw the loving family logical sequen ce.
as soon as they met 2. Chron ology: The events in the story are narrate d i.n a chrono
parent s and brothe rs were waiting for him on the jetty and chen lie a bout the
when they exchan ged The story begins when Salvato re was a boy of fifteen. He would
"there was a great deal of kissing " and they all "cried a little be fe ll in love with
beach and take care of his younge r brothe rs. As he grew old.
their greetin gs." a sai lor in the
a girl with whom he got engage d . Salvato re the n went to become
as a sailor, he used
Salvat ore's Passio n for the Girl: When Salvat ore was away navy, where he felt dreadfu lly homesi ck. On coming back home
he fo und out that
how much he missed
to write to her long, passio nate letters. He would tell her the girl he loved would not marry h.im due to h.is a ilment.
He was heart broken
and doctor s told him
her and how much he longed to go back. When he fell ill and soon marrie d anothe r girl Assunt a. He lived happily
wi th her and becam e
", for he could go home
that he was sufferi ng from rheum atism , "his heart exulted d in a lin ear manne r.
a happy father of two son. All the events are thus narrate
to the girl, who was suppos edly waiting for him.

SALVATORE
WORKBOOK ON ECHOE S: ISC SHORT STORIE S
 -
3. Language: The author has used simple descriptive language in the story. In
fact he has used a two-verb pattern in the story-
(i) Description in the past of both people and their actions. For example: "his
father was a fisherman" , "he was in and out of the sea", etc.
(ii) Description of habits by using "used to" and " would". For example "he
used to bring his children down", "he would seat the naked baby'', etc.
This style of writing describes the static. nature of Salvatore and his qualities
from the beginning to the end.
4. Simile: It is a figure of speech in which a likeness between two different thin s
is stated in an explicit way, using the words 'as' or 'like'. There are number ~f
similes used in the story. For example: "his brown body was as thin as a rail",
"he wept like a child".

9. TOPICS ~R DISCUSSI ON

1. The narrator of Salvatore begins by saying "I wonder if I can do it.,,

What does he plan to do? How does he do it? Does he succeed? Discuss.
► The author plans to hold the attention of the readers for a few pages while
he sketches the portrait of a man named Salvatore.
► He plans to represent Salvatore as a man epitomisin g the quality of goodness.

► Yes, he succeeds in portraying him as a man filled with inherent goodness.

► Salvatore is a responsibl e brother who takes care of his younger brothers
in their childhood.
► Salvatore is a man of emotions; he felt homesick when he left to become
a sailor in the navy.
► While on the naval front, he extremely missed his family and the girl he loved.
► He was so truly in love with the girl from his island that when she broke
off their engageme nt owing to his ailment, he did not blame her.
► He was brokenhea rted, but never uttered anything against her.
► He was a loving father and a responsibl e husband to Assunta.
I
► He spent time with his children; he played with them at the beach.
► He would only speak pleasant things about everyone; he was as innocent
as his children.
► Though he was an ordinary fisherman he had an exceptiona l quality which
is "the rarest, the most precious and the loveliest" i.e. his inherent goodness.
It is reflected in the entire story.