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ee, SECTION TWO: SHORT STORIES, , APPOINMENT IN SAMARRA, , W. Somerset Maugham, Appointment in Samarra., Somerset Maugham., , In the short story the Appointment in Samarra a man fears that Death has come for him., He confronts Death at the market place in Bagdad. He is terrified and runs for his life to Samarra, with an impression that he could change his fate in the “city of happiness and delight”., , Death is the main character, as well as the narrator of this story, yet the author provides us, with no real description of her other than calling her a woman. Death narrates this tale in a way, that leads us to believe that she is almost an omniscient being in the way that she is able to, describe the dialogue between the servant and his master, but an omniscient narrator is incapable, of being surprised himself or herself and we find this not to be the case in this story. The author’s, intension is to make Death appear mysterious, and familiar to the reader at the same time. Death is, provided with human qualities, like the ability to be surprised. We feel like a person could even, trick Death. Death was very easily recognizable. The servant immediately knew that the woman, “jostled” was Death. The Merchant went to the market place and questions Death. This gesture, shows that not only did the merchant care for the life of his servant, but it also shows that he had a, certain curiosity about Death and her intentions. The act of confronting Death also shows that the, merchant did not fear Death since he believed that Death posed no threat to him because she came, explicitly for his servant., , Death has been symbolized in several ways throughout years — sometimes as a suitor,, sometimes as an angel. There is never a true form to its unknown facade and no description or, illustration can match up to the true fear and terror of the real thing. The only certain thing in life is, that it will end one day. Death is inevitable, and no matter how rich you are, how strong you are,, whether you are good or evil, you would die. The servant in the story flees to Samarra, fails to, realize that Death is unavoidable. Death is as much an aspect of nature as life. It comes as, naturally as night comes to day., , Answer the following Questions, , 4. First novel of Somerset Maugham., Liza of Lambeth, 5. City of Samarra stands on the bank of--River Tigris, 6. Surra ManRa’a means --A delight for all who see., 7._ Maugham included the sto: intment in Samarra at the end of his play-Ways with Words Page 32

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SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION, ———————————————————————eEE_, , Sheppey, , 8. Appointment in Samarra was included in the collection of --- stories by Idris Shah, Sufi stories., , 9. The speaker in the story Appointment in Samarra., Death, , 10. Death appears in the guise of a---in Appointment in Samarra, Woman., , II. Answer the questions in a paragraph not more 100 words., 1. Comment on the language of this tale., Somerset Maugham is known for his clear unadorned style and a shrewd understanding of, , human nature. In “Appointment in Samarra”, Maugham has used a language that is very, comprehensible, yet has an eerie element in the description of the events. The narrator is the, death itself and the servant and the master uses a language that aggrandizes the fear of death., Sentences run into each other, piling up like blocks that are about to come tumbling down., Maugham chooses urgent words: trembling, jostled, threatening. When the reader as well as the, servant and the master are relieved of the fact that the death will not get its catch, Maugham, springs a surprise through irony. Minimal words are being used by the author to lend a creepy, atmosphere to the story and it also lends mystery to the world of fate where little is known., 2. Discuss how the story expounds fatalism., Ans: Fatalism is the attitude of mind which accepts that whatever has to happen are bound to, happen and there is nothing one can do to change them. In "Appointment in Samarra" the, servant in the story jostles with a woman in Bagdad (who is Death) and requests his master to, lend him a horse so that he can escape from death by riding to Samarra. But Fate has the last, laugh when the master is informed by the woman that death awaits him only when he is in, Samarra, and not in Bagdad. In this story, the servant has a false belief about where death is, seeking him out but the inevitable happens when he rides on to Samarra., 3. Why do you think death is gendered in this tale?, Ans: Death is gendered as a woman in the story because women were not portrayed in a, positive light in Baghdad during those ages, just as the same way death is not looked at as, something positive. In Greek mythology, the Fates are depicted as blind women. Moreover, the, enigmatic nature of a woman personifies the supernatural appearance of Death. Had it been a, male figure for death it would have been more intimidating- which Maugham did not intend., Therefore, gender differences changes how the reader interprets Death as an individual., , Answer the following question in not more than 300 words each:, , 1. How does Maugham bring out the idea of fatalism in this tale?

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SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION, Ans: Que Sera Sera is a term usually associated with fatalism which means “Whatever will be,, will be”. There is no denying the fact that nothing can stop the Fate from its course. The idea of, fate is that events on a time line follow a predetermined sequence based on unalterable causeand-effect relations. In W. Somerset Maugham’s rendition of “Appointment in Samarra” the, overwhelming concept is the inevitable fate of death., The story begins with Death speaking to the reader about a merchant and his servant in Bagdad., After having ordered by the merchant to buy some provisions, the servant returns “white and, trembling”. The servant narrates to his master that he was jostled by a woman and then came to, realise that it was Death personified, for she made a “threatening gesture”. He thinks that the, only way to escape from her is to gallop away to Samarra. So, he lends a horse from his master, and rides away. After this, Maugham writes of the merchant going to the marketplace to confront, Death about the encounter with his servant. The act of confronting Death shows that the, merchant did not fear Death since he believed that Death posed no threat to him because she was, here explicitly for his servant. When the merchant asked Death why she made a threatening, gesture towards the servant, she replied “That was not a threatening gesture... for I have an, appointment with him tonight in Samarra”., This is ironic because the very place where the servant was trying to cheat death was the, very place where he will come to terms with her. This is the part of the story where one can, really come to understand the true concept of the narrative; nobody can escape the inevitable fate., , Seessesessss, , —, Ways with Words Page 34