SALVATORE

Discuss the theme of love and affection as depicted in the story, “Salvatore”.

William Somerset Maugham, born on 25th of January, 1874 in Paris, France was a British playwright
and a short story writer who was orphaned at the age of ten. Maugham, himself, in real life, had an
elder wife and also a disability. He joined the Red Cross during the First World War and never liked it.
He discontinued the profession of a physician and joined the British Secret Intelligence Service in
1916. He was a short-weighed man who suffered from sporadic stammering and had thus taken
resort to making wounded remarks to attack back. The title of the story Salvatore is direct and apt.
The major part of the story is in an Italian island with Mount Vesuvius and Ischia. Salvatore as a
young boy lied about in a carefree manner on the beach and when he himself became a father, was
very affectionate towards his two sons and spent time playing with them in the sea. Salvatore was
deeply attached to his home and island in Italy and so, he cried like a child and frequently became
nostalgic when he had to leave his home and join King Emmanuel's army.

Salvatore all ill with some form of rheumatism and this made him unfit for further service. Instead of
feeling sad and dejected, his heart exulted with joy with the thought that he would be able to meet
the girl whom he loved. Salvatore finally came back to home to his family but couldn't find the girl
anywhere. On meeting her, he was informed that the girl won't be able to marry him owing to his
ailment. He was utterly heartbroken and terribly unhappy but he didn't blame the girl. Few months
later, his mother offered him a proposal of marriage with a young woman named Assunta who was
older than him but could have offered him monetary help. Salvatore accepted and settled down in
life but probably never loved Assunta as much as he loved the other girl.

Assunta was a dedicated wife, a calculative homemaker but never forgave the girl for leaving her
husband. According to Assunta, one should look at his/her counterpart, on a whole and not a part.
She respected her husband and judged Salvatore by his goodness but not by his ailment.
William S. Maugham's titular hero, Salvatore was a responsible brother, a passionate lover and a
loving father. Analyze the statement with reference to the lesson.

“Salvatore” is a story of a fifteen-year-old boy who was a passionate lover, a responsible brother and
a loving father.

He was a responsible brother which was evident through the way he acted as a nursemaid to his two
younger brothers. He instructed them to come inshore when they ventured out too far and made
them dress when it was time to climb the hot, vine clad hill for the frugal midday meal.

He was a passionate lover. He was madly in love with a pretty girl who lived in Grande Marina. To
marry her by becoming an established man, Salvatore joined the military service and left the island.

He wept like a child when he became the sailor in the Navy of King Victor Emmanuel. It was hard for
him to part with the girl he loved with the passionate heart of his. He wrote to her long, ill-spelt
letters in which he told her constantly that he always thought of her and how much he longed to
come back.

But, soon after some time, it was discovered that he had developed rheumatism for which he had to
be removed from his post owing to his ailment. Salvatore thanked God from his heart because he
was happy that he could go back to the girl and be with her and marry her. But, owing to the same
ground of illness, the girl rejected him because she wanted better. He lost all hope in life. But soon
after, he was married to another girl named Assunta whom he never loved truly because of his
lingering feeling for that girl. It proves his dedicated love.

Lastly, he was a dedicated father and loved his two sons. When they were brought down to the sea
to be bathed, he used to play with them and bathe them while holding them tenderly after which he
dried them with delicate care.

This is how the above given notions are explained.