Is Appointment in Samarra a short story?

But what are the origins and history of The Appointment in Samarra? Well, it’s an Ancient Mesopotamian tale that first appears in the Babylonian Talmud and came to Western attention with its retelling by British writer W Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) in his 1933 short fable An Appointment in Samarra.

What is the tone of the Appointment in Samarra?

The story is therefore slightly confusing and mysterious, despite its simplicity and brevity. Its tone feels very straightforward, but the information revealed is ultimately very somber and ominous.

How long is Appointment in Samarra?

thirty-six hours
Set in the fictional town of Gibbsville, Pennsylvania, a lightly disguised version of Pottsville, where O’Hara grew up, the entire action of Appointment in Samarra—Julian English’s whirlwind of self-destruction—takes place in just thirty-six hours, and its breakneck pace is startling and exciting.

What did Somerset Maugham say about the appointment in Samarra?

The Appointment in Samarra, as retold by W. Somerset Maugham. There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death

What’s the study guide to the appointment in Samarra?

Study Guide to W.S. Maugham’s version of “The Appointment in Samarra” Study Guide to “The Appointment in Samarra” (as retold by W. Somerset Maugham [1933]) It’s best not to read further in this study guide until you have completed your first reading. After you’ve read the savored the story a few times, give some thought to the following issues.

When to read the appointment by w.s.maugham?

It’s best not to read further in this study guide until you have completed your first reading. After you’ve read the savored the story a few times, give some thought to the following issues. (1) In whatever way we might decide to tell this story, Death would have to be a character in it.

Who is the main character in the appointment in Samarra?

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 was here explicitly for his servant. 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.