The Lotus Eater
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The Lotus Eater is a short story written by Somerset Maugham in 1945. It is set in 1913 and tells the story of Thomas Wilson, who comes to the island of Capri in Italy for a holiday. He is so enchanted with the place that he gives up his job in London and decides to live the rest of his life without any cares in a small cottage in Capri. He saves just enough money to survive for a set period, and although not stated in the story, the assumption is that he would commit suicide after that. After his time 'expires', he remains in the cottage until the owner finally tells him that he has to leave. He then tries to commit suicide by setting a fire in the cottage. He survives only to go insane.
The irony of the story is that Wilson moves to Capri due to the boredom of his "everyday routine" of working/living in London and after relocating to Capri he falls into a new, but equally boring routine.
Somerset's stories are often rich with ironies, as well as other subtle lessons about human nature. However, I would hesitate to say that the life Wilson led in his adopted home of Capri was a boring routine - not at least, for Wilson. Maugham describes Wilson as enjoying his life on the island for the first fifteen years anyway that we know of before the 'story teller' leaves him. He never shows any sign of regret for the fateful decision he has made, and we was gave examples of ways in which he enjoys his life as much as any traveler might, though it is a life of low ambition and accomplishment.
The choice that Wilson makes to leave his London life (and income) behind in exchange for a life of leisure on Capri is at once awesome as well as tragic. It is awesome because it resonates with every young traveler who has gone abroad and has marvelled at the comparison between some wonderful new place and the routine dullness of his familiar life at home; who no doubt fantasized over the prospect of exchanging one for the other. But Wilson is tragic because we know he has not provided himself enough funds to carry beyond a time that he will still be enthusiastic about living.
