Beauty of Capri as told in Maugham’s Short Story ‘The Lotus Eater’

Maugham’s short story ‘The Lotus Eater’ is set on the island of Capri. It is a place as the author has described is a modern lotusland for its scenic beauty and charm. Situated at the entrance to the Bay of Naples in Italy, Capri Island is famous for beaches, and mild climate, the picturesque measures. The protagonist of the short story Wilson, the lotus eater like the mythical mariners of Ulysses, settles down here to a life of utter indolence and ease bidding adieu to a life of toil and sweat as a Londoner. He looks in the sundry places of Capri forsaking the hardships of a Londoner.

Capri

The island of Capri is on the bay of Naples. The place is associated with its adjoining localities of Pizza, Ana Capri, Montesolaro etc. It is the place where the beauty of the sun set at the Pizza attracts the inhabitants of the world, native and foreign. The blaze of setting sun looks splendid from here. It is the sun like the top of orange deeps into a wine red sea. There is a church nearly whose bells are heard from here. There is the clock tower over the foot path that leads up from the harbour to the church up a flight up steps. It is a perfect setting for an opera by Donizetti. The gathering crowd might at any moment break out into a chorus. It is so charming that it appears to be unreal.

The place is also enticing in its bathe of moonlight. Montesolaro when moonlit eschews the aesthetic pleasures. Capri is also historically rich. The story of Tiberius and the early histories of Roman Empire are associated with it.

Like in Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ Capri serves as the lotus land. Its scenic beauty serves as the intoxication of lotus fruit.

Ardhenduu De