Comment on the elements of fatalism and death in Appointment in Samarra.

The elements of death and fatalism are evident in the story Appointment in Samarra. The story begins with a quote from Somerset Maugham. In the quote, Maugham personalizes death and presents it as a woman who scares a servant from Bagdad, forcing him to flee to Samarra. However, when asked by the master why she made a threatening gesture to the servant, the woman says that she had an appointment with the servant in Samarra later that night. This is an element of fatalism, and a foreshadow in which the author seeks to have the reader understand that no one can run away from his or her own fate and death. The element of death is evident in the story at the point where Julian puts a gun into his mouth in the bathroom after realizing that his dealership was headed towards a financial disaster. Julian does not kill himself at that point, but it does not take long before he commits suicide in his car via carbon monoxide poisoning. This is a clear element of fatalism because, despite Julian not taking the shot in the first instance, he still does not run away from his fate and eventually ends up dead. Additionally, the element of fatalism is also depicted in the story where Ed Charney calls for Al Grecco to watch his mistress, Helene Holman so that she does not offer herself to other men. However, despite Al Grecco keeping watch on Helene, she still ends up offering herself to Julian. This suggests that fate cannot be averted, and no matter what precautions are taken, fate always takes its own course.