Student Question
In "The Lotus Eater," what are Wilson's two hobbies?
Quick answer:
In Somerset Maugham's "The Lotus Eater," Wilson's two hobbies are reading and smoking a pipe. He is an avid reader, particularly interested in Roman history, as shown by his discussions on Tiberius and early Roman history. His other hobby, smoking, is evidenced by his frequent pipe use, especially during leisure moments like reading or conversing under the Capri moonlight, and the strong tobacco scent in his room.
In Somerset Maughm's short story, Wilson proves to be a unique character. One hobby he has is reading. Wilson is an avid reader in all subjects, but he seems to be particularly fond of Roman History. This is demonstrated by his expounding on Tiberius and his knowledge of Early Roman history. Additionally, we notice this hobby when he encountered the narrator after swimming, when the narrator steps out of the water and Wilson is reading a book and smoking his pipe, proving to be another hobby as it is something he undertakes at his leisure. This is seen when he and narrator are under the Capri moonlight and engaging in the discussion about how Wilson wound up at Capri for the last 15 years. When the narrator visits his room, the pungent odor of tobacco permeates the room, indicating that this is something Wilson pursues in his spare time, akin to a hobby.
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