I think Maugham’s presentation of Salvatore as a static character is well justified. The love and affection, the caring nature, the calm, happy and forgiving attitude, in short, the inner goodness of Salvatore remains intact throughout his life. The character is so presented that even in foreign lands he misses his home and his fiancée. Salvatore cannot befriend strangers on those noisy cities and homesickness makes him ill.

Throughout the biographical narrative of the man, nothing changes in terms of his character traits or on idealistic grounds. What changes is only his fate. He receives two big blows in life in the form of rheumatism and the rejection of his lover. But that does not change the track of his life. He overcomes his sadness and marries another woman called Assunta. He also gets over his illness to some extent and works as usual.

Life has not been as easy as he would have liked. But, Salvatore accepts his life as it comes to him and never complains. Even when the fits of rheumatism rakes his limbs, he uses pleasant words for everyone. The inner beauty of this apparently common man is very much uncommon. And having passed two big tests in his life so successfully, there is no such threat that the goodness of this man will ever change. That is why the writer chooses a static character rather than a dynamic one for Salvatore.