Narration and setting in Markheim and Pavilion on the Links

Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1850. He became a renowned and popular writer in a number of different genres. These include novels, poems, essays, travel writing and short stories. With regard to the short story, Stevenson is regarded as one of the masters of this genre.

As one study of his life and works notes, "He was a shrewd observer of humankind, and his essays reveal his lively and perspicacious mind."

In other words, Stevenson was not only a writer of entertaining and exciting fiction but also was an observer and commentator on human society and nature in his works. This is a central facet that can be found in the two short stories that will be analyzed in this paper.

His life and experiences also provide useful background and insight into many of his stories and novels. From early in his life he was plagued with ill health, which required him to often travel to climates that were more conducive to his health. These travels and the people he met awakened an interest in adventure and the mystery of life that is reflected in his works. One could argue that one of the central themes that run throughout his writing is the need to experience life fully in terms of the wonder, mystery and intrigue that constitutes the fabric of existence.

The following discussion will centre around two stories by Robert Louis Stevenson; namely, the Pavilion on the Links and Markheim. This discussion will focus on the way in which the central themes of the stories are analyzed in terms of a number of central literary aspects. This refers to the narrator, the narrative and the setting and how an analysis of these aspects allows us to perceive the works from different perspectives. Aspects such as the influence of the personal experiences of the author and how they are reflected in these works will also be discussed, as well as the role of mood and atmosphere. Furthermore, attention will also be given to the use and role of language in the short stories. As will be discussed, the use of images and literary techniques to develop mood and atmosphere are central aspects in an analysis of these short stories.

The works of Robert Louis Stevenson provide a rich and varied insight in human life, adventure, mystery horror and intrigue. However, his works also provide the reader with a unique insight into the functioning of human nature. A central theme that flows through many of novels and short stories is the exploration of the dualities or opposites in life. In a larger sense this refers to the battle between good and evil, which was a perennial theme in many of his writings

What is fascinating in the two stories that will be analyzed in this paper is Stevenson's exploration of the dualities or opposites that exist in the human psyche. In both stories we encounter this interest and interrogation of the complexity of human nature and the internal conflict between good and evil in the human soul.

The way in which the story is narrated as well as the role and insight of the narrator all play a very important part in the understanding and analysis of these works of literature. As will be discussed in the analysis of these two stories, Stevenson uses an omniscient or partly omniscient narrator to describe the characters and events in the short stories; which allows greater depth and insight into the themes and deeper meaning of the works. The narrative structure is also a significant and refers to the linear progression of events and the way that the stories develop in terms of time.

Steven is also extremely good at creating and maintaining a certain atmosphere or mood in his short stories. The following discussion will refer to this aspect as well and to the way that the mood adds to and expands the central themes that are at the centre of these stories.

Conclusion

An analysis of these two stories reveals many similarities. One of the most obvious points of comparison lies in the theme of duality that runs through both stories. We see this for example in the Pavilion on the Links. While this is essentially a tale of adventure and intrigue it also contains an exploration of human character and human nature. This is especially evident in the portrayal of Northmour, who is clearly an individual who is fighting his own inner demons. The tension between opposites in life is also portrayed in the difference between Clara and her father.

This theme of the battle between good and evil in human nature is expertly revealed in Markheim. In this story the central protagonist is troubled by a stranger, which can be interpreted as a spiritual entity or as the character's own conscience. Markheim is a more introspective and philosophical work than the Pavilion on the Links and delves into the inner psyche and intense turmoil in the mind of the main protagonist. Therefore, both stories deal the central theme of the internal duality between good and evil in human nature -- but in differing degrees.

In terms of setting however the two stories are very different. The Pavilion on the Links has a vast and extensive physical setting, which includes the location of the pavilion as well references to exotic distant lands. The story has the feel and range of international intrigue. On the other hand the physical setting in Markheim is more isolated and intense. In this story almost all the dialogue, action and events take place in the house where the murder encounters the stranger. The physical setting here is cloistered, tense and also claustrophobic.

However, it we understand setting in a more subjective and psychological sense then these two stories it could be argued are very similar. The psychological setting in both Markheim and the Pavilion on the Links is one of intense conflict and the fight between opposites. In the latter story however this conflict also takes place between more objective forces of good and evil.

Mood is very significant in both these short stories. The mood is expertly created through the use of words and images that the author manipulates to bring us into an awareness of his main themes. In Markheim the mood of the story focuses on horror and the macabre, as the house through which the murderer walks seems to be alive with malevolent and threatening forces. A similar mood is created in the Pavilion on the Links, where the sinister agents and the macabre house add to the sense of mystery and intrigue. In this regards, as was referred to in the above discussion, Stevenson makes use of images and other literary devices to enhance mood and atmosphere.

The styles of narration in each story differ to a certain extent, but each narration style is suited to the themes and the intentions of the stories. In the Pavilion on the Links the narrator is the sole source of information and insight into the events and the characters. This is termed a partial omniscient narrative style. In Markheim we have a similar narrative style but the narrative in this story is less transparent and our insight into the mind and thoughts of the main protagonist are subject to doubt -- which adds depth and tension to the theme of the complexity of human nature. In both stories the narrator plays a vital part in allowing us into the inner world and thoughts of the central characters. It is the narrator who guides the reader's perceptions and views of the story. However, this does not mean that the reader should not question the interpretation that the narrator gives to events and actions.