Narration and setting in Markheim by Robert Louis Stevenson

Stevenson

Narration and setting in 'Markheim' by Robert Louis Stevenson

Markheim

Narration and setting in 'Markheim' by Robert Louis Stevenson

Markheim was written in 1885 and is widely recognized as one of Robert Louis Stevenson's most successful short stories. It was initially published in a Christmas-time annual and later appeared in Stevenson's the Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables (1887).

The plot of the story revolves around the events that occurred in a dealer's shop where the protagonist, Markheim, ostensibly wished to buy a gift for his female friend. In fact this is just a ruse and he is intent on robbing the shop. He brutally kills the owner and proceeds to look for the money. However, what he encounters in the house is a stranger who could be a supernatural entity, the devil, or a manifestation of his one deeper conscience and sense of right and wrong. He realizes his true nature in his conversation with the stranger and eventually gives himself up to the police.

On the surface the plot of the story is about little more a rather shabby and cruel murder with the aim of theft. However, in actuality the story is much more than this and can be interpreted on a number of levels. It is a moral and psychological drama as well as a supernatural horror story. The story is also about the strange and the bizarre in the midst of ordinary life.

Furthermore, as will be discussed in the sections below, the central themes of this story explore the nature of human being and the constant battle between good and evil in human existence. The true 'action' and setting of this study takes place after the murder, when the protagonist sees images of himself in various mirrors in the house and the strange figure appears to him. This vision interrogates his own sense of who he is and the story becomes an introspective journey into his own identity and a view of the human psyche. As one commentator on this work states;

Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Markheim' is a macabre and philosophical short story depicting a journey through the psyche of an 'unwilling sinner', in which telling and essential decisions are made by the eponymous character. These decisions, I believe, are undertaken on a journey through Markheim's self, battling with his inner devils for a morally acceptable life.

The story therefore has elements of the horror and the supernatural genre. However, a number of critics have also interpreted it in a more philosophical light as a work that is intended to question and investigate the way that human beings understand like and reality.

Central to this story is a theme that can be found in many works by Robert Louis Stevenson; namely, the theme of human duality and the mixture of good and bad in the individual. The use of language and metaphor in the opening paragraphs of the story emphasizes this theme; for example the phrase, "…with the mingled shine and darkness in the shop" suggests the theme of light and dark good and evil.

The Critical reception to this short story has been in the main extremely positive over the years. Many critics view Stevenson as a "pioneer" in the development of the modern short story.

Matthews (1907) states the following: "Stevenson was one of the earliest of British writers to perceive the artistic possibilities of the true short-story."

A number of critics have seen the influence of the works of the horror and supernatural writer, Edgar Allen Poe, in this story. As one study notes; "Markheim" is foremost among Stevenson's tales of horror and the supernatural, and shows the strong influence of Edgar Allan Poe. The story is also often compared to Fedor Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment (1866) due to its exploration of benevolence and iniquity within the conscience of the individual.

1.1. What experiences of the author are reflected in the stories?

As has been noted in many different studies of Stevenson and his work, he was deeply concerned not only with the strange and bizarre events that disrupt normal life but also with the duality and dichotomies that he perceived to exist within human nature. These experiences and insights into life can be seen to be reflected in this story.

Stevenson was aware of the propensity for both good and evil within human nature and that there was often a conflict in people between these opposing tendencies. We see this clearly in the character of Markheim and his struggle to reconcile and come to terms with the evil aspects of his identity

There is also a certain philosophical tendency that should be considered in an analysis of this short story, and which relates to the issue of the author's experience reflected in the story. As one critic notes, the story has a great deal to do with the author's personal life. The theme of the fleeting quality of life -- that we are on this earth for a short time and what we do morally or ethically has an external dimension. This is a theme that concerned the author in his personal life and which we find hidden in the narrative of this story.

Barry Menikoff states that the "capriciousness of life" is one of the central themes of the short story.

He notes that, "Stevenson was an intensely driven man: the thought that he might die and leave nothing behind, that his name would have been "writ in water" only, that it would disappear unremembered into the oblivion of time, this was the spur that impelled him to write wherever he was…."

We can also see this sense of questioning desperation in the text.

"Where is the hurry?" returned Markheim. "It is very pleasant to stand here talking; and life is so short and insecure that I would not hurry away from any pleasure - no, not even from so mild a one as this. We should rather cling, cling to what little we can get, like a man at a cliff's edge. Every second is a cliff, if you think upon it - a cliff a mile high - high enough, if we fall, to dash us out of every feature of humanity. Hence it is best to talk pleasantly. Let us talk of each other: why should we wear this mask? Let us be confidential. Who knows, we might become friends?"

This sense of desperation and tension takes the form of philosophical questions that relate to the meaning and value of life. The image and reality of death and the possibility that life may be meaningless is continually referred to in the short story; for example, when the protagonist observes the dead body of the dealer; "In these poor, miserly clothes, in that ungainly attitude, the dealer lay like so much sawdust."

This questioning of the purpose and meaning of life and identity is also found in the dialogue between the protagonist and the stranger.

"Know me!" cried Markheim. "Who can do so? My life is but a travesty and slander on myself. I have lived to belie my nature. All men do; all men are better than this disguise that grows about and stifles them. You see each dragged away by life, like one whom bravos have seized and muffled in a cloak. If they had their own control - if you could see their faces, they would be altogether different, they would shine out for heroes and saints!

1.2. Construction of the work (what I want to write about)

The following sections will explore the views and themes discussed above in terms of the way that they apply to narrator, narration and setting. The purpose of this analysis is to show how each of these elements adds to a deeper understanding of the work in question.

2. Narrator

2.1. 1st or 3rd person narrator, his point-of-view on the world in the stories

This story is in effect written in the third person and, through the narrator we observe the actions, emotions and feelings of the main character from the outside looking in, as it were. The narrator's point-of-view is descriptive and although we also encounter the feelings and thoughts of the main character, there is still a distance between the narrator and the main as well as secondary characters.

2.2. Types of narrator, omniscient or limited? How much does the narrator know? Is the narrator reliable or unreliable? Is the narrator telling you everything he/she knows?

The third-person omniscient narrative mode is a mode of writing in which the narrative is presented from an overarching perspective. We observe rather than directly encounter the thoughts, feelings and emotions of the characters. A useful definition is as follows:

…the omniscient perspective is a narrative mode in which a story is presented by a narrator with an overarching point-of-view, seeing and knowing everything that happens within the world of the story, including what each of the characters is thinking and feeling.

The narrative style used in this short story by Stevenson is a form of this omniscient mode of writing; however it is only omniscient to a certain degree. The narrator observes and describes but does not always interpret the events and the feelings of the characters to the reader. In other words, this narrative style could be termed limited omniscient.

One should also take into account the fact that we are often in doubt about the exact nature of the feelings and thoughts of the main character. We are, for instance, not quite sure if Markheim is sincere in what he says. He is after all a known liar. Are we then to believe that he has truly repented? The narrator is therefore only omniscient up to a point and there are times when there is doubt and ambiguity. For example,

The reader can never be sure if Markheim's anxiety of being apprehended for his crime is justifiable or merely another figment of his imagination. Throughout the passage, Markheim experiences a multitude of volatile and contradictory feelings, developing the tense and unstable mood of the prose.

The reason given for this from a literary point-of-view is that the use of the limited omniscient narrator is intended to create doubt and to emphasize the theme of appearance vs. reality in the story.

2.3. The narrator's attitude to the characters, to the subject of the story, how objective the narrator is? Does he give any comments?

White the narrator is to a large degree omniscient and all-seeing, yet he is only partially so. In other words, as discussed above, we are often not entirely sure if what the narrator reports is the entire truth. This means that this narrative style is only partly objective. It is obvious that when Markheim meets the dealer that he is pretending to buy something, while his real intention is criminally inclined. Knowing that he is a deceiver we cannot always be sure Markheim is sincere in all that he says to the stranger as the story progresses.

Therefore, there is always a small element of doubt and the possibility that the narrator is not aware of some subterfuge or pretence in the main character. This however adds to the intrigue and depth of the story and also tends to emphasize the main theme of the treacherous duality of human nature and the moral battle that takes place within the human psyche.

Therefore, the narrator's attitude to the main character is one of impartial observation combined with a deep concern for his situation. The narrator is also seemingly concerned with universal themes and issues that are explored through the main character. The story is also "… an insightful and metaphorical journey into the mind of a troubled soul."

A central theme that concerns the narrator is the conflict that exists within human nature as a result of the duality of good and evil. We can clearly see this conflict in the main character in this extract:

The sweat started upon Markheim's brow. "Well, then, what matter?" he exclaimed. "Say it be lost, say I am plunged again in poverty, shall one part of me, and that the worse, continue until the end to override the better? Evil and good run strong in me, haling me both ways. I do not love the one thing, I love all.

2.4. Do we know what he is thinking about?

What the narrator is thinking about comes across in many description and comments. For example, the emphasis on the shortness of life, the inevitability of death and the meaning of life are all aspects that interest the narrator. We see this in his description of Markheim's thoughts after the murder and his observation of the dead dealer lying on the floor.

So little a while ago that face had moved with every change of sentiment, that pale mouth had spoken, that body had been all on fire with governable energies; and now, and by his act, that piece of life had been arrested as the horologist, with interjected finger, arrests the beating of the clock.

3. Narration

3.1. Are events presented in chronological order or not: how many thing are narrated, told, in detail or not?

The events in this short story are told in chronological order from the beginning when Markheim enters the shop to the end where he gives himself up to the police. However, this chronological order is at times interspersed with views and scenes from the past; for example, when Markheim first encountered images of murder and memories of religious experiences. In other words, while the narrative is essentially chronological the sequence of events is often interrupted by memories and thoughts that are strictly out of sequence. However it should be noted that when the narrative deviates from the sequence of present event, these digressions, such as memories of childhood, tend to add depth to the narrative.

3.2. Mood in the stories

The development of mood in the setting of this story is extremely important in this short story. Very briefly the mood of a story refers to "The general feeling the reader gets while reading the story."

This is however a rather simplistic definition that does not tell us much. A more comprehensive definition of mood is;

The mood of a short story is established through detailed descriptions of the settings, people, and atmosphere of a story. For example, if you are writing a scary story about a haunted house, the mood will be dark and foreboding. The setting should be dark - muted colors and shadowy corners - and the characters should be feeling a mixture of excitement and delicious fear.

Mood is therefore created by as combination of setting, tone, language usage and detail. The mood of tension and terror that the protagonist experiences after the murder of the dealer is clearly expressed in the language and imagery of the following quote from the story. "Meanwhile, and behind all this activity, brute terrors, like the scurrying of rats in a deserted attic, filled the more remote chambers of his brain with riot."

3.3. Language usage by narrator and characters.

The language used by the narrator is a mixture of succinct and straightforward description and more intense and perceptive commentary. On the one hand the narrator tells the story in a direct manner. On the other hand he uses devices of style such as metaphor and simile to express the more subtle and complex points of his character's feelings and emotions.

The language usage of the characters is often argumentative and complex - especially in the discourse between Markheim and the stranger. An example of the way that the narrator combines straightforward description with astute insight into the nature of the characters can be seen in the following extract. "The dealer looked closely at his companion. It was very odd, Markheim did not appear to be laughing; there was something in his face like an eager sparkle of hope, but nothing of mirth."

In this description and in the juxtaposition of the opposites of "eager spark of hope" and " nothing of mirth," we are afforded some insight into the conflict that rages in the consciousness of the character.

3.4. Stylistic device

There are as wide range of stylistic devices that contribute to the mood and the atmosphere of the story. The following are only a few examples.

Contrast and paradox are used to great effect in this story. This stylistic device also highlights the central them of duality and the inner turmoil and conflict between opposites that we encounter in the main character. Some examples from the text would be: "…"with the mingled shine and darkness in the shop," "the bright suit of armour…and on the dark wood carvings" and "A flash of ice; a flash of fire."

These examples all show a relationship to the central conflict of opposites in the narrative.

Metaphor is used expertly to convey different emotions and states of mind; for example, "The dealer, while he thus ran on in his dry and biting voice." This evokes something of the quality of character. A good example of metaphor as it relates to the themes of the story is; "The candle stood on the counter, its flame solemnly wagging in a draught…."

The image of flame as symbol of passion or desire is combined with the image of a wagging and admonishing finger. In one short phrase the writer is able to convey a sense of the feeling of morality and conscience that lies at the center of Markheim's character.

Pure description and the use of language serve not only to add tension and interest to the story but also highlight the central theme of duality and inner conflict. Note the following description of Markheim just before he stabs the dealer.

The dealer stooped once more, this time to replace the glass upon the shelf, his thin blond hair falling over his eyes as he did so. Markheim moved a little nearer, with one hand in the pocket of his greatcoat; he drew himself up and filled his lungs; at the same time many different emotions were depicted together on his face - terror, horror, and resolve, fascination and a physical repulsion; and through a haggard lift of his upper lip, his teeth looked out.

There is a sense of horror that is expertly conveyed by words like "…his teeth looked out." This is not only horror at the act of murder but also horror as the knowledge of the inner evil that he recognizes within himself.

4. Setting:

4.1. The definition of setting

The physical setting of this story is situated inside the shop and house of the dealer. However, the true setting is the story is much more expansive than this would suggest. Setting is usually defined as a combination of elements. These include, ehe physical, sensuous world of the work; the time in which the action of the work takes place and "...the social environment of the characters (i.e. The manners, customs, and moral values of the characters' society)."

There is also the setting within the mind of the protagonist which would be the psychological setting. One could also talk about the supernatural setting of this story. In other words, the point being made is that there are a number of different ways of understanding the setting in a story and that this term does not just refer to the actual physical location in which the narration takes place.