Stevenson's Pavilion on the Links: Duality and Romance
This paper analyzes Robert Louis Stevenson's short story "The Pavilion on the Links," examining its plot, characters, and central themes. The analysis focuses on Stevenson's recurring preoccupation with duality in human nature — the coexistence of good and evil within the same person — as illustrated through the character of Northmour, whose behavior oscillates between gentlemanly honor and violent aggression. The paper also explores the contrasting characters of Clara and her father, Bernard Huddlestone, and discusses how romance and mystery function as thematic counterpoints to the story's gothic tension and suspense. The analysis situates the story within the broader context of Stevenson's literary output, including comparisons to The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
- Introduction to the Story and Its Critical Reception: Critical praise and thematic overview of the story
- Plot Summary: Outline of main characters, events, and conflicts
- Duality and Identity: Good versus evil within characters, especially Northmour
- Romance and Mystery: Love as mysterious counterpoint to gothic suspense
- Conclusion: Synthesis of duality, mystery, and unity in the story
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What makes this paper effective
- It grounds thematic claims in direct textual evidence, quoting extensively from the story itself to illustrate arguments about duality and character.
- It situates the story within Stevenson's broader body of work, drawing meaningful comparisons to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Kidnapped, and The Master of Ballantrae to show recurring authorial concerns.
- It balances plot summary with interpretive analysis, ensuring readers understand the narrative before engaging with thematic arguments.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of close reading: specific passages from the text are quoted and then unpacked to reveal broader thematic significance. For example, the description of Clara's face in lantern light is interpreted as a metaphor for the moral ambiguity inherent in human nature, illustrating how sentence-level detail can carry thematic weight.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief introduction to the story's critical reputation before moving into a plot summary that establishes narrative context. Two analytical sections follow — one on duality and identity, the other on romance and mystery — each organized around key characters and supported by direct quotation. A short conclusion synthesizes the themes and reflects on their unity within the story. This straightforward structure suits the scope of a short-story analysis at the undergraduate level.
Introduction to the Story and Its Critical Reception
"The Pavilion on the Links" has received strongly positive critical responses and is considered one of the best short stories that Robert Louis Stevenson wrote. He was widely recognized as a master of the form; as one critic notes, Stevenson was a "master of the short story proper."
The story is, in essence, a tale of intrigue and mystery, as well as a romantic tale. Its plot involves, among other elements, a criminal banker and his daughter, two very different men in love with that daughter, Italian secret societies, fraud, and murder. The often dark and sinister gothic atmosphere adds to the pervasive sense of mystery.
As is the case with many of his other stories and novels, one of Stevenson's central themes is the duality that exists in human nature. Works such as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde explore the opposing forces within a single person and the battle between good and evil that runs through human existence. This theme, along with others, is explored in the following analysis of "The Pavilion on the Links."
Bibliography
Biography of Robert Louis Stevenson. Web. 12 February 2012.
Harvey, Alexander. Life of Robert Louis Stevenson. Bartleby. Web. 10 February 2012.
"Man Is Not Truly One, but Truly Two." Web. 12 February 2012.
"Stevenson: Prince of Modern Story-Tellers." Web. 13 February 2012.
Stevenson, R. L. The Pavilion on the Links. Web. 12 February 2012. Project Gutenberg.
Steuart, John A. Robert Louis Stevenson: A Critical Biography. Vol. 1. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1924. Questia. Web. 10 February 2012.
Torrey, B. "Robert Louis Stevenson: A Review." The Atlantic. Web. 10 February 2012.
Walker, Hugh. The Literature of the Victorian Era. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1910. Questia. Web. 10 February 2012.
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