SH+2015+P4+Robert+Louis+Stevenson’s+1885+tale+“Markheim”

Aim- Tristan Farrell


Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story, Markheim, toys with an interesting theme of good versus evil. He wrote the story to persuade the reader, through exploration of a man with an out of whack conscience in a risky scenario, into thinking that it is never too late to change. Stevenson illustrates, "You had better go for the police; I have killed your master." (Markheim. 16). The author created a problem that centered around the idea of evil. Markheim stabbed the dealer in cold blood and continued on to loot. The author then introduced markheim to a stranger, or his very own conscience, who he believed to be the devil. The stranger warned markheim about the incoming servant, but markheim doesn’t act to repel the coming servant or loot, he tries to convince the stranger what he is doing is not bad and comes to realize he turned to evil. Next, the author presents his solution. Markheim knows he is evil and thinks the devil is apart of him, so markheim puts up a fight to salvage one last ounce of goodness. When the servant enters the store Markheim tells her to get the police because he murdered the dealer. Seeing Markheim fight against the devil and himself will teach the audience that it is never too late to do the right thing.

Works Cited:

"//Markheim//." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 June 2015. Web. 02 Aug. 2015.

Stevenson, Robert. "//Short Stories: Markheim.//" Markheim by Robert Louis Stevenson. n.p., n.d. Web. 26 July 2013.

Audience- Brianna Guerrero

Who is the audience?

The story of Markheim is a particularly gruesome one. As far as audience goes, it can’t be for anyone under the age of 10. “ The dealer turns his back to replace the mirror, and Markheim pulls out a knife and stabs him to death.” (Wikipedia) The rest of the story follows the theme of death and the devil. When Stevenson wrote Markheim in 1885, he was under heavy Russian influence. During this time there was a crisis happening between Russia and Britain so this must have greatly affected his work and how he wanted his audience to perceive it, so when this story was created, it was likely to be aimed at people who accept and enjoy very unique works.

Works Cited:

Drew, Ralph. "//War Between England and Russia//." Sci Am Scientific American 52.16 (1885): 240. Belcarra. BC, Sept. 2012. Web. 2 Aug. 2015.
Culture- Amanda Betancourt

What is the modern cultural impact of the term?

In the tale of “Markheim”, it tells a story of a man that’s named Markheim, that did a very life changing action of killing the owner of a shop to ransack it. As he steals some valuable goods from the dead owner, the Devil arrives and warns him of the owner’s maid returning soon and then suggested to him that he should kill her. Suddenly, Markhein started to think about how his life was turning to and thought about if he turned evil. After thinking about this situation, he said no to the Devil, because he thought about how if he still loves being good, then maybe he still hates doing evil and maybe he can have a second chance to do one more good deed before his life ends in jail. From the decision, the Devil revealed himself and shows that he was God and vanished right when the maid arrives and was told by Markheim that she should call the police for him killed her master (the owner) (wikipedia: Markheim; Robert Louis Stevenson). From this quick summary, the modern cultural impact of the term is by how the characters’ beliefs and culture can lead them to a good or bad path in the term. Actually, the culture are involved in this term, because the author of these stories, which is Robert Louis Stevenson, shows his “abiding interest in the nature of evil” (Prezi: Jekyll and Hyde Historical Background; Slide 29), which means that he was interested with including the Devil and God from his known religion of Calvinism.In the tale, Marheim just heard the maid that worked for the master that his just killed enter the building and started thinking to himself or talking to the Devil that, “if he has lost the love of good, he still hates evil, and can still do one worthwhile thing by ending his life” (wikipedia: Markheim; Robert Louis Stevenson). In this quote, he’s saying that if his still likes doing good deeds, that means that he doesn't like doing bad deeds and that he still has a chance to change his choices in his life. In the book of “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, as Mr. Utterson griefs about how his old friend, Harry Jekyll, was putting his trust and will to a man that did a horrific crime, Mr. Utterson was sadly discussing to himself, “ Jekyll was wild when he was young; a long while ago to be sure; but in the law of God, there is no statute of limitations” (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; Chapter 2: Search for Mr. Hyde; Utterson; Page 13). In this quote, Mr. Utterson is saying that his friend, Jekyll, did many crazy back then, mostly in an age of a child or teen years, but since God didn’t write any rules of this crazy choice that Jekyll decided for the future, Mr. Utterson can’t do anything to stop Mr. Hyde from receiving the will in the future of Jekyll’s passing. These two quotes tie to the point, because both of these quotes from two different stories share one common thing, which is showing their culture/ beliefs or God and the Devil and how they used their beliefs to solve a problem of make a realization in their lives. For examples, when Mr. Utterson involved God and said that “ but in the law of God, there is no statute of limitations” (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; Chapter 2: Search for Mr. Hyde; Utterson; Page 13), he expressed his tone as disappointed and passive from how he feels about his good friend Jekyll would trust a person who harmed an innocent child and had so much confidence of getting away with it and how that he can’t do anything about (since it was his friends choice and not his) to stop him from what he was doing from because he believed that since God didn’t make any rules for this situation, then Jekyll is free to do what he wants with the will. For Markheim, when he involved the Devil in his situation and said that, “if he has lost the love of good, he still hates evil, and can still do one worthwhile thing by ending his life” (wikipedia: Markheim; Robert Louis Stevenson), he was expressing hopeful from how he’s thinking that he has a chance to change his “ending of the story”. Again, these stories and the tones were created by how interested Mr. Stevenson was with the “nature of evil” (Prezi: Jekyll and Hyde Historical Background; Slide 29) and from that, he also created stories that involve characters that have or can’t make their own decisions if God approves or disapproves the rules/ thoughts from the character. When involving culture, such as the Devil and God, it’s gives both Markheim and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde a perspective of the term. When using this perspective, it’s showing both the characters’ and author connection with their the Devil and God to support their thoughts about the situation that they’re facing. The culture impact also creates “courage and fear” (woub.org: theme list) for both of the different situations. So to recap, these quotes tie to the point, because both of these stories involve their culture/ beliefs to help their to make a big choice in their life or in this case, their ending of their harmful term and see if that choice can help them have a chance to do something right.

Work Cites-

>
 *  Stevenson, Robert Louis. “Makheim”. [] . The University of Adelaide Library. 08 Aug.

“Marheim” [] . The Wikimedia Foundation. 08 Aug.

History- David Quinones



What is the historical impact of the term?

The story Markheim, published in 1884, has had an historical impact by not only widening the limits of creative writing, but also helped Stevenson grow in fame. Robert Louis Stevenson is currently a well known historical writer, and this was made possible when he penned, “ ‘You had better go for the police,’ said he: ‘I have killed your master.’ ” (Stevenson). This quote alone depicts so much about the style of writing that Stevenson used. Within this sentence, Markheim is trying to do good, but haunted by his evil past. It is said earlier in the text that Markheim has a, “ hatred of evil” (Stevenson) so we know that truly he does want to change. This battle between good and evil has enticed many people, and will continue to do so years and decades into the future. When Stevenson was alive, quotes and stories like these are the ones that built his empire of fame, from which the powerful books that he forged were published and made public. This is changed the course of creative writing for the better, and hopefully someone will be able to do so again.

Works Cited:

>
 *  Stevenson, Robert Louis. “Makheim”. [|//https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/s/stevenson/robert_louis/s848ma///] . The University of Adelaide Library. 08 Aug.

>
 *  “Marheim” [|//https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markheim//] . The Wikimedia Foundation. 08 Aug.

 >
 *  Stevenson, Robert Louis. “Makheim”. [|//https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/s/stevenson/robert_louis/s848ma///] . The University of Adelaide Library. 08 Aug.

“Marheim” [|//https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markheim//] . The Wikimedia Foundation. 08 Aug.