SH+P6+2013+Robert+Louis+Stevenson’s+1885+tale+“Markheim”

=Robert Louis Stephenson's 1885 Tale "Markheim"=

By Diana Bantugan, Catalina Michell, Tiana Pinkney, and Blaire Krakowitz


**__ Aim __** By Diana Bantugan

Robert Louis Stevenson’s main purpose to write the story “Markheim”, is to convince his audience that people can still make the right choice, even if their past decisions weren’t. Stevenson exhibits a troubled man who eventually overcomes his own desire to rob the house after being confronted by a very evasive figure. This purpose is implied through what the main character believes and says. The author writes, “Markheim steadily regarded his counsellor. ‘If I be condemned to evil acts,’ he said, ‘there is still one door of freedom open’” (Stevenson 17). The character Markheim, is at first haunted by a mysterious figure who wants him to continue his original plan and rob the house. However, the quote above depicts otherwise. This line from the story portrays the morals of Markheim, and how up to this point, he wants to choose what he believes is the honorable decision. The author brings the audience into the mind of Markheim and his process of deciding his next act by depicting Markheim’s battle with his conscience.

Works Cited

Stevenson, Robert Louis. “Markheim.” //Eastoftheweb.com//. n.p. n.d. Web. 25 July 2013.

By Tiana Pinkney
 * __ Audience __**

In Robert Louis Stevenson’s story “Markheim,” the author speaks to people who have done evil throughout their life and feel it is okay to live that way. Markeim says huskily to the visitant, “...I have in some degree complied to evil. But it is so to all: the very saints, in the mere exercise of living, grow less dainty, and take on the tone of their surroundings” (Markheim 14). The visitant explains to Markheim that he has been watching him throughout his life. He had been watching from the first moment he stole all the way to committing the murder of the dealer. The visitant confronts Markheim how he is moving downhill more and more every time, and the only thing that could stop him is death itself. Markheim agrees to the visitants outburst, but feels like he is not the only one committing such evil. He states that practically everyone, including some of the innocent, is revolving around one another. Although he knows he has done bad, it is not until the end of the story that he learns to do the right thing and step away from evil.

Works Cited Stevenson, Robert Louis. “Markheim.” // Eastoftheweb.com //. n.p. n.d. Web. 25 July 2013.

By Catalina Michell
 * __ Historical __**

“Markheim” is a timeless short story, appearing repeatedly throughout history. According to an internet source, “ ‘Markheim’ is 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” (“Markheim”). Written before Stevenson’s well-known classic, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), the short story Markheim was written in 1885 in a Christmas issue magazine and included two years later in his The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables. Due to recurring illness, Stevenson narrowly escaped death several times, including when he undertook an overseas journey to the states. Some critics owe Stevenson’s fascination with dual personalities and justified murder to his sickly childhood, and this fascination is reflected in his short stories, including Markheim. That Stevenson had sources of inspiration is a plausible fact, however. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell Tale Heart”includes striking similarities to Markheim, even though it was written in 1843, over forty years earlier. The main characters both murder another person for personal reasons and both redeem themselves to justice due to guilty consciences. Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, shares an equally similar plot line.

Works Cited "Markheim." Enotes.com. Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 26 July 2013. "The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe." XRoads.Virginia.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 July 2013.

**__ Cultural __**
By Blaire Krakowitz

The persuasion found in “Markheim,” that a person can still make a moral decision despite doing misdeeds in the past, would be perceive d by some members of modern audiences with varying levels of agreement. According to an analysis of Robert Louis Stevenson’s work, “F or readers to understand, or find meaning in, an allegory, characters (or actors) must be clearly identified. In ‘Markheim’ this presents major difficulties” (Funsten & Feiro). Though the general moral of Markheim is fairly clear, it is difficult to pinpoint its true meaning due to the ambiguity of the story. Consequently, it is more difficult for modern so ciety to perceive the full extent of the author’s persuasion. The concept of choosing not to commit evil deeds is simpler to recognize; the idea that the author’s persuasion is that one can make virtuous decisions despite previous amoral actions can be easily drawn from “Markheim.” Modern society’s opinions on the agreeability of this persuasion, however, differ from person to person. Some people would agree with Stevenson and say that a person can choose to prevent themselves from doing evil and always have the opportunity to redeem themselves. Others may think that a person who is seemingly destined to perform only evil deeds cannot possibly do good, while still others would argue that one’s ability to redeem themselves from previous actions depends on what those actions were and a person’s own moral compass. A significant reason as to why a modern audience’s reaction to Stevenson’s persuasion is so difficult to ascertain is that it could be perceived in many different forms, with reactions differing based on the personal beliefs of the individual.

Works Cited Funsten, Kenneth, and John W. Fiero. "Robert Louis Stevenson." Critical Survey Of Short Fiction, Second Revised Edition (2001): n pag. Literary Reference Center. Web. 26 July 2013.