Editor's Choice

Is Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Beach of Falesá" a hybrid work, mixing genres and writing styles?

Quick answer:

"The Beach of Falesá" by Robert Louis Stevenson can be considered a hybrid work due to its blend of genres and writing styles. While the narrative consistently uses a first-person past-tense style, it mixes elements of adventure, romance, and realistic fiction, showcasing a shift from Stevenson's earlier romantic works to a more realist approach. This hybridity is further emphasized by the realistic depiction of cultural mannerisms and customs, aligning it with a novel of manners.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Robert Louis Stevenson's story "The Beach of Falesá" tells of a man named John Wiltshire who arrives at the South Sea island of Falesá to be a trader. Case, a rival trader, convinces Wiltshire to marry a local woman named Uma using a fake marriage certificate. Wiltshire then discovers that Uma is taboo, and as a result, the islanders will not trade with him. This was Case's plan all along, so that he could control the island and the trade. Ultimately, however, Wiltshire realizes he sincerely loves Uma, marries her legally through a missionary, and exposes Case's subterfuge in deceiving the islanders. He kills Case, and he and Uma have a family together.

The writing style of this story would not be classified as hybrid, because it is consistent as a first-person past-tense narrative throughout. However, it can be classified as hybrid literature, also known as cross-genre literature,...

Unlock
This Answer Now

Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.

Get 48 Hours Free Access

because it mixes elements of several different genres. It's an adventure story because of the action, it's a love story because of the romance between Wiltshire and Uma, and it's a literary tale due to the realistic elements in it. Stevenson wrote it late in his career, in 1893, as a deliberate departure from his more fanciful tales to a more realistic approach.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

"The Beach of Falesá" is a short story by Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson, which is part of a collection of short fiction titled Island Nights' Entertainments. Although the story is a clearly a work of fiction, the narrative style of "The Beach of Falesá" allows it to be considered a hybrid form of prose. This is because Stevenson emphasized a realist style of writing, which is a break from the romantic style that was prevalent during his early writing career.

In fact, in a letter to Sidney Colvin, a friend and literary critic, Stevenson articulated his emphasis on injecting facts into his fiction, making the narratives more realistic rather than just an exercise in imaginative storytelling. Another example of the realism hybridized within Stevenson's fiction is the use of ethnographic concepts, such as realistically depicting mannerisms of local cultures. In this sense, "The Beach of Falesá" can be considered a novel of manners manners, which is a form of realistic fiction that emphasizes mannerisms and customs.

References

Approved by eNotes Editorial