To discuss the theme of evil in “The Beach of Falesá” and its depiction in relation to good, consider focusing on the dynamic between Case and Wiltshire. The latter describes Case as “yellow and smallish.” He compares Case’s nose to a hawk’s nose. Based on his looks, one can deduce that there is something sickly, predatory, or evil in Case. Sure enough, his fiendish appearance connects to his activities, which include knocking off competition and convincing the inhabitants that he possesses supernatural powers.

As Wiltshire is the person who exposes Case’s false, lethal ways, it seems like Robert Louis Stevenson is setting up a dynamic in which Wiltshire is good and Case is evil. In relation to Case, it’s reasonable to argue that Wiltshire comes across as good. Yet Case does not set a high standard for ethical and moral conduct. A lot of people who aren’t so upright will likely come across as decent if Case is the person they’re measured against.

Perhaps spend some time thinking about how Wiltshire’s behavior, separate from his triumph over Case, is not so good. His marriage to Uma arguably represents male privilege and the priority of the man’s wishes over the woman’s. Additionally, Wiltshire tends to belittle the people on the island. He calls them “fools” and analyzes them in the context of English society, as if the Western world was the default standard. Such instances indicate that Wiltshire contains faults and prejudices and is not entirely good.