Article #373-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from Lay Morals, and Other Papers, by Robert Louis Stevenson

PREFACE
BY MRS. ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

In our long voyage on the yacht Casco, we visited many islands; I
believe on every one we found the scourge of leprosy. In the Marquesas
there was a regular leper settlement, though the persons living there
seemed free to wander where they wished, fishing on the beach, or
visiting friends in the villages. I remember one afternoon, at Anaho,
when my husband and I, tired after a long quest for shells, sat down on
the sand to rest awhile, a native man stepped out from under some
cocoanut trees, regarding us hesitatingly as though fearful of intruding.
My husband waved an invitation to the stranger to join us, offering his
cigarette to the man in the island fashion. The cigarette was accepted
and, after a puff or two, courteously passed back again according to
native etiquette. The hand that held it was the maimed hand of a leper.
To my consternation my husband took the cigarette and smoked it out.
Afterwards when we were alone and I spoke of my horror he said, ‘I could
not mortify the man. And if you think I liked doing it—that was
another reason; because I didn’t want to.’

Another day, while we were still anchored in Anaho Bay, a messenger from
round a distant headland came in a whale-boat with an urgent request that
we go to see a young white girl who was ill with some mysterious malady.
We had supposed that, with the beach-comber ‘Charley the red,’ we were
the only white people on our side of the island. Though there was much
wind that day and the sea ran high, we started at once, impelled partly
by curiosity and partly by the pathetic nature of the message.
Fortunately we took our luncheon with us, eating it on the beach before
we went up to the house where the sick girl lay. Our hostess, the girl’s
mother, met us with regrets that we had already lunched, saying, ‘I have
a most excellent cook; here he is, now.’ She turned, as she spoke, to an
elderly Chinaman who was plainly in an advanced stage of leprosy. When
the man was gone, my husband asked if she had no fear of contagion. ‘I
don’t believe in contagion,’ was her reply. But there was little doubt
as to what ailed her daughter. She was certainly suffering from leprosy.
We could only advise that the girl be taken to the French post at Santa
Maria Bay where there was a doctor.

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Lay Morals, and Other Papers by Robert Louis Stevenson**

This excerpt is from the Preface to Lay Morals, and Other Papers (1888), written by Fanny Van de Grift Stevenson (Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson), recounting her and her husband’s experiences during their 1888–1889 voyage on the yacht Casco through the South Pacific. The passage focuses on two encounters with leprosy—one with a leper in the Marquesas Islands and another with a white family whose daughter was afflicted. The text is rich in themes of compassion, human dignity, fear, and cultural perceptions of disease, while also offering a glimpse into 19th-century colonial attitudes toward illness and social stigma.

Context & Background

Robert Louis Stevenson’s Pacific Voyage (1888–1890)
- After years of poor health (Stevenson suffered from tuberculosis), he and his wife embarked on a three-year journey across the Pacific, visiting Hawaii, the Marquesas, Tahiti, Samoa, and other islands.
- The voyage was both a search for a healthier climate and an anthropological exploration—Stevenson was deeply interested in indigenous cultures, colonialism, and the human condition.
- Lay Morals (1888) is a collection of essays on ethics, society, and personal philosophy, but this preface (written by Fanny) serves as a firsthand account of their travels, blending observation with moral reflection.
Leprosy in the 19th Century
- Hansens’ Disease (leprosy) was widely feared and misunderstood. Many believed it was highly contagious, divinely punished, or morally corrupting.
- In the Pacific, leper colonies were common, often isolating sufferers from society. However, indigenous attitudes varied—some cultures were more accepting, while colonial powers enforced stigmatization and quarantine.
- The germ theory of disease was still new (Koch discovered the leprosy bacillus in 1873), so many, like the girl’s mother in the excerpt, denied contagion out of ignorance or defiance.

Thematic Analysis

1. Compassion vs. Fear

The first encounter illustrates Stevenson’s refusal to dehumanize the leper.
- When the man offers back the cigarette, Stevenson smokes it despite knowing the man is a leper.
- His wife’s horror ("my consternation") contrasts with his deliberate act of solidarity.
- His reasoning: "I could not mortify the man." → He prioritizes dignity over disgust.
- The second part—"if you think I liked doing it—that was another reason; because I didn’t want to"—reveals that his action was not performative but a moral obligation despite personal revulsion.
The second encounter shows denial and tragedy:
- The mother rejects the idea of contagion, either out of love for her daughter or willful ignorance.
- The daughter’s leprosy is undeniable, yet the family’s isolation and lack of medical care reflect the failures of colonial infrastructure.
- The advice to seek a doctor is futile—French colonial posts were often under-resourced, and leprosy was (and often still is) incurable.

2. Cultural & Colonial Perspectives on Disease

Indigenous vs. Western Attitudes:
- The leper in the first scene is not ostracized—he moves freely, fishes, and visits villages. This suggests a more integrated (if still stigmatized) role in Marquesan society.
- The white family’s denial reflects European arrogance—the mother’s refusal to believe in contagion may stem from racial prejudice (the cook is Chinese) or class privilege (she cannot accept that her daughter has a "lowly" disease).
Colonial Neglect:
- The French post at Santa Maria Bay is the only hope, but its effectiveness is doubtful. This critiques European colonialism’s failure to provide adequate healthcare to settlers and natives alike.

3. Human Dignity & the Body

Stevenson’s physical act of smoking the leper’s cigarette is a symbolic rejection of dehumanization.
- The maimed hand is a visible marker of suffering, yet Stevenson touches what others avoid.
- This aligns with his broader philosophical belief in empathy and moral courage (seen in works like The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, where he explores duality and hidden suffering).
The girl’s illness is a tragic irony—her whiteness does not protect her, and her mother’s denial accelerates her doom.

Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices

First-Person Narration (Fanny’s Perspective)
- The preface is written by Fanny, not Stevenson, giving it a personal, intimate tone.
- Her initial horror ("my consternation") makes Stevenson’s compassion more striking by contrast.
- The dialogue ("I don’t believe in contagion") is unadorned, letting the tragedy speak for itself.
Juxtaposition & Irony
- Stevenson’s willingness to touch the leper vs. the mother’s refusal to acknowledge the disease.
- The beauty of the Pacific setting (shell-hunting, whale-boats) vs. the horror of leprosy.
- The cigarette as a symbol—an object of shared humanity that becomes a test of moral courage.
Understatement & Restraint
- The prose is unemotional in describing horror:
  - "The hand that held it was the maimed hand of a leper." → No dramatic language, just fact, making it more chilling.
  - "There was little doubt as to what ailed her daughter." → The understated diagnosis heightens the inevitability of tragedy.
Symbolism
- The cigarette = connection, shared suffering, defiance of stigma.
- The whale-boat journey = a futile quest for help, mirroring the isolation of the sick.
- The Chinaman cook = colonial exploitation and racial othering (leprosy was often associated with "foreign" bodies).

Significance & Legacy

Stevenson’s Moral Philosophy
- This passage embodies Stevenson’s belief in "moral courage"—doing what is right despite personal discomfort.
- It reflects his rejection of Victorian hypocrisy, where compassion was often performative (e.g., charity without real engagement).
- His physical act of smoking the cigarette is a radical empathy, anticipating later humanitarian and disability rights movements.
Colonial Critique
- The excerpt subtly indicts European colonialism:
  - The lack of medical care for the girl.
  - The mother’s denial as a metaphor for colonial blindness to suffering.
- Stevenson’s later work in Samoa (where he became a political advocate for indigenous rights) shows his growing anti-colonial stance.
Medical & Social History
- The text is a primary source on 19th-century leprosy, showing how fear and stigma operated.
- The mother’s denial is still relevant today in disease denialism (e.g., HIV/AIDS, COVID-19).
Literary Influence
- Stevenson’s blending of travel writing and moral reflection influenced later ethnographic and memoir writing.
- The theme of hidden suffering appears in his fiction (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Master of Ballantrae).

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is not just a travel anecdote—it is a meditation on humanity, fear, and moral responsibility. Stevenson’s act of smoking the leper’s cigarette is a small but profound rebellion against dehumanization, while the girl’s fate exposes the failures of colonial society. The passage challenges readers to confront their own prejudices and asks:

How do we treat those society casts out?
What does true compassion look like when it is uncomfortable?
How does denial—personal or systemic—perpetuate suffering?

In an era where disease, stigma, and isolation remain pressing issues, Stevenson’s unflinching humanity feels urgently relevant.

Questions

Question 1

The narrator’s description of Stevenson’s interaction with the leper—particularly the act of smoking the shared cigarette—primarily serves to:

A. illustrate the cultural relativism of hygiene norms in Polynesian societies, where bodily fluids carry less stigma than in Western contexts.
B. underscore the futility of human connection in the face of incurable disease, as symbolized by the cigarette’s transience.
C. critique the narrator’s own privileged perspective by exposing her visceral reaction as a product of colonial conditioning.
D. embody a moral imperative that transcends personal revulsion, framing compassion as an act of defiance against dehumanization.
E. highlight the performative nature of Stevenson’s altruism, suggesting his actions were calculated to impress his wife and future readers.

Question 2

The mother’s assertion, “I don’t believe in contagion,” is most effectively interpreted as:

A. a rational rejection of germ theory, grounded in the empirical observation that her daughter’s symptoms do not align with known leprosy progression.
B. an act of psychological self-preservation that reveals the intersection of maternal love, denial, and the privileges of whiteness in a colonial context.
C. a critique of European medical paternalism, positioning indigenous knowledge systems as equally valid in diagnosing disease.
D. a literal statement of fact, given the scientific uncertainties surrounding leprosy transmission in the late 19th century.
E. an attempt to manipulate the Stevensons into providing aid by downplaying the severity of the girl’s condition.

Question 3

The structural juxtaposition of the two leprosy encounters—first with the Marquesan man, then with the white girl—serves primarily to:

A. contrast the resilience of indigenous communities with the vulnerability of European settlers in tropical climates.
B. demonstrate the universality of leprosy as a “great equalizer,” erasing racial and class distinctions in the face of biological fate.
C. argue for the superiority of indigenous approaches to disease, which emphasize communal care over isolation.
D. expose the hypocrisy of colonial medicine, which provided treatment for whites but abandoned natives to leper colonies.
E. interrogate the narratives societies construct around illness, revealing how stigma is differentially applied along lines of race, class, and visibility.

Question 4

The cigarette in the first encounter functions as a symbol of:

A. the futility of human connection, given that the leper’s condition renders any shared experience meaningless.
B. cultural exchange, with the act of smoking representing a ritualistic bridging of Western and Polynesian customs.
C. colonial exploitation, as tobacco was a commodity imposed on indigenous populations by European traders.
D. the transience of life, mirroring the ephemeral nature of the Stevensons’ voyage and the leper’s deteriorating health.
E. radical empathy, transforming an ordinary object into a vessel for challenging societal taboos around touch and contamination.

Question 5

The passage’s closing advice—“We could only advise that the girl be taken to the French post at Santa Maria Bay where there was a doctor”—is most accurately described as:

A. a genuine attempt to provide solutions, reflecting the Stevensons’ faith in European medicine despite its limitations.
B. an ironic underscoring of colonial neglect, as the French post’s inadequacy renders the advice hollow.
C. a narrative device that shifts responsibility onto the reader, implicating them in the systemic failures that doom the girl.
D. a critique of the girl’s mother, whose refusal to seek help earlier is framed as the primary cause of her daughter’s suffering.
E. an example of the Stevensons’ passive complicity in colonial structures, as they offer no material assistance beyond verbal guidance.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: D

Why D is most correct: The passage hinges on Stevenson’s deliberate choice to prioritize the leper’s dignity over his own discomfort, despite his explicit admission that he didn’t want to smoke the cigarette. This framing—compassion as an act of defiance against dehumanization—aligns with the text’s emphasis on moral courage. The cigarette becomes a site of resistance against societal taboos, embodying a principle that transcends personal revulsion. The phrase “I could not mortify the man” confirms that the act is not performative (ruling out E) but ethically imperative.