Article #464-1 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from In the South Seas, by Robert Louis Stevenson

I conceived they made rather a hero of the man. A popular master in a
girls’ school might, perhaps, offer a figure of his preponderating
station. But then the master does not eat, sleep, live, and wash his
dirty linen in the midst of his admirers; he escapes, he has a room of
his own, he leads a private life; if he had nothing else, he has the
holidays, and the more unhappy Tembinok’ is always on the stage and on
the stretch.

In all my coming and going, I never heard him speak harshly or express
the least displeasure. An extreme, rather heavy, benignity—the benignity
of one sure to be obeyed—marked his demeanour; so that I was at times
reminded of Samual Richardson in his circle of admiring women. The wives
spoke up and seemed to volunteer opinions, like our wives at home—or,
say, like doting but respectable aunts. Altogether, I conclude that he
rules his seraglio much more by art than terror; and those who give a
different account (and who have none of them enjoyed my opportunities of
observation) perhaps failed to distinguish between degrees of rank,
between ‘my pamily’ and the hangers-on, laundresses, and prostitutes.

A notable feature is the evening game of cards when lamps are set forth
upon the terrace, and ‘I and my pamily’ play for tobacco by the hour. It
is highly characteristic of Tembinok’ that he must invent a game for
himself; highly characteristic of his worshipping household that they
should swear by the absurd invention. It is founded on poker, played
with the honours out of many packs, and inconceivably dreary. But I have
a passion for all games, studied it, and am supposed to be the only white
who ever fairly grasped its principle: a fact for which the wives (with
whom I was not otherwise popular) admired me with acclamation. It was
impossible to be deceived; this was a genuine feeling: they were proud of
their private game, had been cut to the quick by the want of interest
shown in it by others, and expanded under the flattery of my attention.
Tembinok’ puts up a double stake, and receives in return two hands to
choose from: a shallow artifice which the wives (in all these years) have
not yet fathomed. He himself, when talking with me privately, made not
the least secret that he was secure of winning; and it was thus he
explained his recent liberality on board the Equator. He let the wives
buy their own tobacco, which pleased them at the moment. He won it back
at cards, which made him once more, and without fresh expense, that which
he ought to be,—the sole fount of all indulgences. And he summed the
matter up in that phrase with which he almost always concludes any
account of his policy: ‘Mo’ betta.’

Explanation

Robert Louis Stevenson’s In the South Seas (1896) is a travelogue and ethnographic account of his voyages through the Pacific Islands in the late 19th century. The excerpt focuses on Tembinok’, a powerful Polynesian chief (likely from the Gilbert Islands, now Kiribati), whom Stevenson observes with a mix of fascination, irony, and subtle critique. The passage explores themes of power, performance, domestic authority, and cultural perception, while employing Stevenson’s signature blend of dry humor, psychological insight, and anthropological curiosity.

Context & Themes

Colonial Encounters & Cultural Observation Stevenson, a Scottish writer best known for Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, spent his later years in the Pacific, immersing himself in Indigenous cultures. Unlike many colonial writers, he approached his subjects with relative empathy, though his perspective remains that of an outsider. The excerpt reflects his ambivalence toward Tembinok’: admiration for his charisma and control, but also a wry awareness of the chief’s manipulative strategies.
Power & Performance Tembinok’ is a master of social theater, maintaining authority through a carefully cultivated persona. Stevenson compares him to:
- A beloved schoolmaster (but one who never escapes his audience).
- Samuel Richardson, the 18th-century novelist surrounded by adoring women (a nod to Richardson’s epistolary novels like Clarissa, which featured female admirers). The key difference is that Tembinok’ has no off-stage life—his rule is a 24/7 performance, unlike a teacher who can retreat to privacy.
Domestic Authority & the "Seraglio" Stevenson describes Tembinok’’s household as a "seraglio" (a term usually associated with Ottoman harems), suggesting a mix of wifely devotion, hierarchy, and controlled indulgence. The chief’s power is not overtly tyrannical but maintained through psychological artifice:
- His "extreme, rather heavy, benignity"—a calculated kindness that ensures obedience.
- The wives’ volunteered opinions, which mimic Western domestic dynamics but are likely scripted deference.
- The distinction between "my pamily" (the inner circle) and hangers-on (laundresses, prostitutes), implying a stratified system of favor.
Games as Microcosms of Power The card game becomes a metaphor for Tembinok’’s rule:
- He invents a dull, poker-derived game (a "shallow artifice") that his wives blindly reverence, mirroring their unquestioning loyalty.
- His double-stake advantage (getting two hands to choose from) is a metaphor for his systemic privilege—the wives never catch on, just as they never challenge his authority.
- The tobacco economy reinforces his role as the "sole fount of all indulgences": he lets the wives think they have agency (buying tobacco), then reclaims it through the game, ensuring his dominance is self-sustaining.
"Mo’ Betta" – The Chief’s Philosophy Tembinok’’s catchphrase ("Mo’ betta", a Pidgin English corruption of "more better") encapsulates his utilitarian, self-serving governance. It’s a darkly comic motto, revealing his cynical pragmatism:
- His "liberality" is strategic, not altruistic.
- The phrase underscores the hollow performativity of his rule—he’s not a benevolent leader but a shrewd operator who ensures his own comfort.

Literary Devices & Style

Irony & Understatement
- Stevenson’s tone is detached but pointed. Phrases like:
  - "An extreme, rather heavy, benignity" (the "heavy" undercuts the "benign").
  - "The wives spoke up and seemed to volunteer opinions" ("seemed" implies performativity).
- The card game’s "inconceivable dreariness" highlights the absurdity of blind devotion.
Comparisons & Analogies
- Schoolmaster vs. Tembinok’: The former has escapes; the latter is always "on the stage."
- Samuel Richardson: A literary reference that frames Tembinok’ as a manipulative figure surrounded by female admirers (but unlike Richardson, his "admirers" have no real choice).
- "Seraglio": Evokes exoticized Orientalism, but Stevenson uses it to critique patriarchal control, not to romanticize it.
Dramatic Structure The excerpt builds like a short character study:
- Introduction (Tembinok’ as a hero/figure of authority).
- Observation (his benign but controlling demeanor).
- Revelation (the card game as a microcosm of his power).
- Punchline ("Mo’ betta" as the cynical core of his rule).
Free Indirect Discourse Stevenson ventriloquizes Tembinok’’s perspective in the final paragraph, letting the chief’s self-satisfied logic speak for itself. The lack of explicit judgment makes the critique more cutting.

Significance & Interpretation

Postcolonial Reading Stevenson’s account is not outright colonialist, but it’s not fully decolonized either. He sees through Tembinok’’s performance but still frames him through Western literary references (Richardson, schoolmasters). The chief is both a shrewd operator and a product of his culture—Stevenson doesn’t condemn him but exposes the mechanisms of his power.
Power as Performance Tembinok’ embodies Erving Goffman’s "presentation of self" (from The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life): his authority relies on constant performance, with no backstage. His card game is a ritual of control, reinforcing his symbolic and material dominance.
Gender & Agency The wives’ "acclamation" of Stevenson for understanding the game suggests their complicity in the system—they take pride in their own subjugation. The chief’s allowing them to "buy" tobacco is a false gesture of autonomy, quickly reclaimed.
"Mo’ Betta" as Ideology The phrase is deliberately broken English, emphasizing the hybridity of colonial encounters. It’s both a joke and a philosophy—Tembinok’ has internalized a ruthless efficiency that serves him, not his people.

Conclusion: The Chief as Puppeteer

Stevenson’s excerpt is a masterclass in indirect critique. Tembinok’ is neither a noble savage nor a brutal tyrant, but a calculating performer who maintains power through psychological manipulation, ritual, and economic control. The card game is his kingdom in miniature—a dull, rigged system that his wives mistake for fairness. His "Mo’ betta" is the perfect motto for a leader who ensures that "better" always means "better for him."

The passage reflects Stevenson’s ambivalence toward authority—he admires Tembinok’’s artistry but sees the hollowness beneath the performance. In this, it’s a precursor to modern anthropological and postcolonial critiques of power—showing how charisma and control are constructed, not innate.

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s comparison of Tembinok’ to a "popular master in a girls’ school" is primarily intended to:

A. Highlight the chief’s pedagogical influence over his household, suggesting he educates his wives in Western norms.
B. Emphasise the chief’s isolation, as both figures are surrounded by admirers but lack genuine emotional connection.
C. Contrast the chief’s relentless public performance with the teacher’s ability to retreat, underscoring the exhausting nature of Tembinok’’s authority.
D. Criticise the wives’ childlike dependence, framing them as students rather than autonomous adults.
E. Illustrate the universality of patriarchal control across cultures, equating Indigenous and European power structures.

Question 2

The phrase "extreme, rather heavy, benignity" is best understood as conveying:

A. A performative kindness that is oppressive in its constancy, masking the chief’s unassailable control.
B. The chief’s genuine but burdensome compassion, which weighs on him due to his responsibilities.
C. A cultural norm in Polynesian societies where leaders must exhibit exaggerated warmth to maintain loyalty.
D. Stevenson’s personal discomfort with Tembinok’’s overly familiar demeanor, reflecting Victorian sensibilities.
E. The wives’ perception of the chief as a benevolent but physically imposing figure, contrasting with outsiders’ views.

Question 3

The card game’s "shallow artifice" serves as a metaphor for Tembinok’’s rule in all the following ways EXCEPT:

A. It reveals the chief’s reliance on systems that appear fair but are structurally biased in his favor.
B. It demonstrates how the wives’ loyalty is sustained through rituals they mistakenly believe they understand.
C. It exposes the chief’s intellectual inferiority, as the game’s simplicity reflects his lack of strategic depth.
D. It mirrors the performative nature of his authority, where obedience is secured through manufactured traditions.
E. It reinforces his role as the sole provider, as the tobacco economy cycles back to his control.

Question 4

Stevenson’s decision to include the wives’ "acclamation" of his understanding of the game primarily functions to:

A. Expose the wives’ complicity in their own subjugation, as their pride in the game’s obscurity reveals their investment in the system.
B. Highlight Stevenson’s own intellectual superiority, positioning him as the only outsider capable of deciphering Indigenous customs.
C. Undermine Tembinok’’s authority by showing that an outsider can master his invented traditions more easily than his wives.
D. Suggest that the wives’ admiration is a calculated performance, designed to manipulate Stevenson’s perception of the household.
E. Illustrate the cultural gap between Western logic and Indigenous games, framing the wives’ reactions as naive but endearing.

Question 5

The phrase "Mo’ betta" is most effectively interpreted as:

A. A linguistic artifact of colonial contact, highlighting the corruption of English in Pacific cultures.
B. The chief’s cynical distillation of his governance philosophy, where "better" is defined by his self-interest.
C. An ironic commentary on progress, suggesting that Tembinok’’s innovations are superficially modern but fundamentally regressive.
D. A genuine expression of the chief’s utilitarian ethics, where outcomes justify the means regardless of moral considerations.
E. Stevenson’s subtle praise for Tembinok’’s pragmatic adaptability in a rapidly changing colonial landscape.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: C

Why C is most correct: The passage explicitly contrasts Tembinok’’s relentless public performance ("always on the stage and on the stretch") with the schoolmaster’s ability to escape ("he has a room of his own, he leads a private life"). The comparison hinges on the exhausting, inescapable nature of Tembinok’’s authority, not pedagogy (A), isolation (B), childish dependence (D), or cross-cultural patriarchal universality (E). Stevenson’s focus is on the theatrical burden of constant performance, which the teacher avoids.