Appearance
Excerpt
Excerpt from The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2, by Robert Louis Stevenson
50 × 2=100 100
The expense of spirit or spontaneous lapse of coin 10
on the journey, at 5 frcs. a head, 5 × 2=10
Victuals on ditto, at 5 frcs. a head, 5 × 2 = 10 10
Gratuity to stewardess, in case of severe 3
prostration, at 3 francs
One night in London, on a modest footing, say 20 20
Two tickets to Bournemouth at 12.50, 12.50 × 2=25 25
Porters and general devilment, say 5 5
Cabs in London, say 2 shillings, and in 6.25
Bournemouth, 3 shillings=5 shillings, 6 frcs. 25
frcs. 179.25
Or, the same in pounds, £7, 3s. 6½d.
Or, the same in dollars, $35.45
if there be any arithmetical virtue in me. I have left out dinner in
London in case you want to blow out, which would come extry, and with the
aid of vangs fangs might easily double the whole amount—above all if
you have a few friends to meet you.
In making this valuable project, or budget, I discovered for the first
time a reason (frequently overlooked) for the singular costliness of
travelling with your wife. Anybody would count the tickets double; but
how few would have remembered—or indeed has any one ever remembered?—to
count the spontaneous lapse of coin double also? Yet there are two of
you, each must do his daily leakage, and it must be done out of your
travelling fund. You will tell me, perhaps, that you carry the coin
yourself: my dear sir, do you think you can fool your Maker? Your wife
has to lose her quota; and by God she will—if you kept the coin in a
belt. One thing I have omitted: you will lose a certain amount on the
exchange, but this even I cannot foresee, as it is one of the few things
that vary with the way a man has.—I am, dear sir, yours financially,
Explanation
Robert Louis Stevenson’s excerpt from The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2 (likely written in the late 19th century) is a witty, satirical breakdown of travel expenses for a hypothetical journey with one’s wife. While ostensibly a mundane budget, the passage is rich in humor, social commentary, and psychological insight, revealing Stevenson’s playful yet sharp observations on marriage, money, and human nature. Below is a detailed analysis, focusing primarily on the text itself while incorporating broader context where necessary.
Context and Source
Stevenson (1850–1894), best known for Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, was also a prolific letter writer. His correspondence often blended humor, personal reflection, and keen social observation. This excerpt, likely addressed to a friend (possibly the American editor Sidney Colvin or another confidant), adopts the tone of a mock-serious financial advisor. The letter’s date isn’t specified, but it reflects the realities of Victorian travel—train tickets, currency exchanges, and the social expectations of married life—while subverting them with irony.
The format mimics an accountant’s ledger, complete with arithmetic (some of it deliberately absurd, like "50 × 2=100" or the conversion to dollars), which underscores the absurdity of trying to quantify the intangible costs of companionship.
Themes
The Illusion of Control Over Money (and Life) Stevenson’s "budget" is a farce. The precise calculations (e.g., "5 × 2=10" for "victuals") contrast with the chaotic realities of travel—unexpected gratitudes, "prostration," and the ominous "general devilment." The line "if there be any arithmetical virtue in me" admits the futility of predicting expenses, especially when human behavior (or a wife’s "quota" of spending) is involved. The budget is less a tool for planning than a satire of the Victorian obsession with thrift and order.
The "Cost" of Marriage The passage’s central joke is the "singular costliness of travelling with your wife." Stevenson feigns discovery of a "frequently overlooked" truth: that a wife’s presence doubles not just tickets but also the "spontaneous lapse of coin"—the inevitable, unplanned expenditures. The phrase "leakage" (a term often used for financial drips) is repurposed to describe the inescapable, almost biological need for spending. His claim that "by God she will" lose her share, even if the husband hoards the money, frames this as a cosmic law, not mere chance.
The humor masks a critique of gender dynamics. Victorian wives were often dependent on husbands for funds, yet Stevenson suggests that money will "leak" regardless—implying that women’s agency (or at least their spending) is an unstoppable force. The line "do you think you can fool your Maker?" elevates this to a moral absolute, mocking the husband’s delusion of control.
Class and Social Performance The budget reveals class anxieties. Phrases like "on a modest footing" (for a London night) and "blow out" (a lavish dinner) highlight the tension between frugality and social expectation. The mention of "vangs fangs" (likely a phonetic joke—perhaps "fancy foods" or a nonsense term) and the warning that friends could "double the whole amount" satirize the performative side of travel: the need to entertain or be entertained, even at financial peril.
The Unpredictability of Life The exchange rate’s variability ("one of the few things that vary with the way a man has") introduces chaos into the ledger. Stevenson suggests that some costs defy calculation, just as human behavior defies prediction. This aligns with his broader literary themes (e.g., Jekyll and Hyde’s duality) where order is an illusion.
Literary Devices
Irony and Satire
- The ledger format is ironic: it promises precision but delivers absurdity (e.g., "50 × 2=100" as a header for a 10-franc expense).
- The phrase "spontaneous lapse of coin" is a euphemism for frivolous spending, framed as a natural law.
- "General devilment" personifies miscellaneous chaos, undermining the budget’s authority.
Hyperbole and Exaggeration
- The idea that a wife’s spending is as inevitable as divine will ("by God she will") is hyperbolic, elevating a mundane observation to cosmic significance.
- The suggestion that dinner with friends could "double the whole amount" exaggerates the financial peril of socializing.
Wordplay and Puns
- "Vangs fangs" is likely a playful invention, possibly mocking French pretension or the incomprehensibility of foreign expenses.
- "Blow out" (to spend extravagantly) contrasts with the earlier "modest footing."
Repetition and Parallelism
- The structure of the ledger (item + cost) creates a rhythmic, almost poetic cadence, which the absurd entries then disrupt.
- The doubling motif ("5 × 2," "12.50 × 2") mirrors the theme of marriage’s duplicated costs.
Tone: Mock-Seriousness Stevenson adopts the voice of a pedantic accountant ("I have left out dinner in London in case you want to blow out"), only to undercut it with wit. The closing "yours financially" is a pun on both fiscal and emotional investment.
Significance
Personal Insight Stevenson’s own life informs the letter. He traveled extensively with his wife, Fanny, and was often financially strained. The humor may reflect his real frustrations, softened by irony. The letter also reveals his playful side, contrasting with his darker works.
Victorian Gender and Money The passage critiques the era’s rigid gender roles. A wife’s spending is treated as a force of nature, not a choice—both empowering (she will spend) and limiting (her "quota" is predetermined). The husband’s futile attempts to control it mirror broader Victorian anxieties about women’s economic agency.
Literary Style Stevenson’s ability to blend humor with sharp observation prefigures modern satirists. The letter’s form (a fake ledger) influences later writers who use bureaucratic or numerical formats for comic effect (e.g., Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide).
Universal Themes The tension between planning and chaos, control and surrender, resonates beyond its time. The "spontaneous lapse of coin" is a metaphor for life’s unpredictability—something no budget can contain.
Line-by-Line Highlights
- "The expense of spirit or spontaneous lapse of coin": A Shakespearean echo ("expense of spirit" recalls Sonnet 129’s "expense of spirit in a waste of shame"), but Stevenson twists it to mean frivolous spending. The word "lapse" suggests moral failure, framing spending as a sin.
- "Gratuity to stewardess, in case of severe prostration": "Prostration" (exhaustion) implies travel’s toll, but the phrase is vague—is the gratuity for her prostration or yours? The ambiguity adds humor.
- "Porters and general devilment": "Devilment" personifies chaos, suggesting that some costs are the work of mischievous forces.
- "If you kept the coin in a belt": A reference to money belts (common for travelers), but the image of a husband literally belt-tightening to prevent his wife’s spending is comic.
- "Yours financially": A pun on "yours faithfully," replacing fidelity with fiscal bondage.
Conclusion
Stevenson’s excerpt is a masterclass in using humor to explore serious themes. Under the guise of a travel budget, he dissects marriage, money, and the illusions of control. The ledger’s precision collapses into absurdity, revealing that life—like a wife’s "quota" of spending—cannot be neatly tallied. The passage’s brilliance lies in its duality: it is both a joke and a profound commentary on human nature, delivered with the lightness of a friend’s teasing and the weight of a philosopher’s insight.