Stevenson, Robert Louis - Life and thought

His childhood and health

He was born to Edinburg, he had a particular life because since when he was child he was forced to live in the house because of his scarce health, in fact he was affected by tuberculosis. He had to live many years in his bed. When he was better, he traveled a lot because he wanted to find a best climate for his health. He was forced to study engineering and to take the degree in law, but he wasn’t interested in these subjects and then decided to write novels. He married an American woman, with her he traveled a lot and thanks to these trips he describes in the novels the landscapes of the places that he visited, becoming the most important part of his works.

The masterpiece and the dream

His masterpiece was: Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hide. The work has origin in a dream. He was affected by tuberculosis and a lot of times during the nights he couldn’t sleep in fact he suffered of lack of sleep and melancholy and him he dreamt of a man in his laboratory which swallowed a drug or a poisonous substance with which it turned him into a different being. Many literary works in the same period were written using the belonging elements to the victorian period and compromise. This double effect of the double personality of the character represents the double aspect of the people in the Victorian period and also of same Victoria which had a double life between a context of sexual repression and respectability.

The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses

It can be classified as an historical and adventurous novel written in 1883 and published through the Young Folks releases. The writing will be unified in a volume in 1888.

The plot starts with the recruitment of Sir Daniel Brackley’s soldiers in the city of Tunstall because the battle of Risingham is going to start.
But, at the same time, the old Nicholas Appleyard is killed by a black arrow at the behest of Johan Sedley who also wants to kill Bennet Hatch, Sir Daniel and the priest Oliver Oates. As a matter of fact, he was the boss of the outlaws of the Black Arrow who lived in the forest near Tunstall. They wanted to free the territory from the tyranny, especially from Brackley.

For this reason, the young Richard Shelton is sent to Kettley to update the owner of the situation but he also met John Matcham who asked him to help him to escape because he was in danger.
Together they reached to be safe but they were deceived by a fake leper who kidnaped John. The fake leper was Sir Daniel Brackley who was trying to hide himself since he lost the battle of Risingham. Then, Sir Daniel ordered John and Richard to meet him at the Moat House, where Richard grew up with Sir Daniel. He also discovered that he killed his father.

Richard reached to escape with the help of John, whose real identity was Joanna Sedley, a rich heiress who was going to marry or Brackley or Lord Foxham but she fell in love with Richard.

At this point, Richard’s main aim was to avenge his death father and save Joanna from a forced marriage. In order to do that, Richard joined the Black Arrow because he found out that his father was part of it.