Robert Louis Stevenson and the Paradox of Late Victorian Anti-Colonialism: A Postcolonial Critique

Abstract

Robert Louis Stevenson (RLS) occupies an exceptionally complex and controversial position within the discourse of late Victorian literature and postcolonial studies. His life trajectory, moving from a celebrated novelist within the British metropole to an influential political actor and permanent resident in the Samoan Islands, necessitates a critical examination of his dual role: simultaneously a product of imperial culture and one of its most trenchant and active critics. Stevenson’s unique self-exile culminated in his adoption by the Samoan people, who bestowed upon him the honorific title Tusitala, the “Teller of Tales”. This position—as a trusted observer and participant on the periphery of empire—established a profound ethical and literary paradox that defines his legacy.

DOI -https://doi.org/10.65525/SVUP.9788199392045.2025.13-25