THE
BOTTLE IMP: A simple Faustian story, very entertaining nonetheless
The
main character of a German legend, Faust, is a successful but dissatisfied
scholar. This leads him to decide on calling the Devil for help in indulging
himself with the world’s pleasures. As a response, the Devil has made a bargain
with him: he would be given access to his powers, but, in exchange, his soul
will be eternally damned to hell. This legend has had many renditions, and,
perhaps, one of the most known versions of the tale that is not of German
origin is The Bottle Imp.
The story
doesn’t present too much interaction with the imp, and so the dilemmas of the
protagonist is given more focus. The reason why I like this kind of
storytelling is the fact that it expands Keawe’s reaction to his dilemmas, and
not on the imp itself. It gives a huge space for character development; and the
imp in the bottle is just there to serve as a catalyst. Even though the imp remains
to be a mystery all throughout, it is not mysterious enough to pass as flat and
uninspired. It has served as an effective means for Keawe’s character
development.
This
book tells the story of Keawe, a Hawaiian who purchases a bottle inhabited by an
imp that can grant any wish. Like any Faustian tale, this demonic agency holds
the promise of eternal damnation: anyone who dies while in possession of the
bottle will burn forever in hell. It means that the purchaser should get rid of
the bottle before he passes away. But here’s the catch: the bottle cannot be
destroyed, and can only be get rid of by selling it at half the price it has
been purchased.
The
main conflict of the story arises when Keawe has finally sold the bottle after
gaining a palatial home, but finds himself needing it again to ensure the
happiness of his newfound love. The bottle’s price, to his shock, is one cent,
which means that the next purchaser’s responsibility over it becomes even more
complex.
What
makes this an interesting read is its ability to present the negative implications
of wishing for too much. Sure, there have been happiness and successes in the
protagonist’s life because of the bottle imp, but these have been accompanied
with even greater feelings of loss and despair. It just shows that happiness
and despair is not mutually exclusive -- especially when they are acquired
through wicked means.
Since
this is one of Robert Louis Stevenson’s later works, it is not very surprising
that the writing is a step forward in terms of style and presentation of
content. The prose and the unfolding of events are just more fluid compared to
his other works. The book is just well paced and the story is well executed. It
doesn’t dwell on random details. Scarcely a word is wasted. Each word drives
the overall story forward, and this makes the book hard to put down. Aside from
that, the book has given me a detailed imagery of the Hawaiian setting, which
is really impressive considering the space it has in its disposal to form a
concrete location. Perhaps the only thing that disappointed me is that it ended
too soon. I want more of it! But this is just a personal matter, for I must say
that its length suits the story perfectly. It could’ve been too stretched out
if it were any longer.
Perhaps
this book could even pass as a mature fairy tale, for it has such a cathartic
and moral ending. If this story is accompanied by pictures, I’m quite sure that
even children would be able to sit on it as their parents tell them the tale --
the tale about the consequences of asking for too much.
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