Illustrating Kidnapped

Statement of Purpose

The website Illustrating Kidnapped aims to dissect Robert Lewis Stevenson’s novel Kidnapped in relation to its publication in Young Folks Paper. Since Kidnapped takes place in a certain geographical location in a certain time period with a certain political climate, it is imperative that the readers comprehend the finespun references to late 1700s Scottish culture in order to fully understand Stevenson's text. However, as individuals who are generations removed from the fallout of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion in the Scottish Highlands, it sometimes may be difficult to pick up on the nuanced discussions and descriptions surrounding David’s political, social, and cultural position. Therefore, William Boucher’s illustrations can be extremely valuable in helping the readers integrate themselves into David’s world. This website attempts to visually understand the historical setting for Kidnapped through illustrations and interactive visual imagery.  

Illustrating Kidnapped dissects Boucher’s illustrations for Kidnapped and explains how his illustrations not only reflect the text and plot of the novel, but also provide information about historical and geographical concepts that may be unfamiliar to present day readers. This website first discusses Robert Louis Stevenson's life and background as it pertains to Kidnapped because his personal, cultural upbringing serves as the inspiration for David Balfour's expedition across the Highlands. Then, there is a page dedicated the artist William Boucher and his close, creative relationship with Stevenson throughout the course of their careers. Following the page on the illustrator, a timeline is included to aid the readers in understanding what chapters were included in which installment and when those installments were released to the British public in Young Folks Paper. In the timeline, digital facsimiles are also imbedded that link the exact issues of Young Folks Paper for reading.  

A page is then dedicated to an illustration gallery with all of Boucher's cover illustrations for viewing. In this gallery, one can view each illustration alongside one another and have the opportunity to click on the link below each to be redirected to an explanation of the illustration. Finally, the fourteen illustrations are split into two groups of seven for analysis: seven key illustrations and seven illustrations in context. The seven key illustrations each receive their own page where the illustration is discussed in regard to the text and its relevancy to understanding Scottish culture. On the other hand, the illustrations in context are discussed on the same page in collapsible groups to analyze each of these illustrations in terms of helping the readers understand the narrative text. Finally, a reference page is included with all of the source material for this website. Overall, the hope is that this website will help others unfamiliar with the political, social, historical, and geographical context surrounding the 1745 Rebellion easily understand the nuanced descriptions in Stevenson’s story.