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Introduction
Treasure Island was written by Robert Louis Stevenson and is a fictional adventure story
based around pirates and their behaviors. The story starts off following Jim Hawkins, a young boy
who lives in an inn owned by his parents. He meets an old seaman known as Billy Bones who has
little with him besides his rather ragged clothes and an old sea chest. Billy is later discovered to be
hiding in the inn from his former shipmates, pirates, Black Dog, Pew, and the rest of his crew. He
suffers a heart attack which eventually kills him, and is unable to give his crew what they want. In a
frantic attempt to escape Jim and his mother loot the sea chest and find a multitude of coins and an
old map. Later in the story the map is discovered to be a treasure map by Dr. Livesey and squire
Trelawney who invite Jim to help them claim the treasure. Trelawney is put in charge of manning a
ship and stumbles across an old sea cook, John Silver, who secures him a crew of old hands. Jim and
the doctor then join up with Trelawney, Captain Smollett, and the rest of the crew on the Hispaniola
to set sail for Treasure Island
During the voyage Jim grows close to John Silver and everything seems to be relatively
smooth sailing until Jim has to climb bodily into an apple barrel on the ships deck to get some
apples. While inside the Barrel Jim overhears Silver convincing a seaman to help in the mutiny
against captain Smollet. He warns the other loyal hands on the ship just as Treasure Island is sighted.
Captain Smollett comes up with a plan to let the crew go on shore leave and take the ship while they
are gone, but is dismayed when many stay aboard and Jim goes ashore. While ashore Jim witnesses
a murder committed by Silver and meets Ben Gunn, a maroon, who used to be a part of the pirate
captain Flints crew. While returning to the ship with Gunn in tow Jim discovers that the other loyal
hands have left the ship for a stockade on the island while the pirates have taken the ship and. This is
confirmed by the sight of the Jolly Roger on the ships flagstaff.

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After a failed shelling of the stockade Silver attempts to trade a ceasefire for the map, but is
turned down by Smollett. Following Silvers visit an attack is made on the stockade injuring the
Captain and killing two of his men. Later Jim sneaks out of camp intent on adventure and eventually
decides to cut the anchor line of the Hispaniola using a small boat of Gunns. In the process of
cutting the Line he is swept out of reach of land and drifts until he runs into the Hispaniola again
apparently unmanned. After boarding he discovers a badly injured pirate, Israel Hands, who helps
him sail the boat to a safe beach and then attempts, unsuccessfully, to kill him. After beaching the
ship Jim is captured by the pirates and forced along on their treasure hunt as a hostage. Upon finding
the treasure it is discovered that it has been dug up by Ben Gunn and the loyal hands ambush the
pirates saving Jim and, consequentially, Silver. The group then explains how Ben has all the gold
safely stored and sails the Hispaniola back loaded with the treasure. During the trip Silver escapes
and all of the crew separates with the money some spending it others saving it ending the story rather
happily.
History
Robert Louis Stevenson published Treasure Island in 1883 and earlier ran it as a serial tale in
Young Folks magazine. Stevenson originally came up with the idea of a pirate adventure story while
drawing pictures to amuse his stepson. He drew a map of an island which he dubbed Treasure Island
and decided to make a story to go with it. By the next day he had the first chapter drafted and was
drafting the rest of the story. Stevenson was no novice in adventure having, despite being sick often,
sailed to the Americas, traveled in emigrant trains, and lived in many areas across America before
returning to his native Scotland. Stevenson was one of the first authors to depict pirates as more than
common robbers and heavily romanticized their cause.
Stevensons experiences lend to his credibility on adventure novels, and likely greatly helped
him develop his writing skills. The fact that he came up with the story for his stepson and its initial

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publication in a childrens magazine show how this book was originally meant for children despite
being heavily read by all ages. Another thing to note in Stevensons past is that he had no real
experience with pirates, and thus cant be taken credibly on his depiction of them. Lastly, I believe
that you need to understand that Stevenson, despite being well traveled, never went to any of the
places he wrote about in this novel. Everything in it is guesswork and research except for the
feelings of the characters which could be a resultant of Stevensons experiences.
Characters
Jim Hawkins is the main narrator of the novel Treasure Island and he is present in almost all
of the major actions. Jim is in the novel to give readers someone to root for and to describe all of the
actions from an innocent point of view. Throughout the book Jim begins to lose his boyish
tendencies going from running away for adventure to eventually saving his own life by explaining
why taking him hostage would benefit the pirates more than his death would. Jim is also extremely
good at discovering plots and getting into trouble due to his small size and carefree attitude.
Squire Trelawney is a friend of the doctors who is tricked into hiring pirates to sail his ship.
Trelawney is most likely in the story to give reason for hiring a rugged crew without truly looking
into who they are. Trelawney is also the one who releases the information that they are searching for
treasure and very easily plays the idiot of the story. Later on Trelawney eventually loses any major
part but is still staunchly loyal and makes it out along with the remaining loyal hands.
Doctor Livesey is the father figure for Jim after his real father dies and is essentially
supposed to be his chaperone on the quest for treasure. The doctor is present to represent a voice of
reason and to show the good side of the treasure seekers. He also fills in for captain Smollet while
the captain is injured. Without the doctor to take care of injuries most of the main characters would
likely have become ill or died since small cuts were often lethal during the time period of the story.

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Lastly, the doctor is the overall funder of the expedition and without him the expedition for Treasure
Island may never have been mounted.
Captain Smollett is the original leader of the loyal adventurers and is hired by Trelawney to
pilot the ship Hispaniola. Smollett is likely placed in the story to provide a foil to Silver and to
provide yet another father figure for Jim. The two captains, Silver and Smollett, have very different
methods of running their crew and the differences between the two add depth to the story. The
captains injury also exposes the loyal hands weaknesses much more apparent especially when Jim
slips away from him and the others.
Ben Gunn is a maroon on Treasure Island who used to be part of flints crew. Gunn was
likely put into the story to add drama and make the plotline more dynamic. Without Gunn the
stockade would have turned into a fortress and a stalemate would have ensued until the second ship
arrived. It is even Gunns boat which allows Jim to cut the anchor line and reacquire the Hispaniola.
Even though Gunns character is largely brushed over, he is a major part of the story as he found and
excavated the treasure prior to any of the main characters even having the map.
Billy Bones is a drunkard pirate who moves into Jims fathers inn. Bones is mainly present
in the story to facilitate the entry of Jim, the doctor, and Trelawney into the treasure hunt. Bones was
a mildly successful pirate who sailed with captain Flint and eventually acquired the map to the
captains treasure although he never tried to retrieve it. Without Bones entry into the story Jim would
never have even known that the map existed and there would be no real story.
John Silver is one of the most prominent characters and is a pirate with a rather loose grip on
his crew. I believe Silver is in the book to give a better side to the pirates. Silver easily plays a good
person and has a trustworthy air to him despite being a pirate. Silver also takes a strong liking to Jim
and is the only reason that the pirates do not kill him on sight. The likable person that Silver is along
with his peg leg and parrot heavily influences our view of pirates today.

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Quotes
In my opinion one of the most meaningful quotes in this book was spoken by Israel Hands, a
secondary character on page 187. For thirty years," he said, "I've sailed the seas and seen good and
bad, better and worse, fair weather and foul, provisions running out, knives going, and what not.
Well, now I tell you, I never seen good come o' goodness yet. Him as strikes first is my fancy; dead
men don't bite; them's my viewsamen, so be it. I feel that there is no better way to sum up the bad
side of pirates than this mans speech. Throughout the novel prior to this Stevenson has been
highlighting Silvers positive attributes alongside his negative ones and has been making the pirates
semi likeable bad guys. After this speech and the confrontation that follows, Jim starts noticing
Silvers shady tendencies and taking a negative view of the pirates in general. I think this quote
shows how hard and honestly bad a pirates life really was back then and sums it up by saying that
Mr. Hands has never seen good come of goodness yet.
The quote by Jim Hawkins in response to Mr. Handss mutiny on page 191 is an important
turning point in the story. One more step, Mr. Hands, said I, and I'll blow your brains out! Dead men
don't bite, you know, I added with a chuckle. This chapter is the last section of the book where you
see Jim acting as a child. In this quote he is teasing an armed man who is trying to kill him which is
something only someone young and foolish would do, but during his next encounter with the pirates
he is highly logical and does not do anything childish. The reference to Dead men dont bite also
represents Jims recognition of the hard reality that he is in a life or death situation and only one of
them can live even though he adds it jokingly.
I feel that the comment by Doctor Livesey on page 67 is important due to the irony involved
in it. Trelawney, said the doctor, "contrary to all my notions, I believe you have managed to get
two honest men on board with you--that man and John Silver." The doctor is referring to Captain
Smollet when he says that man and this quote is very good at setting up the two as foils. This

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quote also shows how charismatic Silver is and how trustworthy he appears even to the doctor who
recognizes the danger in the crew. There is a large amount of dramatic irony in this quote as the
doctor believes Silver to be trustworthy despite him being the pirates leader.
Another important quote made by Jim on page 48 shows his ideas of adventure and his young
age when compared to the other quote. Sometimes the isle was thick with savages, with whom we
fought, sometimes full of dangerous animals that hunted us, but in all my fancies nothing occurred to
me so strange as our actual adventures. As Jim imagines all of the things that could happen on the
island it is apparent that he is still a child and has the imagination to match. The main purpose this
quote serves is to foreshadow that something beyond even Jim's imagination would happen. Without
this line a reader would not know that something was going to happen and Stevenson likely could
have lost readers.
A third quote by Jim on page 136 serves to emphasize the reversal of what was expected.
The Hispaniola still lay where she had anchored; but, sure enough, there was the Jolly Roger--the
black flag of piracy--flying from her peak. The story flips from the captain planning on taking the
Hispaniola while the pirates were on shore leave to the abandoning of the ship for an inland fortress
and all this happens in one sentence. This line also serves to prove Gunns claim and Jims
suspicions of Silver being a pirate. This line represents Jims loss of hope since his friends who are
supposed to be on the ship would likely never have allowed the Jolly Roger to be flown while still
alive.
Themes
The word duty is mentioned many times throughout the story and is one of the main themes
of the Novel Treasure Island. It is Jims, and the rest of the loyal parties senses of duty that keep
them from joining the pirates. The main characters group is even called the loyalists referring to
their following Captain Smollet out of sense of duty. Duty in this book is portrayed as loyalty to the

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captain, but it also shows how people will stick with those they know and trust over those they dont.
I think that the Stevenson used duty as a theme in Treasure Island to clearly establish a protagonist
group for the reader. It would have been far simpler for the loyal hands to have agreed to join the
pirates, since they had the numerical advantage, than to fight back like they did. This attaches a
sense of heroism to those who hold true to their duty.
Alcoholism is a driving motive behind the Pirates actions and is also one of the common
themes in the story. The word rum is mentioned in Treasure Island more times than I would like to
count and is almost always mentioned during pirate dialogue. The rum reappears whenever there are
deaths or violence about to happen. Both Billy Bones and the first mate on the Hispaniola die as a
direct result of their drinking while Israel Hands kills his crewmate while drunk. The drunkenness of
the pirates also saves Jim on multiple occasions. Had Jim been caught by any of the pirates other
than Silver when he approached their camp, he would have been killed, but instead they all were out
cold from drinking. Alcohol represents the pirates violence as shown by the appearance of large
amounts of rum, apparently hidden on board, after the pirates mutiny and during their attacks on the
loyal party.
Literary elements
While alcoholism is a theme throughout the story rum symbolizes everything wrong with the
pirates. It shows up repetitively and directly brings about the death of at least two characters in the
novel. Rum was considered a lesser form of alcohol than most of the types around during
Stevensons time. This shows through the pirates horrible behavior and actions post mutiny when
they had plenty of rum. The famous dead mans chest song even mentions rum showing how it is an
aspect in all parts of the pirate society. Another literary element common in Treasure Island is irony.
There are many occurrences of dramatic and situational irony. For instance, when Jim is
approaching the stockade everyone expects it to still be his friends, but he is instead greeted and

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captured by the pirates. I believe that Stevenson used situational irony throughout the book to keep
the reader interested.
Paper Topics
How do the leadership abilities of Captain Smollet and Long John Silver compare? In your
opinion, which version is better and why? How do these different leadership styles influence Jim and
his actions? Read closely the parts involving the two captains giving their men orders, or the lack
thereof, and include evidence from the text to support your conclusion.

Foils

Hands off policy v. Traditional leadership

Actual control over the men

Reasons for loyalty

Compare and contrast the persuasion techniques used by the pigs in George Orwell's animal
farm to those used by Long John Silver to convince the crewmen to join the pirates. Look at what is
offered by both sides and how it is presented alongside the penalties of disagreeing. Also pay
attention to the different reasons for following their direction and use these in your response.

Death is threatened

Differences in level of obedience expected

Promise of wealth vs. promises of utopia

Napoleon leadership vs. Silver leadership

At first Long John silver is portrayed as a kind, intelligent and all around good guy. Why
does Stevenson portray the bloodthirsty pirate captain as a likeable guy throughout the novel? Pay
attention to Jims interactions with Silver and how his perception of Silver changes as the story
progresses.

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Emphasize Jims trusting nature

Set up foil with Captain Smollet

Soften up pirates overall for children

Review
Treasure Island was a great story with a few notable flaws. I especially liked the coming of
age aspects, the blurry antagonist, and the fact that the ending wasnt the textbook happily ever after.
My main issue with the book is the complete misrepresentation of pirates and their behavior. All in
all I am definitely glad I read this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in an enjoyable
read.
One of the aspects most notable in Treasure Island is the main character Jims coming age. I
definitely enjoyed watching Jims personality and behavior take the turn towards maturity throughout
the book. At the beginning it is clear that the narrator is little more than a child and this view is
proven by his sneaking away from the crew multiple times. However, as the book proceeds Jim
begins to make more mature decisions that show just how much the experience has affected him such
as when he refuses to run away with the doctor and chooses to remain a prisoner. Any normal kid
would have not wanted to be imprisoned and would have happily endangered his friends life for a
chance at escape. The sad aspect of his coming of age is that the process included the death of Jims
father, his friends, and Israel Hands who Jim killed himself. The average teenage boy never has to
deal with traumas of this level, but these aspects of adventure catch my attention and make this
adventure all the more interesting to read.
Treasure Island has all the aspects of a regular adventure story and manages to be more by
blurring the line between good and evil. Long John Silver is without a doubt the antagonist of the
story yet he is a likeable character who even has people rooting for him when he robs the ship and
escapes justice. Stevenson has done a great job in showing the good side of Silver and rushing

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through the sections were his pirate nature shows. Stevenson did this to make the novel more
likeable for kids and to emphasize Jims naivety, but in the process added depth that makes the story
far more enjoyable for all readers.
I also like that, despite this being an adventure story, the hero doesnt end up living happily
ever after. Although Jim and his surviving crewmates get away with the money, Jim is still haunted
by his experiences on the island. There are quite a few loose ends as well. For instance Silver is
never captured and Ben Gunn squanders every penny he has. The loose ends and odd ending
actually add to the novel in my opinion. Without them it would have resembled a fairy tail and lost a
good deal of its appeal. I feel that the happily ever after clich is overused and the way the book
ends fits better with what would really have happened.
I really liked the main plotline and the characters' struggles, but the representation of the
pirates throughout the story annoyed me. The pirate crew was negative for most of the book yet the
current heavily romanticized view of pirates originated here. In this book the pirates, particularly
silver, are portrayed as average people and some of even as nice guys. Historically pirates were
brutal and did what they did for only one thing, money. If Stevenson had written the book
historically accurately the pirates would likely have attempted to kill off the loyal crew members en
route. I understand that this would destroy the whole plot since you need conflict to make a good
adventure story, but I think Stevenson made the pirates, particularly Silver, too nice.
I would highly recommend this book to any reader. It not only includes all of the aspects of
an average adventure story, but adds to the depth with blurred antagonist protagonist lines. It
features the coming of age story of the narrator which provides a good perspective of the story. The
only issue I have with the book is the presentation of pirates in a romanticized way. This could be
due to the fact the story was originally for kids, but it does not detract heavily from the story. I think
that Stevenson is a great author and am interested in looking into his other works.

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Works cited
Robert Louis Stevenson. Poetry Foundation. 2014. Web. 9 Jan. 2015
Stevenson, Robert. Treasure Island. New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc, 2012. Print.