Why I love Treasure Island
Treasure Island is the quintessential pirate story. This rollicking sea tale has all the clichés: peg-legged pirates, talking parrots, buried treasure, and pirate lore. But even though it hits all the clichés as if it were checking them off a list, Treasure Island does so in a fresh and memorable way. (Personally, I find it telling that although the “pirate story” genre was already established before Stevenson penned his novel, nowadays whenever anyone thinks of such a book, Treasure Island is usually the first title that comes to mind.)
Stevenson’s cast of characters is colorful enough to rival the most storied legends. You cannot find a dull character in the book! The pacing is well-maintained and the plot keeps moving with scarcely a pause. (Stevenson originally wrote the novel for his young nephew, so he does not waste any space.)
Moreover, even though it was written more than a century ago, Treasure Island is quite readable. True, there are Victorian era turns of phrase present in Stevenson’s writing (oftentimes made even more complex by pirate jargon), but for the most part, the narrative comes through with striking clarity.
Even though the story is set forward in simple enough terms, the morals at play turn out to be quite complex. As the Introduction states, “Whatever else one might think about Treasure Island, it is certainly not psychologically or morally simplistic.” (Patrick Scott, quoted in Stevenson xv) In keeping with this complex moral theme, Stevenson chooses to write the story largely through the young eyes of his main character, Jim Hawkins.
While Jim was raised a loyal citizen of England and has a natural aversion to pirates, he himself displays tendencies that are “more than a bit piratical.” (Patrick Scott, quoted in Stevenson xiv) This makes him the perfect character to see both sides of the story. Indeed, near the end of the book, he could fall either way. Will he remain loyal to the Crown or will he end up sailing under the Jolly Roger? Regardless of his chosen destiny, what transpires on Treasure Island will haunt Jim for the rest of his life…
A colorful cast
Stevenson brings to life an extremely memorable patchwork of characters. Each has their own mannerisms, ways of seeing the world, and motivations. At first, their motivations are usually hidden, but by Chapter 11, these differing goals touch off the deadly conflict that frames the rest of the tale.
Billy Bones: We meet this explosive ex-pirate early on in the yarn. Not much is known about this troubled sea dog except that he is rumored to have once been the first mate to the infamous Captain Flint. From the moment he first appears, many questions follow in his wake. Why would such a hardboiled seaman spend his days looking over his shoulder and his nights demanding rum at the Admiral Benbow to calm his nerves? Why will he never let anyone near his sea chest? And why do all sorts of piratical characters seem to be drawn to him? Billy Bones does not feature in much of the book, but he serves as an unforgettable opening act, ultimately bringing about the book’s titular treasure quest.
Doctor Livesey: The indomitable Dr. Livesey may have a mild manner of speaking, but he has a will of iron. A former soldier in the British Army, Dr. Livesey takes his current practice as seriously as he did his soldiering. He refuses to hear excuses from or to be intimidated by his patients — cowing even the bombastic Billy Bones. While not the warmest of characters, he goes above and beyond in his efforts to care for the other characters. He even goes so far as tending to ailing pirates who would have gladly killed him if they were able. He often serves as the voice of reason, providing a valuable counterpoint to the following character…
Squire Trelawny: A privileged nobleman with a taste for adventure, Squire Trelawny serves as the voyage’s financier. While his knowledge of nautical matters proves helpful, his self-assumed “ability” to judge a person’s true character is questionable at best. Certain piratical souls find his gullibility all too easy to win over… placing the voyage in danger before it even begins. Nonetheless, for all his shortcomings as a leader, the Squire is very good-hearted and more than willing to admit when he was wrong. In addition, he also happens to be a deadeye shot with a musket — something pirates come to fear quite quickly.
Captain Smollett: A seasoned leader, Captain Smollett is not afraid to make his opinions known bluntly. When presented with the unsavory lot of crewmembers that Squire Trelawny hired, Captain Smollett summarily tells the Squire: “I don’t like this cruise; I don’t like the men; and I don’t like my officer [the first mate]. That’s short and sweet.” (Stevenson 53) His straight-shooting manner makes him very little friends at first. Predictably (and somewhat humorously) Squire Trelawny gets the Captain all wrong, declaring him to be an “intolerable humbug” who is “unmanly, un-sailorly, and downright un-English.” (Stevenson 56) However, even our hero Jim misjudges the Captain, reminiscing later that he “hated the captain deeply”. (Stevenson 57) However, as time goes by, Captain Smollett’s firm guidance proves to be just what the voyage needs. It certainly establishes him as a suitable counterpoint to the book’s signature villain…
Long John Silver: This enigmatic buccaneer looms larger than life throughout the novel, displaying a complex, multi-faceted character. He is a master manipulator, able to wear whatever face he needs to for the occasion. He handily fools Squire Trelawny into thinking he is an honorable veteran of the British Navy. Yet he plays it off so convincingly that he also fools the usually-perceptive Dr. Livesey and Jim. He even takes Jim under his wing as a sort of surrogate father. However, in contrast to this likeable exterior, Long John displays himself to be a cunning and brutal tactician. He is more than willing to patiently wait, but when the right moment comes, he stands ready to strike with ruthlessness.
Jim Hawkins: While he may start out as a lowly tavern assistant at the Admiral Benbow Inn, Jim Hawkins does not stay there for very long. Before he knows it, he becomes swept up in a fast-paced treasure hunt. Dogged by pirates at all sides, Jim has to learn who to trust, and often resorts to taking matters into his own hands. This impulsive nature of his pays off more often than not. However, his impressive string of successes does tend to go to his head a bit. Stevenson himself seems to recognize this, writing through sensible Captain Smollet, “You’re too much of the born favorite for me.” (Stevenson 195) He is also young and impressionable — ready clay for characters like Long John Silver to mold.
Yet Jim is not so young that he cannot stand for what is right. Indeed, Jim displays laudable courage and sticks to his morals even when it hurts. (For example, he refuses to escape from the pirates’ clutches even when he has the opportunity — all because he gave his word that he would not run.) In the end, though he has plenty of room to grow and mature, Jim displays many positive characteristics that are worthy of emulation.
Content notes
Black people are referred to a handful of times in the book. However, in all but one circumstance, they are not portrayed in a demeaning manner. This one unfortunate occurrence comes early on in the story where, in a letter, Squire Trelawny makes a less-than-complementary comment about a “woman of colour”. [Sic] (Stevenson 46) However, it is worth noting that in this letter, the Squire ventures opinions about several other people embarking on the voyage — and is dead-wrong about all of them. It seems that making misjudgments of peoples’ character — regardless of their ethnicity — is just par for the course for our unfortunate squire. As with folks in real life, Squire Trelawny’s character has both his strengths and his shortcomings. Ultimately, even the shortcomings of the book’s characters give Treasure Island a tinge of reality.
In keeping with the book’s swashbuckling theme, there are scores of deaths. Pirates make grim reference to executed convicts hanging on Execution Dock in London. It is rumored that legendary pirate Captain Flint killed off his crewmates after burying his treasure (a fact later confirmed by the discovery of a bleached skeleton). This all being said, while death is featured in the book, it is not done so in gratuitous or gory fashion. The main weight of the violence in the book is actually communicated through the threat of death hanging over all the characters, punctuated by brief moments of action. You never know when a character will meet his end; no one but the narrator is guaranteed to make it off Treasure Island alive.
With this threat of death hanging over all, some of the more superstitious pirates begin to entertain fears of dead spirits walking in their midst. This fear is only exacerbated when a loyal crewmember imitates the spirit of the deceased Captain Flint in an effort to further terrify the buccaneers. Nonetheless, Stevenson makes it clear that such fears dwell only in the rum-clouded minds of the pirates.
On that note, alcohol consumption does feature heavily in this book, with the pirates once again being the chief culprits. In the opening chapters of the book, Billy Bones dies from a rum-and-stress-induced stroke. Mutineering pirates are frequently seen to be inebriated. Once again, Stevenson doesn’t shy away from realistically portraying the buccaneers, but at the same time, he does not endorse their code of conduct. The book’s most moral characters don’t hesitate to voice their disapproval of this. Captain Smollett even goes so far as to ban all alcohol during his brief tenure as master of the ship.
Conclusion
Treasure maps. Intrigue. Castaways. Secluded islands. Pet parrots. Stout British sailors. Cutthroat pirates. This book truly displays all the tropes of the genre. Nonetheless, Stevenson lays forth his tale with such gusto that it feels as if one is hearing these things for the first time. The vivacious narrative scarcely feels a century old but rather leaps off the page and grabs the reader’s attention. Consequently, in my opinion, Treasure Island is not just another pirate yarn. Rather, it is a genre-defining tale that rightfully holds its place among other works of classic literature.
Where in HOD can you find the book?
Treasure Island is used in our World Geography high school guide. Both boys and girls will find it first in the Fundamentals of Literature curriculum, where they will read and break down the first few chapters of the book. Then, students can find the full book in the Boy versions of the English Package.
References:
Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. (Penguin Group, Inc., 2008).
