Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island And The Fiction Of Adventure

Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, possesses an innocence and idealism as he sets off on a voyage for treasure; Jim fights against the Pirates to survive, leaving him with a new realistic knowledge and experience of the world. Jim first experiences the death of his father; then in the same time frame, he loses Billy Bones. After Billy Bones death, Jim discovers a treasure map, he, the doctor and the Squire set off to find the treasure. When Jim first meets Long John Silver, he appears as a “clean and pleasant-tempered landlord” (45). Jim has a clear image in his head of what a pirate looks like, and Long John Silver appears to be completely different. This reassures Jim's fears. Jim never sees what will occur after the

The love of money is the root of all evil, a statement that has proved itself true through the centuries. Loving money traps us, as human beings. It is not a bad thing to enjoy what money can do; however, the love of money is a wasted effort that can put all in grave peril. It is at our advantage that we have the ability to choose whether we ‘want’ to fall into that trap. Unfortunately, that choice is difficult since society associates one’s character with wealth and financial management. The mishaps, deaths, and hardships that occur from the beginning of the tale are the result of deliberate deception for personal gain. In Treasure Island, greed sends the characters on a voyage. Robert Louis Stevenson makes a social commentary on

These examples show both the author’s and the protagonist’s challenge to the order of things and the complete belief the character has. The best example of this is on line eight when the king says that he ‘shall not give you the boat’ the man replies ‘with calm assurance’ ‘you will’.

Orczy and Stevenson use the same type of elements to add suspense to their stories. They both rely on cliffhangers to keep the reader interested. Such as in the Scarlet Pimpernel chapter 18, when Marguerite finds Percy’s ring, it leaves you to wondering if she will figure out that Percy is the Scarlet Pimpernel. Moreover, in end chapter 24 of the Scarlet Pimpernel, you hear Percy’s voice singing getting closer to the Chat Gris, where Chauvelin is waiting. You start to wonder what Marguerite’s reaction will be and if Percy will be caught. Additionally, in Treasure Island cliffhangers are almost at the end of all the chapters. Such as in Chapter 13, when the pirates go off the boat with Silver and Jim follows them and runs recklessly into the jungle. You don’t know what will

Themes Independency and Maturing Treasure Island is a story about adventure. However it encompasses the theme of Independency and maturing. Jim is a young boy who is in the middle of becoming a Independent and mature adult. He has developed throughout the adventure and has turned into a role model for the others around him.

The book was actually written for Stevenson’s stepson, after painting the island he started the novel and completed 15 chapters. Stevenson finished the book in Switzerland writing a chapter a day. Unknowingly, Stevenson created much of the pirate lore which we have been accustomed to. The pirate speaking almost unintelligibly, a parrot on his shoulder, missing a foot and ready to double cross his best friends for a buck or two. My biggest surprise upon reading “Treasure Island” as an adult was that I realized that the story is not about Jim Hawkins, but about Long John Silver. Granted that usually the villain in any book is usually more colorful and fun than the upstanding protagonist – but this discovery has taken by surprise. Silver’s moral ambiguity is well known but just how amoral the character is I never fully realized as a naïve child (even though I have become a naïve adult). I was happy to discover that “Treasure Island” truly deserves its status as a beloved classic. The story is suspenseful and the adventure can be enjoyed by children of any

In the inn that was owned by Jim’s father, there lived a pirate known as Billy Bones (Stevenson, 1884). Billy was criminal and crass, and his stories were always frightening to Jim, “His stories were what frightened people worst of all” (Stevenson, 1884, p. 8). The character traits of Billy Bones were in conflict with those of Jim’s father. This brought about a certain duality in Jim’s growth and development. He was torn between the characters to emulate; should he follow Billy or his father?

How Robert Louis Stevenson's imagination came to be is what could possibly be every child's nightmare today. When Stevenson was young, his "…frequent ill-health enforced prolonged periods of physical inactivity but stimulated his imagination in stories of fantasy and adventure," (Panesar, "Stevenson, Robert Louis"). It would be no surprise then, that Stevenson would grow up to be one of the most innovative author's of his time. From creating works of fiction for children, to more horrific and weirder ones for adults, his works are critically acclaimed for their perspective on issues in the Victorian era and his ideas to overcome them.

Treasure Island, a book created by Robert Louis Stevenson, depicts the story of a young boy who suddenly finds himself on a wild adventure after acquiring a treasure map. Jim and his new shipmates discover most of the crew on board the ship are mutinous pirates. Now stranded on the island, Jim must mature quickly as he goes on a harrowing adventure to help his new allies, stop the pirates, and find the mysterious treasure said to be on the

crew of sailors plus Jim Hawkins to an island to search for buried treasure. The island is introduced to us as skeleton island by the captain, "'Yes, sir Skeleton Island as they calls it. It was a main place for pirates once…'"(pg96) Jim starts calling it Treasure Island I think that's because the name "Skeleton Island" is quite formidable and doesn't sound like a place with lots of treasure, but the name " Treasure Island" on the other hand sound like a great place to go to find treasure because it sound like an island full of treasure which is exactly what the island is an island full of treasure. In addition to, the protagonist calling it "Treasure Island," it's the fact that they're on an island full of treasure that also makes me think that the title fits the book. Furthermore, the book's storyline revolves around treasure like for an example, finding the treasure or the crew splitting up because one side wants the treasure for

In Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, Jim Hawkins develops a growing sense of integrity and eventual ability to do what is morally right, no matter what the personal cost. Jim goes from behaving like a kid ready for an adventure out at sea to an independent person understanding the ups and downs of the journey and understanding struggle. In the beginning of the novel, Jim becomes very excited, not thinking about the many troubles he may run into. All he wants rise to have the freedom to take control and play a part as lead unlike in the Admiral Benbow. After waiting for a long time, one evening, Squire Trelawney sent a letter telling Jim about the new crew of pirates, Long John Silver, and the ship, the Hispaniola, he got so excited he could not

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish essayist, poet, and author of fiction and travel best known for his novels Treasure Island (1881), Kidnapped (1886), The Master of Ballantrae (1889), and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886). Stevenson was born into a family of lighthouse engineers where he was expected to continue the tradition and become an engineer. Stevenson, however, had no interest in becoming an engineer and eventually made an agreement with his father, Thomas Stevenson, and mother, Margaret Isabella Balfour, to prepare instead for the Scottish Bar.

When one reads the nonfiction work of Robert Louis Stevenson along with the novels and short stories, a more complete portrait emerges of the author than that of the romantic vagabond one usually associates with his best-known fiction. The Stevenson of the nonfiction prose is a writer involved in the issues of his craft, his milieu, and his soul. Moreover, one can see the record of his maturation in critical essays, political tracts, biographies, and letters to family and friends. What Stevenson lacks, especially for the tastes of this age, is specificity and expertise: he has not the depth of such writers as John Ruskin, Walter Pater, or William Morris. But he was a shrewd observer of humankind, and his essays reveal his lively and

It takes a special piece of literature to capture a fifteen-year-olds attention in the middle of summer time. When I first saw how thick The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was, I instantly gave up on my summer tan. I knew it would be awhile before I saw the sweet Alabama sunshine. However, It was not but a few pages into this Mark Twain phenomenon that I was immediately invested in this story. Seeing that I could revisit this great novel five years later, was something that I could not wait to do. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is nothing short of an adventure and escape from the device driven society we now live in.

Following the death of his father, Jim took this opportunity to discover himself on the open sea. It was at this time that Jim would embark on a journey he would never forget. “I said good-bye to my mother and the cove where I had lived since I was born, and the dear old Admiral Benbow” (Stevenson 59-60).