Chapter 7

Summary
This part begins while Jim is staying at the Hall,
the squires' estate, supervised by old Redruth,
the gamekeeper, while Dr. Livesey is in London
finding someone to take over his practice and
Trelawney is in Bristol finding a ship and crew.
A letter comes from Trelawney, indicating that
the ship, the Hispaniola, is ready to sail. Jim is
troubled by the fact that Trelawney has let
everyone in Bristol find out about their treasure
hunt. Trelwaney writes that he has purchased a
ship. As a ship's cook, the squire has engaged a
one-legged old sailor named Long John Silver,
who, in turn, found a crew of very tough sailors.
Trelawney instructs Jim to go visit his mother
before coming to Bristol. Jim is thrilled by the
news and goes the next day to the Admiral
Benbow to say goodbye to his mother. The
squire fixed dup the inn and found a boy to take
Jim's place at his mother's side. Feeling sad at
the realization that he is leaving home, Jim is
extremely critical of the boy.
The next day, Jim and Redruth travel to Bristol
by coach. Jim, never having seen Bristol before,
is enthralled by the sights, the sea, the tall ships,
and the old sailors. In front of an inn, they come
upon Squire Trelawney, who is dressed like an
officer and has adopted the walk of a sailor. He
informs the pair that the ship will sail the next
day.
Analysis
The most symbolic figure in this chapter is the
boy that Squire Trelawney has hired to help
Jim's mother. It is not until Jim sees this boy,
whom he treats very harshly, that he realizes that
he is indeed going to be gone for a prolonged
period of time. The boy symbolizes Jim's
childhood and the fact that no longer will he
merely be a help at the family's inn, but he has
been forced to grow up through circumstances
that were of no fault of their own. The boy,
therefore, represents what Jim used to be,
something that he cannot return to.
In this chapter, again, Robert Louis Stevenson is
a master of using foreshadowing in order to
increase the suspense of the novel. Several clues
are dropped that indicate to the reader that
treachery is ahead of the adventure seekers.
Readers can infer that Flint's desperate crew has
realized that Trelawney has the treasure map,
since the squire has not kept it secret. In
addition, readers can guess that the sailor with
one leg, Long John Silver, is probably the same
one-legged seaman that Billy Bones worried
about.
Another foreshadowing element is added to the
plot when Trelwaney informs the others that
Long John Silver probably wants to sign on as a
cook to get away from his wife "of color." This
comment is not only racist, but can also be
viewed as a sign that Long John Silver is
actually a pirate, since readers of Robert Louis
Stevenson's day would know that pirates often
had their headquarters in the islands of the
Caribbean, which had a large black population,
and often married the women of the islands.
Chapter 8
Summary
At the beginning of this chapter, the squire sends
Jim to the "spy-glass" to deliver a note to the
new captain of the ship, Long John Silver. In
stark contrast to the inn, Jim notices the
cleanliness and brightness of the tavern. The
new captain of the ship is also the landlord, a
tall, strong cheerful man whose left leg is
missing and consequently the man moves with a
crutch. Jim harbors suspicions that the man he is
sent to look for might be the one-legged man
that Billy Bones was wary of, but upon meeting
him, he is assured by his calm, cheerful manner
that this is not the same man. Suddenly, out of
the corner of his eye, Jim sees Black Dog run
out of the tavern. Again, his suspicions that
Long John Silver is the same pirate that Billy
Bones was so terrified of resurface. Long John
Silver, however, surprises Jim by being angry
and upset over the sudden flight of Black Dog.
He sends someone to catch him and then sets off
to see Livesey and the squire, promising to
report the incident to them.
As Long John Silver and Jim proceed to meet
the other two, Silver "made himself the most
interesting companion," talking about the sea
and various other things. By the end of the
chapter, Jim was convinced that he was the "best
of possible shipmates." When they get to the inn
where the squire and Dr. Livesey reside, Long
John tells the story and the two gentlemen
regretted that Black Dog escaped but agreed
there was nothing to be done. As the three go to
board the ship, Dr. Livesey admits to being very
impressed with John Silver.
Analysis
In this chapter, the reader gains his first
introduction to Long John Silver, a famous
passage in literature. Silver is initially presented
with considerable economy of words "His left
leg was cut off close by the hip, and under the
left shoulder he carried a crutch . . he was very
tall and strong with a face as big as a ham - plain
and pale, but intelligent and smiling. Indeed, he
seemed in the most cheerful spirits, whistling as
he moved about among the tables, with a merry
word or a slap on the shoulder for the more
favored of his guests." Not only is Silver himself
drawn with real conviction, but the ambiguity
which is inseparable from his character is
present from the moment that we meet him.
Notice, even from his personal description, he is
both "plain and pale" and "intelligent and
smiling," two contradictory sets of descriptions.
Through Jim's eyes, initially, we see only one
side of his dual personality. Silver appears to be
physically weak because of the loss of one of his
legs, but notice in his description that Jim never
describes him as weak or incapable of
movement, instead he describes Long John
Silver as a hero, through a boy's eyes, someone
ho is capable, competent, engaging, and
extremely nice to the young boy. Long John
Silver, in this chapter, begins to develop a bond
with Jim that is again akin to a father-son
relationship. At first, as demonstrated in this
chapter, Jim is naïve about the glory of Long
John Silver but soon this attitude will change.
Again, Stevenson makes good use of the notion
of foreshadowing in this chapter. With Jim's
original suspicions that Long John Silver is
associated with Black Dog and is the one-legged
pirate that Billy Bones feared, it places a certain
amount of doubt in the reader's head as well. As
Jim dismisses this notion, the reader dismisses,
but does not forget, as well.
Chapter 9
Summary
Finally, after much anticipation, Jim gets to
board the Hispaniola, and meets Mr. Arrow, a
old sailor who is the ship's mate. Soon after
boarding, Jim realizes that all is not well
between Mr. Trelawney and the captain of the
ship, Captain Smollett.
The first thing that Captain Smollett makes it
clear that he is unhappy with both the cruise and
the men that Mr. Trelwney has selected to go on
the expedition. Confused, the doctor intervenes
and concocts that the reason that Captain
Smollett is angry is for two reasons. First, he
was not told the reason behind the expedition
but all his hands were. Once he found out that it
was a treasure hunt, he was more upset because
of the dangers involved. Second, he was upset
because he was not able to choose his own crew.
He believes that the first mate is far too friendly
with the crew, "soft," to have proper authority
over the rest of the crew. At the conclusion of
this conversation, in order to scare the men and
make them believe that this is a dangerous trip,
the captain reveals that he has overheard the
exact longitude and latitude identified on the
map. Trelawney protests that this was not
possible because he has not revealed it to
anyone, and, naively, the narrator believes him.
After his dire predictions, Captain Smollett
proceeds to give advice about how the ship
should be set up. If this advice is not followed,
he threatens to resign. First, he demands that all
of the squire's men should live together near the
squire's cabin, and that the firearms and
ammunition be placed under the cabin.
Trelawney, not happily, reluctantly agrees to the
captain's wishes but Livesey believes that both
the captain and Long John Silver are "honest
men."
Finally, Long John Silver comes on board as the
men have changed the ship to meet the captain's
wishes. Long John Silver, however, interrupts
and says that if the ammunition is changed they
will miss the morning tide. Angrily, the captain
orders the cook, Long John Silver, to prepare
supper, and for Jim to help him.
Analysis
This chapter's primary purpose within the book
is to increase the suspense. Again, Stevenson
uses foreshadowing to accomplish this purpose.
The basic warning in this chapter is Smollets'
apprehension about the crew and the fitness of
the pirates, that the crew is too soft, and that too
many people know about the location of the
treasure. This foreshadowing creates suspense,
the goal of this type of novel. Another aspect of
suspense is the ending of the chapter on a high
note, making the reader want to turn the page
and begin the next chapter.
The other major addition to the book from this
chapter is the further characterization of
Trelawney, Livesey, and the captain, and the
addition of their characterizations to the eventual
theme of the struggle between good and evil.
Trelawney is again depicted as brash, hot-
tempered, and a know-it all. In contrast, Livesy,
through the excellent use of dialogue, is even
tempered, perceptive, and intelligent. The
Captain is depicted as someone who is blunt and
tactless, but overall, as someone who is honest,
businesslike, and someone who knows how to
lead a successful mission.
Historical background is also important in this
chapter, as it is throughout the next few
chapters. First, fore and aft describe the forward
and rear ends of the sip, the bow and the stern;
astern means towards the rear-end. Port is the
left-hand side of a boat, while starboard is the
right-hand side. The forecastle of the boat is the
section of the upper deck located at the bow.
Finally, a schooner is a ship with two or more
masts that are fore-and aft rigged.
Chapter 10
Summary
In this chapter, Jim is introduced to the
handwork that accompanies sea work. All night,
he slaves to help the crew get the boat ready to
sail in the morning. As the boat gets ready to
sail, Long John Silver begins a rambunctious
version of Billy Bones' song "Fifteen men on the
dead man's chest."
This chapter is a count of the majority of the
voyage to the island, and the narrator explains
for brevity sakes, he only recounted the
highlights of the voyage. Apparently, the first
significant thing that happened on the trip was
that the first mate, Mr. Arrow, was useless
because he was always drunk. One night, he
disappeared, most probably, having fallen over
the side of the ship when he was drunk. As a
consequence of his absence, many people have
taken over his job, including the boatswain, Job
Anderson, Mr. Trelawney, who took a watch
(but only in good weather), and the coxswain,
Israel Hands, an experienced seaman and a close
friend of Long John Silver.
Although he only has one leg, Long John Silver
(whose nickname is Barbeque) moves around
the ship thanks to ropes and contraptions that are
set up. At times, he uses rope around his neck to
carry his crutch with him as he travels to and fro
on the contraptions. Jim notices that Long John
Silver has befriended all on the ship, doing
favors for them in order to make them indebted
to him. He is extremely well liked, and as the
coxswain tells Jim, he is courageous and well
educated. Throughout this time, the captain and
the squire get along no better than they did in the
previous chapter. The captain, however,
concedes that so far, the journey has been better
than he has expected and that the men have been
behaved. He is still upset, however, that the
squire treats the crew too nicely and that they
will eventually not be able to do their jobs.
As the ship approaches the island, Jim is not
allowed to reveal the exact location of the island
but everyone anticipates landing and finding the
treasure. Jim, wanting an apple, goes searching
in the apple barrel. Although the apples are
gone, he falls asleep in the apple barrel. When
he awakes, he was in for a surprise: he heard
Silver's voice. All that the narrator tells us at the
conclusion of the chapter is that he realized the
safety of all the "honest men" aboard depended
upon his escaping safely.
Analysis
The symbolic nature of the pirates' nickname for
Long John Silver, "Barbeque," deserves
attention in this chapter. This name is indicative
of a familiarly and personal attachment which
some of the pirates, as well learn later in the
book, have experienced. Not only does Silver's
power reign on the sea (despite his handicaps),
he also successful tends to the customers and the
kettle over the fire in his enterprise on the sea.
During this chapter, Israel Hands admits an
uncanny reverence for the man, something that
was quite surprising. Jim's own relationship with
Silver also points to the duality of his character;
he is far from the one-dimensional pirate that the
word usually conjures, but instead, a "dual
character."
The ship, the Hispanolia, is a major symbol and
representative of some of the themes in the book
as well as the only transportation of the crew.
The ship serves in this chapter, as in the novel,
as a mechanism between savagery and
civilization. It is the in-between stage between
the romantic notion of adventure and the reality
that will set in once those onboard reach the
island. Stevenson accomplishes this task by the
everyday routine of the ship being impinged on
by the picturesque and the unfamiliar on the
familiar. This is far different than the island,
representing savagery, where unfamiliar and the
strange will become a part of everyday life. The
ship is also a contained space that does not
easily allow intrusion (like the secluded inn and
the island), a theme in the settings of this
romantic adventure.
Another interesting aspect of this chapter is
Jim's relationships with both Long John Silver
and the captain. Long John Silver and Jim
continue their easygoing relationship, and Jim is
clearly in awe of the man (not unlike many of
the pirates on the ship). He is especially
impressed that he "treated him like a man." This
relationship is countered by Jim's relationship
with the hatred. Although neither the captain nor
Jim ever give a reason for it, there is clearly
hatred between the two characters. This is
interesting, especially given the fact that Long
John Silver will turn out to be the more evil of
the characters, and the captain, although
authoritarian at times, is clearly the more
respectable figure.
Also contained within the pages of this chapter
are the building of suspense and the use of
chapters in order to further heighten the reader's
apprehension. By ending the chapter on a note
where Jim only tells us of the evil and warns us
of the danger that he heard in the apple building,
Stevenson again makes the book more
adventuresome and scarier.
Chapter 11
Summary
As this chapter opens, Jim is still in the apple
barrel and overhears Long John Silver telling
someone else stories about the time he served as
Captain Flint's quartermaster. Excitedly, he
remembers that he lost his leg at the same time
that the pirate Pew lost his sight, in an explosion
of gunfire. As he is bragging about his previous
exploits, Silver begins to recruit the youngest
sailor aboard, calling himself a "gentleman of
fortune." Jim is offended that he uses the same
words to lure the youngest pirate that he used to
gain Jim's friendship. Silver tells the young
pirate that the life of a pirate is rough and risky,
but worth it because of the great wealth there is
to gain. More impressive, he tells, is that after
this voyage, because of the money he has saved
and the money he plans to garner from this
voyage, he is going to retire and live like a
gentleman. In the mean time, he has instructed
his wife to sell his tavern and take his money to
a clandestine location where Silver will meet her
after the end of the voyage.
In rough pirate dialogue, a far cry from the
language he used when flattering Jim, he brags
that he is even more feared than the famous
pirate Flint. With these words, the young sailor
(named Dick), agrees to become a pirate.
After this conversation, Israel Hand, a
despicable man, joins Silver and Dick, inquires
when Silver plans the mutiny. Silver's plans to
exploit both Captain Smollett's skill at "setting a
course" and the squire's and doctor's knowledge
of the location of the treasure. The plan is to take
the ship over, killing those on board who are not
with the pirates, in order that Silver can return to
live his perfect life as a gentleman.
At this point in the chapter, Silver orders Dick to
get him an apple which scares Jim to death.
Luckily, Jim is saved when someone suggests
that they have a drink of rum instead. Finally,
after the men have their drink, Dick leaves and
Silver and Hand discuss the fact that this is the
last sailor that will join, a fact that implies that
there are still some honest sailors left onboard.
At the conclusion of the chapter, Jim sees a
bright moon and someone cries, "Land Ho!"
because Treasure Island is finally within sight.
Analysis
The dual personality of Long John Silver,
something that has been hinted at in the previous
parts of the book, is finally revealed in this
chapter. Hawkins's attitude towards Long John
Silver, becomes not one of reverence and awe,
but instead, instantly, one of repugnance, as he
remarks, "I think, if I had been able, that I would
have killed him through the barrel." He feels
betrayed, not only by Long John Silver's
involvement with the pirates, but also because of
the betrayal of their personal relationship
between the Silver and Jim. Jim is most
disturbed by the use of the same language that
Silver used to talk to him that Silver uses to lure
the new young pirate. This turn in the
relationship between Silver and Jim marks
another significant change in the book, a point at
which Jim must again leave behind his
childhood and grow up.
The most important literary technique in this
chapter is the use of dialogue. The dialogue that
the pirates use is some of the most colorful and
deliberate of the entire book. For example,
consider this scene, a superb use of pirate
speech: "Billy was the man for that," said Israel.
"Dead men don't bite.' Says he. Well, he's dead
no his self; he knows the long and short on it
now; and it ever a rough hand come to a port, it
was Billy." "Right you are," said Silver; "rough
and ready. But mark you here, I'm an easy man -
I'm quite the gentleman, says you; but this time
it's serious. Dooty is dooty, mates. I give my
vote - death. When I'm in Parlyment and riding
in my coach, I don't want none of these sea
lawyers in the cabin a coming home, unlooked
for, like the devil at prayers. Wait is what I say;
but when the time comes, why, let her rip!"
The theme between the struggle of good and bad
is also set up most brilliantly in this chapter.
While there have been hints in the book, like the
hints of Long John Silver's true character, in this
chapter the true nature of the pirates and their
plan of mutiny, as revealed through their
dialogue, clearly predicts the future conflict
between the "good" and the "bad" on the boat. In
addition, Jim's worries that the future of the
honest men on the boat also set up this paradigm
of conflict between good and bad that will
eventually come to pass.
Chapter 12
Summary
Saved by the discovery of Treasure Island, Jim
is able to escape from the apple barrel and joins
the other in perusing the island. The island, as
they discover, has three hills, one higher than the
surrounding two.
At this point, Long John Silver admits that he
has been on the island before, claiming that he
was there as a cook on trading shop that was
forced to stop on the island for water. While
there, he claims that he learned the pirates'
names for places on the island and offers to help
the captain find the best place to anchor. He
claims that the best place is an islet denoted as
Skeleton Island, and that the previously
identified highest hill is called Spy-glass, since it
was the pirate's lookout. Because of his
knowledge Captain Smollet asks Silver to look
at a chart and identify the place the ship should
anchor. Jim, astutely, recognizes that Silver
merely wants to look at the chart in order to find
out where the treasure is buried, but luckily,
from Silver's disappointment, it is clear that the
mark that Silver looks for was not on the map.
During this time, Silver speaks to Jim and gives
the boy a pat on his back, a friendly gesture, Jim
coils inside and finds it extremely difficult to
hide his feelings. Following this incident, Jim
discretely tells Dr. Livesy that he has terrible
news and asks that the doctor, squire, and
captain meet in the cabin for him to tell them
this news.
In the cabin, Jim tells the gathered group the
terrible news that he overheard. Immediately,
the squire apologizes to the captain,
acknowledging that the captain was right from
the beginning of the expedition. The doctor,
however, explains that only Long John Silver's
authority has kept the crew from showing any
signs of the coming mutiny to this point. The
captain realizes that the rest of the men must
proceed like they know nothing or risk
immediate mutiny. When the men least expect it,
they will attack. They also realize that they must
know who will be on their side. From the initial
count, it seems only six grown men and a boy
will be against nineteen other men. At the
conclusion of the chapter, the squire and the
doctor tell Jim that they are relying on him to
learn more about the pirate's plan.
Analysis
At this point in the book, it is relevant to
consider the fact that Robert Louis Stevenson
used real men from history to model the pirates
from. Although he is a larger than life creation,
Long John Silver was inspired by the pirate
Henly. Having lost a leg, Henly provided a
physical disability that would become an
integral part of pirate lore. Many critics also
believe that Silver's surname was suggested
while he was on his honeymoon, part of which
was spent at the Silverado mine in California.
Other characters might have also had historical
precursors, including Ben Gun (Benjamin Gunn
of Rio Pun go), Blind Pew (Thomas Pew,
admiral of the pirate fleet at Madagascar), and
Darby McGraw (Darby Mullins, who was
hanged with Captain Kidd in the early 18th
century).
Another theme of the book becomes clear in this
chapter, as the crew learn of the pirates planned
mutiny. Robert Louis Stevenson plays almost a
game of balancing knowledge against ignorance.
First, the reader and Long John Silver's gang
know the truth, while Jim and his friends remain
in ignorance; then Jim and his friends learn the
truth about silver's gang, but still Silver and his
gang do not know that Jim and his friends know.
Careful balance between knowledge and
ignorance greatly enriches the possibilities of
suspense, and Stevenson makes good use of the
opportunities that he provides himself.
The role of the narrator, Jim, is also evident in
the actions of the last two chapters. Because he
is the narrator, Jim is central to the action of the
plot. For example, it is through his overhearing
the conversation in the apple barrel that the plot
has taken another twist. Because Jim is a boy, he
is small enough to escape depiction at many
points and thus can learn more than the other
characters can. Jim is also central to the plot
because through the boy, the reader responds
emotionally to what Jim is experiencing. For
example, in this chapter, when Jim is trying to
conceal his anger at Silver's touch, the reader
learns of the cruelty of the pirate and the feelings
of a young boy at trying to conceal his hatred
and anger for the safety of the honest men
aboard the ship.