Analysis of the Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

“Here and there were flowering plants, unknown to me; here and there I saw snakes, and one raised his head from a ledge of rock and hissed at me with a noise not unlike the spinning of a top. Little did I suppose that he was a deadly enemy and that the noise was the famous rattle.” I feel like this emphasizes how Jim has been in his own little world his whole life. Jim lived along the beach his whole earlier life and it’s very unlikely to have a rattlesnake be at the beach. But I feel like this just proves the main theme a little bit more. I think this because he would have probably never have learned or known that rattlesnakes are extremely dangerous if he didn’t go on this adventure. Just like several other things that he learned on this journey.

“Oxen and wain-ropes would not bring me back again to that accursed island.” I feel like this is revealing that Jim truly doesn’t want the silver. This is revealing to us that he is not greedy and regrets his adventure. I think this is indirect characterization because it doesn’t just openly say Jim regrets the adventure, but you can infer that by the tone and the certain words he is using. One word that really stuck out to me was accursed which means the island his under a curse and is getting nightmares from his experiences. It’s pretty obvious those are very negative connotations but it doesn’t openly say it.

“Nor had we much time left to us for thought. Suddenly, with a loud huzza, a little cloud of pirates leaped from the woods on the north side and ran straight on the stockade. At the same moment, the fire was once more opened from the woods, and a rifle ball sang through the doorway and knocked the doctor’s musket into bits.” I feel like the main conflict in the story is Jim and his “crew” are searching for a treasure that Captain Flint left behind, but Captain Flint’s old crew members also want the treasure for themselves. Some of the crew members were poor and needed the money but also they just wanted to find the treasure because most of them were greedy, and just wanted more and more. So it’s a competition to see who will get the treasure first. I think this is mainly an external conflict because most of the time Jim and his friends had to “fight” Captain Flint’s old crew and win the ensure themselves of the treasure.

“That was Flint’s treasure that we had come so far to seek, and that had cost already the lives of seventeen men from the Hispaniola. How many had it cost in the amassing, what blood and sorrow, what good ships scuttled on the deep, what brave men walking the plank blindfold, what shot of cannon, what shame and lies and cruelty, perhaps no man alive could tell.” I feel like the main theme of this book is growing up and being brought forth to things that may be unfamiliar and learning how to navigate through that. Jim at the beginning of the book was very confined to where he lived and didn’t know very much about the outside world. He kinds lived in his own little bubble his whole life at the inn. First of all when his father passed he definitely probably needed to adjust and take the roles of his father at the inn even though he already worked there. He also had to go on a whole new adventure away from where lived all of his life which he needed to adjust to. One main thing that stuck out to me though was how Jim was seeking guidance from a father figure during the story. This also shows signs of growing up just as I would ask my father figure in my life for guidance through different troubles or problems in my life. Another thing could be Jim having to fight pirates. I feel like to be at your inn for one week and then some other week be fighting pirates is also another example of Jim growing up.

All in all, I feel like Jim really matured in the book from the young boy he was at the beginning of the story.