Key Facts
full title · Treasure Island
author · Robert Louis Stevenson
type of work · Novel
genre · Children's book, adventure story, coming-of-age story
language · English
time and place written · 1881, Scotland
date of first publication · 1883
publisher · Cassell and Company
narrator · Jim Hawkins is both the hero of the tale and the narrator
for all but three chapters—Dr. Livesey narrates Chapters XV–XVIII. Jim
narrates the tale because Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney ask him
to recount the events after the end of the adventure.
point of view · Jim narrates from first-and third-person perspectives.
In doing so, he presents plot developments that only he himself
observes. Livesey does the same in his portion of the narrative.
Whereas Jim describes his state of mind, feelings, and attitudes throughout
his tale, Livesey is more objectively factual in his narration.
tone · Jim's attitudes toward his life and his adventure
are significant. The fact that he hardly mentions his parents, even
after his father's death, suggests indifference toward his family.
Jim shows moderate respect, and occasional impatience, when describing Captain
Smollett and Dr. Livesey. When Jim describes the pirates, his tone
suggests that he admires and reveres them, and is certainly fascinated
by them. Jim's tone is generally modest when narrating his own heroic
feats.
tense · Past
setting (time) · During the eighteenth century
setting (place) · Near Bristol, England, and Treasure Island, an island
off the coast of “Spanish America”
protagonist · Jim Hawkins
major conflict · Jim, Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey, Captain Smollett,
and his crew search for a treasure that Captain Flint, an old pirate,
has left buried after his death. They are challenged by Flint's
former crewmembers, who have tricked Trelawney into hiring them
to help sail to Treasure Island.
rising action · The discovery of the treasure map in the inn; the
hiring of a treacherous crew for the expedition; the voyage to Treasure Island;
the mutiny of Silver and his crew; Silver taking Jim as a hostage
climax · The pirates' and Jim's discovery that the treasure
has already been excavated from its burial ground
falling action · The return trip to England; Silver's escape with some
of the treasure; Jim's nightmares about the sea and gold coins
themes · The search for heroic role models; the futility of
desire; the lack of adventure in the modern age; the hunger for
adventure; the vanity of pursuing wealth; the process of growing
up and proving oneself
motifs · Solitude; animals; the color black; singing; physical
handicaps; betrayal
symbols · The coracle; the treasure map; rum; the black spot;
Ben Gunn's insanity; the skeleton pointing the way to the treasure;
the empty treasure site
foreshadowing · Billy Bones is handed his black spot and dies soon
thereafter; Captain Smollett is suspicious of his new crew, which
turns out to be mutinous; Mr. Arrow repeatedly gets drunk, then disappears
from the ship; Jim sees Israel Hands hide a knife under his jacket,
and Hands soon attacks him; the sailors sing about a dead man's
chest before the adventure has begun, and almost all of them end
up dead in the end
