1030 stevenson, Robert Louis
downplays his achievement by commenting that
“a child” could have seen through the pirate. Fur-
thermore, he now contains his emotions in order to
control situations—“real sufferings” do not distress
him, and he remains “in possession” of himself. Ulti-
mately, Jim demands to be treated as an equal, not
as a child. Ironically, it is Silver who first recognizes
his maturity, calling Jim “more of a man” than any
of the pirates. When Livesey tries to convince Jim
to retract his promise to Silver, Jim refuses: He has
developed a code of honor, and his word is all he has.
Two final proofs that Jim has come of age are, first,
the fact that the others have turned to him to record
the story of Treasure Island; and second, that he no
longer seeks adventure.
Katherine Ashley
HeroISm in Treasure Island
Treasure Island is an “old romance” in which Robert
Louis Stevenson places a number of ordinary people
in extraordinary and dangerous circumstances. The
ways these people react to their new circumstances
define their character, and the outcome is sometimes
surprising: With few exceptions, those who should
be strong are cowardly, and those who should be
weak are courageous. Heroism, therefore, depends
on context: The characters are heroic because they
face adventures for which they have not been
prepared.
Part 1 focuses on cowardice as much as it does
on bravery. In a reversal of expectations, women and
children confront danger, while stronger men cower
in fear. When the blind beggar Pew comes look-
ing for the pirate Billy Bones, young Jim Hawkins
is “utterly terrified.” Although he and his mother
are in a “difficult and dangerous position,” his ter-
ror does not prevent him from defending her: He
refuses to leave his mother “alone and unprotected.”
The “big, hulking, chicken-hearted men” of the
hamlet are not as brave as the boy: When Jim and
his mother go to the village for help, no one comes
to their assistance, and they return to the Admiral
Benbow cursing the “cowardice of the neighbours.”
Fear makes Jim courageous: Rather than think-
ing rationally when faced with danger, he acts
instinctively, as when he orchestrates an escape
by cutting the Hispaniola free. Jim’s actions might
appear “foolhardy” to an outside observer, but they
display innate courage. Doctor Livesey accuses Jim
of being “cowardly” for abandoning Captain Smol-
lett, but ultimately Jim’s “mad notions” prove heroic;
as Jim says, his actions were a “help towards saving”
the men from the mutineers. Even though nothing
in his life has prepared him for challenging pirates,
manning ships, or negotiating with traitors, Jim
repeatedly risks his own safety in order to save his
friends. In so doing, he displays great heroism.
Other characters in the novel also reverse our
expectations and show unexpected courage. Squire
Trelawney, for example, does not give the impres-
sion that he would be calm under pressure; however,
once decisive action is required, he is “cool as steel,”
as befits his station. When he learns that Silver has
had Alan shot, Tom behaves “like a hero” and con-
fronts Silver despite being “defenceless.” This costs
Tom his life, for Silver stabs him in the back. The
maroon Ben Gunn is terrified of Long John Silver
but surprises everyone by proving to be “the hero
from beginning to end” when he conquers his fear,
helps capture Silver’s mutineers, and prevents the
pirates from getting the treasure.
The pirates also confound expectations. They
may inspire terror in others, but they are not as brave
as might be expected. Dirk, despite being a pirate,
is described as being “a fool and a coward.” Pew
believes his fellow buccaneers are spineless: Shortly
before they abandon him at the Admiral Benbow,
he berates them by saying, “There wasn’t one of you
dared face Bill, and I did it—a blind man!” The only
pirate who is repeatedly described as being fearless
is Long John Silver, who, like Pew, is physically dis-
advantaged: “He was brave, and no mistake.” Silver
laughs in the face of danger and overcomes tremen-
dous odds in order to get off the island alive. Of all
the pirates, he is the most courageous, even if he is
untrustworthy.
On their return to England, the adventurers
reenter a society in which there is no opportunity to
be heroic. While Jim makes clear the “inexpressible
joy” he had felt on leaving the island, he also feels a
sense of nostalgia. The pirates who are left behind
on the island cannot exist in Jim’s England. Silver
and the buccaneers represent another world, and
although that world is full of perils, it allows for