Treasure Island

If sailor tales to sailor tunes,
Storm and adventure, heat and cold,
If schooners, islands, and maroons,
And buccaneers, and buried gold,
And all the old romance, retold
Exactly in the ancient way,
Can please, as me they pleased of old
The wiser youngsters of today:

-- So be it, and fall on! If not,
If studious youth no longer crave,
His ancient appetites forgot,
Kingston, or Ballantyne the brave,
Or Cooper of the wood and wave:
So be it, also! And may I
And all my pirates share the grave
Where these and their creations lie!

Much of our "traditional" image of pirates and their life is based on a single work of fiction: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Many of the ideas and themes from this classic novel are deeply embedded in our collective image of pirate life. So strong is the book's influence that it has inspired games and movies with related stuff to buy and even given its name to a Florida city and an artificial island in California!

The Book

WARNING: Plot Spoilers Follow

Treasure Island was written by Edinburgh born novelist and poet Robert Louis Stevenson. The story was first published in serial form in Young Folks, a magazine for children. It was first published in novel form in 1883.

The story revolves around Jack Hawkins who is the viewpoint character for most of the novel. Jack is a young boy living in the English port town of Bristol. At the start of the story he is living with his parents who run an inn. Encounters with sinister pirates and the death of his father eventually lead to Jack obtaining a treasure map believed to have once belonged to the infamous pirate Captain Flint. Local Squire Trelawney mounts an expedition to find the treasure - not knowing that some of his crew are actually pirates.

The novel remains popular today for its combination of colourful characters, action and adventure. As for its authenticity... well, Stevenson certainly knew about the sea but had probably never had any personal dealings with genuine pirates.

The Pirates

Amongst the many pirates in Treasure Island, some stick in my memory more than the others:

Blind Pew

Blind Pew has only a small role in Treasure Island, but it is a vital "initiating event". Pew visits the inn to find a seaman called Billy Bones who is staying there. Pew gives Billy the infamous Black Spot. This is a warning and a threat - if Bones does not hand over the treasure chest, he will die. Before he has a chance to comply, Bones dies of fear. The Black Spot has now come to be a common symbol of impending doom.

Long John Silver

Of all the pirates in real life or fiction, Long John Silver must be one of the most famous. "Infamous" would be a better word since Silver is a nasty piece of work. His most well-known features are his peg leg and his parrot.

More information on Long John Silver

Captain Flint There are two Captain Flints in Treasure Island. The first is the pirate captain John Flint of the ship the Walrus. It is Flint's buried treasure that the expedition seeks. Flint is described as "the bloodthirstiest buccaneer that sailed".

The more well-known Captain Flint is not a pirate but a bird! Long John Silver named his parrot "Captain Flint" after his old captain - a move that was probably not intended as a mark of respect! The parrot constantly squawks out Pieces of Eight.

Ben Gunn

Poor Ben, a pirate we can feel sorry for. Gunn used to be part of Captain Flint's crew who was marooned on Treasure Island for three years. The experience hasn't been good for him physically or mentally - he a wreck. Yet in many ways it's Gunn who gives the novel a moral centre. Unlike the other pirates he has reformed and seen the error of his ways. He joins the "good guys" - and unlike Silver his change of sides is sincere.

External Links:
Treasure Island at Project Gutenberg