Summary of Treasure Island - Stevenson

Questo appunto di Inglese contiene il riassunto del romanzo di Robert Louis Stevenson "Treasure Island" con alcune informazioni sull'opera e l'analisi dei personaggi.

Plot Treasure island

The story appears as written in the first person by Jim Hawkins, a boy son of the owner of the inn Admiral Benbow in a village on the English coast. In the inn - described as a mysterious place - lives an old alcoholic sailor with a scar on his face, Billy Bones. The sailor has the "black spot", notice of death in the tradition of pirates. And in fact Billy one day dies suddenly, leaving a trunk inside which Jim and his mother find some papers that seem to indicate the secret hiding place of Captain Flint’s treasure, in a distant island. The pirates arrive at the inn to take possession of the cards, but it is late: Jim has already left and with him are involved in the enterprise Dr Livesey and Cavalier Trelawney, who, after renting the schooner Hispaniola commanded by Captain Smollett, take off from Bristol.
They manage to enlist on the ship also some members of the gang of Flint, led by the cook on board, a figure destined to become legendary: Long John Silver, the pirate with the wooden leg and a curious parrot. Silver, seemingly sympathetic, is actually a fierce and ruthless man.
Stevenson tells the story to Dr. Livesey, who narrates some adventures and then returns to the main story, following the arrival and landing on the island (whose coordinates are never given to the reader). Here the crew mutinied and a cruel fight broke out that made many victims. From the ship descend the two distinct and opposing groups: that of the pirates captained by John Silver and that of Livesey and Trelawney with Jim, who joins almost immediately Benn Gunn, an inhabitant of the island that had been abandoned there years before when the Flint gang had landed for the first time. After alternating events that keep the reader’s attention on, good prevails over evil: Silver disappears and Hispaniola returns home with the victory and the treasure recovered. Jim, however, constantly rethinks his adventures, and fears return in the form of nightmares.

More about the novel

Since the first decade of the twentieth century, many films have been made over the years inspired by this adventure novel, one of the most famous and beloved of the genre.
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, also known to the general public for having inspired films, TV series and cartoons. Treasure Island was first serialized in an English children’s magazine, Young Folks, and was later published in volume in 1883.
The novel tells the first-person story of a 14-year-old boy, Jim Hawkins, who in the mid-18th century finds a treasure map and sets sail with a group of pirates to retrieve it.
With Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson inaugurated a very lucky romance: the pirate one combined with the adventure novel. Robert Louis Stevenson intended the novel Treasure Island to be a kind of bedtime story for his stepson Lloyd Osbourne. The opera is set in the mid-18th century in the port city of Bristol, the same city from which Swift will set off for his adventurous trips, also Gulliver.

Characters

• Jim Hawkins: is the protagonist of the story but could also be called a helper because often, the count, the doctor, the captain and all their men were saved thanks to him. In the text, it is introduced with the direct speech and especially the directly related speech.
• The Old Captain: The Old Captain is an aide to the hero because he allows him to find the treasure map. The old captain uses the tied direct speech and free direct speech. This speech emphasizes in his impudence.
• Mrs Hawkins: Jim’s mother does not have a precise role: she could be considered the antagonist of her son because of him Jim is likely to die. This character uses direct speech in the few times he speaks.
• Dr Livesey: is the protagonist’s assistant because during the story, he often saves his life. He is also the aide to some characters, such as the old commander who saves from death for drinking too much rum. Speak with direct speech to better express your expertise.
• Ben Gun: Ben Gun was forgotten on Treasure Island by Captain Flint, the master of the treasure. Since he remained alone for years, he became crazy but despite this he does not fail to help Jim and his team several times. Speak with direct speech to express his madness.
• Pirates: figures representing antagonists, evil but also the desire to discover the unknown.
• Count Trelawney, Dr. Livesey and Captain Smollett representing good and positive values.

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