Greetings!
Today on the blog, we are going to summarize and analyze chapters 1 and 2 of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. As it’s the first post about this particular book, I might as well state that this is a truly exciting book and a masterfully written action novel. It bounces from contemplative musings on the life of pirating to all out action and suspense. It’s what makes it a classic!
Chapter I
In chapter I, we are introduced to Jim Hawkins, who narrates his experience with Treasure Island. He explains that from the beginning he worked at the Admiral Benbow, an inn owned by his father. He immediately tells us of the old sea captain who takes “his lodging under our roof,” and who admits himself to the inn with a great sea chest. He is “a tall, strong, heavy, nut-brown man,” and had a “sabre cut across one cheek” that was “dirty, livid white.”
Eventually, after getting to know the old seaman (also known as the captain), Jim takes fascination with his excessive drinking, terrifying stories, and wild sea songs. The captain instructs Jim to watch out for the one-legged man. Meanwhile, Dr. Livesey–in his role as physician and magistrate–declares that he will be monitoring the captain closely for his well being.
Chapter 2
In Chapter 2, the inn becomes a burden for the Jim and his mother as they struggle to manage the business. One January morning, the captain sets out early, only to return disturbed. Shortly after, a mysterious and unseemly man with missing fingers appears at the inn, inquiring about the captain, whom he refers to as “Bill.” The stranger reveals himself as Black Dog, a former shipmate of the captain, and asks about the captain’s whereabouts, expressing an intention to have a talk.
Tensions rise, leading to a heated argument, and eventually, a violent clash ensues between the captain and Black Dog. The captain pursues Black Dog with a drawn cutlass, resulting in a dramatic confrontation that ends with a blow narrowly missing Black Dog. Following the scuffle, the captain, visibly shaken, collapses on the floor. Alarmed, Jim and his mother attempt to assist the captain, believing he’s been seriously injured.
However, Dr. Livesey, visiting the inn, dismisses the notion of physical wounds and reveals that the captain has suffered a stroke due to excessive rum consumption. The doctor takes charge, warning the captain about the consequences of continued drinking and urging him to quit. As the captain’s life hangs in the balance, the doctor attends to him, drawing blood to revive him temporarily and stressing the importance of abstaining from rum to avoid a fatal outcome.
Analysis
Intrigue is the name of the game in these chapters. We are introduced to a few characters–most notably Jim Hawkins and The Captain–who are set to hurdle the story forward into the actionable pace that has already been established.
Within two chapters, Stevenson has crafted a precocious protagonist (Jim) and provided some excitement (an angry chase to the street). We also get a good sense of fear and dread in these chapters as the one-legged man is a quite intimidating force, and the reader is also given a glimpse into the life of a pirate at sea (songs, swashbuckling, and drinking).
Works Cited
Stevenson, Robert Louis. “Treasure Island.” Project Gutenberg, www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/120.
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