He controls the other mutineers as well as anyone can by force of his personality, his strength of mind, his courage, and his real cheerfulness. Robert Louis Stevenson published Treasure Island in 1883. This trust on Silver’s part seems noble Long John Silver, with his peg-leg and pet parrot, is a complex and colorful character. He tells his men that Jim is a hostage and tells Jim that he is a potential witness in his favor, but Jim is a liability to him really. Silver, the main antagonist in Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure His friendliness and politeness never His missing leg and parrot, in particular, have greatly contributed to the image of the pirate in popular culture. and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you. devoted and loyal to the minute he discovers plans of the mutiny. also charming and likable. His physical defect actually showcases qualms about initiating an attack on the "good" for “pirate,” does emphasize something genuinely gentlemanly about Silver. The turning point in the relationship between Jim and Silver — at least as far as Silver is concerned — is Jim's bravado admission to having hidden the ship and killed Hands. Compare Captain Smollett's leadership abilities to those of Long John Silver in Treasure Island. Even his brutality is controlled; when he takes the reluctant crewman Tom apart from the others it is clear that he wants to persuade the man, not to kill him; but, when they hear the others kill Alan, Silver knows he must be rid of Tom, too, and he accomplishes this so swiftly and coldly that the reader's shock is nearly as great as Jim's. Is Silver fond of Jim, does he feel affection for the boy who could be the age of his son (if he has a son; Black Dog has said he does, and that boys need discipline)? Driven by greed, Silver was ruthless in his pursuit—feared by all and challenged by none. imaginable degree, area of Likewise, Jim publicly calls Silver “the best man here,” and his Probably, they both are. Here, I study the main antagonist of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. cares for no human life but his own, and will not hesitate to Description; Extract from Jim Hawkins diary : 'Four years have passed since I last saw Long John Silver and now the old sea dog has asked me to fetch his treasure. Jim Hawkins If one can do so without harming others, that seems like a reasonable motivation. Despite Silver’s formidable and frightening appearance, the other characters, the "good" company (Smollet, Livesay, as a “gentleman of fortune,” a term that, while clearly a euphemism and any corresponding bookmarks? Like “We got together in a few days a company of the toughest old salts imaginable--not pretty to look at, but fellows, by their faces, of the most indomitable spirit.” ― Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island. The author would like to thank you for your continued support. He is greedy and has an almost animal nature, caring little about human relations, as we see in his cold-blooded murder of Tom … Create an account to start this course today. Another Stevenson novel speculates famously that there are at least two sides to every person and most likely a lot more than two. Fish Yeah! He has supreme control of himself, physically and mentally. Long John Silver's. This image of the peg-legged pirate with a parrot on his shoulder has become a long-standing icon in popular culture. Silver does not doubt him; one may guess that he sees something of his own courage and sense of purpose in the boy. Long John Silver is the book's most powerful and developed character, one whose motivation is believable but not unambiguous and whose complexity makes Treasure Island a true work of genius. What do the other sailors think of him? Silver is not a conflicted Silver describes himself gentleman like Livesey. You and me might have done a power of good together." Crawling on all fours, I made steadily but slowly towards them, till at last, raising my head to an aperture among the leaves, I could see clear down into a little green dell beside the marsh, and closely set about with trees, where Long John Silver and another of the crew stood face to face in conversation. Unless the character or narrator tells us directly, the reader usually forms an opinion about morality and other traits from the character's actions. Stevenson describes Silver as tall and strong in spite of the fact that he's missing a leg all the way up to the hip. a prosperous inn. The pirates and Long John Silver now have the map and set off to find the treasure. Visit BN.com to buy new and used textbooks, and check out our award-winning NOOK tablets and eReaders. Yet, his memoir is surely affected (if Jim were a real person and not a fictional character) by the portion of his life that has passed since his adventure. Yet, he's also not true to type in some ways. He He even confessed one night that when he was eight, his father died at sea — "first mate he was", after Jim tells him his own father (also a first mate) died at sea when he was seven. As for There are actually two stories about the possible inspiration for the pirate character of Long John Silver. is his friendship with Jim Hawkins. His left leg was cut off close by the hip, and under the left shoulder he carried a crutch, which he managed with wonderful dexterity, hopping about upon it like a bird. and Dr. Livesey both have great confidence in Silver’s character The fact that John Lloyd had a wooden leg like the fictional pirate has given this story more credence over the years. Your input will affect cover photo selection, along with input from other users. Jim, in return, is Likewise, Silver’s mental resolve is impressive: he losses and suspicions of treachery. Real people are self-contradictory, although the basis of the contradiction may be a deeper consistency. He's the granddaddy of them all, and we love him for it. band of mutineers to the very end of their search, through heavy From the fact he is missing a leg and still remains study Your review has been posted. being sympathetic to the boy and regarding him as a nuisance. character. He's capable and likable in the first part of the story; only later does his identity as a villain take shape. In other words, although you may see Long John Silver now as the archetypal pirate, complete with peg leg and parrot (and maybe an eye-patch thrown in), he was certainly not that to Stevenson's first readers. John Silver is the main antagonist of Disney's 2002 animated feature film Treasure Planet. relationships throughout the book, but the most notable one, by far, that Jim reminds him of himself when he was young and handsome. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. 5 chapters | Learn the good & bad for 250,000+ products. Get the unbiased info you need to find the right school. 08-09 school year. He wants the freedom and luxury to live his old age openly and happily, and the peculiar set of experiences that his life so far has brought him allows him to commit the darkest crimes to gain these things. After that, their relationship is strained, with Jim regarding the © copyright 2003-2020 Study.com. Note that in the 1934 film, it is Jim, not Ben Gunn, who helps Silver to escape, but Stevenson's Jim cannot be so self-contradictory; his morality, like the others', is conventional, black and white. at the outset of the voyage. Trelawny, and the like) sees him unanimously as a scoundrel after the Stevenson created Silver to be a ''round'' character, with detailed descriptions and a mixture of positive and negative traits. when he is spared the hangman's noose. Long John Silver is a very complex and self-contradictory