Treasure Island Essay, Research Paper

The highly acclaimed children’s classic Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is a thrilling book that keeps the reader involved from the beginning to the end. Jim Hawkins, who is the main character and narrator, is a young lad who works with his mother at an inn called the ‘Admiral Benbow’. An old buccaneer who often stays at the inn dies suddenly and leaves a chest that Jim discovers to have information, in the form of a map, of Captain Flint’s buried treasure. Before the dead pirate’s former shipmates can get to the map, Jim takes it to two of his friends, Squire Trelawney and Dr. Livesey. The three of them decide to sail for Treasure Island aboard the ‘Hispaniola’, accompanied by several of Trelawney’s faithful servants, but also by the infamous pirate Long John Silver and his men. Silver’s plot to take over the ship and kill the squire’s party is overheard by Jim. After a mutiny on Treasure Island, many fights take place between the faithful men and Long John Silver’s band of pirates. When all seems lost, a castaway named Ben Gunn, who had been living on the island for three years, comes to the aid of Jim and his companions. With his help, Jim and the squire secure the treasure and sail safely home to England.

This book is a classic, having stood the test of time for over 150 years, for several reasons. Adventure, intrigue, battle, and wealth are just some of the many elements that have appealed to readers in the past and will likely continue to do so in the future.