Treasure Island Historical Context
Setting the scene for Treasure Island: Understand the time and place that inspired its creation and relevance.
Article written by Mizpah Albert
M.A. in English Literature and a Ph.D. in English Language Teaching.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure novel ‘Treasure Island’ was originally published as a serial from October 1881 to January 1882 under the title ‘The Sea-Cook’, or ‘Treasure Island’ in the Young Folks magazine. He has published it under the pseudonym “Captain George North.” Later it was published in book form in 1883. Set in the days of exploration and piracy, it narrates Jim Hawkins’ quest for unearthing the treasure of the evil pirate – Captain Flint. In the fight between good and evil, one could see a clear picture of pirates’ life.
Key Facts about Treasure Island
- Title: Treasure Island (Originally titled The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys)
- When/where written: between October 1881 and January 1882
- Published: 1883
- Literary Period: Victorian Age
- Genre: Adventure
- Point-of-View: First Person in Jim Hawkin’s Perspective
- Setting: 18th Century (about 1770s)
- Climax: Crew finds the treasure missing in the location given in the map
- Antagonist: Long John Silver
R.L. Stevenson and Treasure Island
Treasure Island is an adventurous novel of “piracy” and “buried gold,” flawlessly presented with atmosphere, character, and action, interwoven to gear one another. It is considered a climax of a then-popular adventure that included shipwrecked or marooned characters confronted by treasure-seeking pirates or angry natives.
R.L. Stevenson wrote the novel Treasure Island in April 1881, when he was traveling across Switzerland amidst his failing health due to his tuberculosis. He was accompanied by his wife and his stepson, Lloyd Osbourne. Despite his illness, he started off Treasure Island as a game with Lloyd and published it as a serial in Young Folks, from October 1881, under the title ‘The Sea-Cook.’ Unprecedented, it turns out to be Stevenson’s first work to receive financial and critical acclaim.
As mentioned in a letter (July 1884) to Sidney Colvin from Stevenson, he has deliberately borrowed material from previous authors. “The Dead Man’s Chest” from Kingsley, Captain Flint’s pointing skeleton from Poe’s The Gold-Bug, and Billy Bones’ history from Tales of a Traveller by Washington Irving.
Further, Stevenson’s experience on the French Riviera, followed by his travel in France and the Alps, impacts his writings. Thus, more than the inspiration he received from the literary works, he has adeptly explored the human ambiguity torn between good and evil in his unique way.
Books Related to Treasure Island
‘Treasure Island’ is a novel of adventure during the time, sea voyages and piracy were at their peak. Literature of the time has received enough resources from the coast, and life co-existed. At the same time, the young protagonist of the novel Jim Hawkins goes through a physical and mental evolution during the novel. For this reason, the novel is often categorized as young adult fiction too.
For ‘Treasure Island’, he has adopted the “desert island romance” form, which featured shipwrecked characters confronted by pirates or angry natives. The genre became one of the most popular fictional styles in Great Britain in the early 19th century with Rousseau and Chateaubriand’s ‘Noble Savage’ publication. ‘Treasure Island‘ is often referred to as the end product of this genre, which paid for future writings.
Some of the notable works of similar style could be Daniel Defoe’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’, S. H. Burney’s ‘The Shipwreck’ (1816), and Sir Walter Scott’s ‘The Pirate’ (1822). Also, the mid-19th-century works include James Fenimore Cooper’s ‘The Pilot’ (1823) and Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘MS Found in a Bottle’ (1833), and ‘The Gold-Bug’ (1843).
The Lasting Impact of Treasure Island
Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’ was serialized in the pages of Young Folks magazine in 17 weekly installments from October 1, 1881, through January 28, 1882. Later, it was republished as a novel titled ‘Treasure Island’ in 1883. It has become a celebrated novel in modern times more than its time of publication. It has made a visible impact on the way modern readers perceive the image of pirates. It is said to be the first children’s literature book to speak of pirates. As a literary piece, the novel has created a lasting effect on literature and film, and pop culture in general.
The novel’s protagonists Jim Hawkin, Dr Livesey, Squire Trelawney, and others go on an expedition to unearth the buried treasures of Captain Flint. They were not aware of it until they reached the island because half of their crew members were pirates. Long before they could realize the situation at hand, they land in a chaotic situation. Both good, evil, and bad have to fight their way through before the treasures reach the right hands. Stevenson’s characterization gives a lively sensation of being among the pirates, who are capable of cold-blooded murder for the sake of gold.
Especially, the 1950 movie adaptation directed by Byron Haskin gave the archetypal image of pirates and pirate talk. Also, Long John Silver always has a parrot on his shoulder, and other pirates in the movie wear eye patches and have hooks for hands, creating a stereotype. Similarly, the subsequent films produced from “The Goonies” (1985) to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) show the influence of the mannerisms, speech, and even costuming established by ‘Treasure Island.’
Though written centuries ago, the visible impact created by this piece of literature could be seen clearly by the appreciation of the work set forth by Stevenson. Over the period of time, many scholars and critics have come up with explanations for pirates having pets, wearing eye patches etc. Still, evidence of these practices is lacking. In the end, the stereotypical “image of pirates” and “Pirate talk” were largely established by ‘Treasure Island’, and the impact is lasting even as one thinks or speaks of it.
Notwithstanding, the novel could leave any reader dreaming of a childhood with a map in hand to the quest for a secret treasure on a distant island. Evidently, it is a powerful interplay of fiction and reality.
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About Mizpah Albert
M.A. in English Literature and a Ph.D. in English Language Teaching.