Treasure Island (Style)

Style

Serialized Novel

Stevenson's novel Treasure Island was first published in a serialized form. This means that it was published chapter by chapter in separate small units. Serialization imposed its own form on plot design, dictating chapters that practically stand on their own with inconclusive endings. In other words, each chapter is a mini-adventure but designed to leave the reader wondering what will happen next. In Stevenson's book, the stories are collected in parts, and within each part are separate sections. This arrangement intensifies the tension. The first part of the book, for example, is divided into six sections. At the end of the first section, it is hinted that Dr. Livesey and Billy Bones will meet again, and readers are left to wonder how the next confrontation between them will take place. The second section is called "Black Dog Appears and Disappears," which sums up the action. But again, the reader senses at the end of this section that Black Dog will reappear, and when he does, something catastrophic will probably occur. By the end of the first part of the book, the reader has been introduced to most of the major characters. Readers are primed, much like Hawkins himself, and ready for the next part of the journey. The serialized form helps readers experience the excitement in sequence as Hawkins experiences it.

Point of View

The majority of this story is told by young Hawkins, who tells readers in the first few sentences that he has been asked by Dr. Livesey, the squire, and the rest of the professional crew of the Hispaniola to write this story with all its details. Readers watch the boy's growth as he develops from a naïve teenager to an experienced man. It is clear what Hawkins is thinking, whether he is making bold decisions or stupid mistakes. Stevenson only changes point of view when Dr. Livesey recounts events that young Hawkins does not participate in. Stevenson uses the doctor, for instance, to tell about what happens on the ship when Hawkins is on shore. This shift gives readers a little advantage because they know more than Hawkins, but this gap is quickly closed. Once the doctor and Hawkins are reunited, Hawkins continues the narration of the story.

Topics For Further Study

• Investigate modern forms of piracy. What do they have in common with the piracy of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries? How do they differ? Where does piracy occur other than at sea? Is it committed through the Internet? In the fashion trade? In the stock market?
• Stevenson wrote much poetry. Read some of his more famous works, such as A Child's Garden of Verses (1885). Compare his work to that of modern-day children's poet Shel Silverstein. How do their works differ? What is the tone of their writing? How is the subject matter the same?
• Read Treasure Island and Louis Sachar's Holes (2000), a modern adventure and coming-of-age story. Then write a short story about the main characters, Jim Hawkins and Stanley Yelnats, as if they were friends who were sharing a common adventure. Set the story in any time you choose. Demonstrate through your story how the two young boys are alike and how they differ. Make sure you understand each character's strengths and weaknesses.
• Write a travel piece on Samoa. Include descriptions of the island, the history of its people, and interesting aspects of the culture. Include as much information as you can find on what Stevenson experienced there. Assume your readers want to visit the island because they are fans of Stevenson's. Include a description of Stevenson's house and the reaction of the native people to his being there.
• Stevenson's grandfather was a famous designer of lighthouses. Find out where his lighthouses are located and provide pictures of them and their history.