Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Questions about Structure: Setting 1. Where does this story happen? (1a.) Does the story happen in one spot, or does the action unfold across a wide area?

(1b.) What is the mood or atmosphere of the place where the story happens? (1c.) Is the setting a real or imaginary place? If it’s imaginary, it is subject to the same physical laws as our world is?

(1d.) Among what kinds of people is the story set? What is their economic class? How do they live?

2. When does this story happen?

(2a.) How long a period does the story cover?

(2b.) In what time of life for the main characters do the events occur? Are they children? Are they passing into adulthood? Does setting the story in this particular time of the characters’ lives make the story better? How?

(2c.) In what intellectual (or historical) period is the story set?

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Questions about Structure: Characters 3. Who is the story about? (Protagonist)

(3a.) Make up a list of adjectives that describe the character.

(3b.) Of what nationality is the main character?

(3c.) What does the main character do for a living?

(3d.) What does the character say about himself to other people?

(3e.) What do other characters think or say about him?

(3f.) Is the character a member of any particular religious or social group?

(3g.) What does the character think is the most important thing in life?

(3h.) How does the personality of the character reflect the values of the society (or individual) that produced the story? (3i.) Is the character a type or archetype? Is he an “everyman” with whom the reader is meant to identify?

(3j.) Is the character a “sympathetic character”? Do you identify with him and hope that he will succeed? Do you pity him? Why?

4. Who else is the story about? (4a.) How does the author’s description of the character inform you of his antagonism? Does he have any physical attributes or personality traits that mark him as antagonistic?

(4b.) Is the character reprehensible, so that none would wish to be like him? (4c.) How do the character’s words and actions affect those around him?

(4d.) Does his presence corrupt?

(4e.) Is the character strangely attractive? Does he draw others into his wicked sensibilities?

(4f.) Is the antagonist truly evil by definition?

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Questions about Structure: Conflict and Plot 5. What does the protagonist want?

(5a.) Does the protagonist try to capture an object?

(5b.) Does he attempt to overcome something—a physical impediment or an emotional handicap?

(5c.) Does he strive to overcome something outside himself?

(5d.) Does his objective change throughout the story?

6. Why can’t the protagonist have what he wants?

7. What other problems are there in the story?

(7a.) Are there other things in the story (people, responsibilities, etc.) that distract the main characters from their goals?

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Questions about Structure: Theme 8. What does the protagonist learn?

9. Is the protagonist sacrificed in some way?

10. What is the main idea of the story?

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Questions about Style: Literary Devices 11. Does the author use the characters and events in his story to communicate a theme that goes beyond them in some way? Allusion

(11a.) Does the author refer to other works of literature, historical events, works of art, or well-known ideas in his work?

Foreshadowing (11b.) Does the author provide any clues early in the story of things to come in the plot?

(11c.) Do characters utter statements that appear ironic in retrospect after action occurs?

Symbolism The only real instances of symbolism in the text are the use of the Jolly Roger, the pirate flag, and again the use of the black spot, an indication of pirate mutiny and coming death for a captain. These don’t carry any deep metaphorical meaning. Likewise, the pirates’ song, so often repeated during the story, indicates the presence of pirates. Furthermore, the pirates’ name for the island, Skeleton Island, betrays the evil that’s been done there in the past and that awaits the crew upon landing. “…[they say] that he fought beside the great leader Judas when they rebelled against the Romans at Sepphoris, and that when the others were crucified, he escaped….” (p. 13)

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Questions about Context: The Author’s Life and Times 12. Who is the author? (12a.) What is the author’s name?

(12b.) How old was the author when he began writing the story?

(12c.) What kinds of relationships did the author have? Did he have a family? Was he an orphan?

(12d.) Did the author suffer any hardships in his life that might have made him think or feel a certain way about his subject?

13. Where did the author live? (13a.) In what country did the author live? In what city or state?

(13b.) Did the author live in poverty or in comfort?

14. When did the author live? (14a.) In what year was the author born? (14b.) What events took place in the world during the author’s lifetime? Did the author know about them? Was he involved in them?

(14c.) Does the author refer to the events of his lifetime in his story?

15. What did the author believe? (15a.) Was the author a believer in a particular religion?

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Essay Questions for Writing Assignments: Essay Papers and Projects 1. Write a descriptive essay comparing and contrasting Long John Silver and young Jim Hawkins.

2. Write a thematic essay on one of the following topics as it relates to the story:     

the Nature of Deception Coming of Age the Nature of Evil Avarice the Loss of Innocence

3. Prepare a research paper on piracy and maritime warfare in the 18th century. Investigate the allusions in the story to discover their historical foundation. 4. Recreate the watercolor map of Treasure Island that Stevenson’s stepson created and which his publisher lost. Try to be as true as possible to the descriptions in the story. Make your map as realistic as possible. Think of how you would want it to look in a staged presentation of the story.

5. Create a model or a rendering of the Hispaniola in full sail. Do some research on 18thcentury sailing ships before you start so you can get your dimensions right.

6. Make a topographical salt map of Treasure Island and paint and label all the important places mentioned in the story.

7. Make a scrapbook of “Jim’s Journey.” Include sketches of the main characters, the island, the map, and “curiosities” he gathered along the way.

Story Charts A separate story chart may be constructed for each of the conflicts present in a work of fiction. In particular, the reader’s decision as to the climax and central themes of the plot structure will depend upon his understanding of the story’s central conflict. As a result, though the details of setting, characters, exposition, and conclusion may be identical from analysis to analysis, significant variation may be found in those components which appear down the center of the story chart: Conflict, Climax, and Theme. This of course results from the fact that literary interpretation is the work of active minds, and differences of opinion are to be expected – even encouraged! Two blank charts are included on the following pages to allow the teacher to examine different conflicts in the same format.