The Exploration of Jim’s Dramatical Growth

in Treasure Island

Abstract: Treasure Island is an adventure tale, but it is also the story of one boy’s coming of age. Jim, a timid and shy boy at first, changes his character dramatically, showing increasing cleverness, courage, maturity and perspective. His complex and delicate growth makes the novel more attractive, which is worth exploring.

Key words: Jim, growth, challenge, Treasure Island

1. Introduction

The novel Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, generally tells us a tale of “pirates and buried gold” or an exciting story about treasure hunting. As the narrator of Treasure Island, Jim is clearly one of the most important characters in the novel. Despite his stirring adventure that leaves us a deep impression, his dramatical growth also should not be ignored and even is worth exploring.

2. The Exploration of Jim’s dramatical growth

Jim’s growth from a timid child to a matured man is incredible. In order to explore this issue, the influence of the people around him and his experiences of three challenges are both necessary to be concerned.

2.1 Jim’s early character

Jim is the son of the owner of an inn near Bristol, England. At the proper age of twelve or thirteen, he is a quiet and obedient kid whose shyness and cowardice makes him easily frightened. In the beginning of the novel, facing the rude old seaman Bill and the cruel blind Pew, Jim feels extremely scared and desires his mother’s protection.

Until his father passes away, Jim challenges his life and engages in a special adventure to Treasure Island, gradually learning to be mature, especially in the influence of some people.

2.2 The people influencing Jim

During the adventure, there are many critical people who have a great influence on Jim, including Dr. Livesey, Squire Trelawney and Long Jone Silver.

2.2.1 Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney

Dr. Livesey is the one who affects Jim a lot. His first appearance marks him as an 1

ideal authority figure in the young Jim’s heart, owing to his outstanding competence, intelligence, fairness and loyalty. He represents the steady, modest virtues of everyday life, and the best of the civilized world of men.

Another person must be mentioned is Squire Trelawney, the local Bristol nobleman. He is associated with civic authority and social power, as well as with the comforts of civilized country life (Stevenson, 2003: 15).

Although these two people are both decent men who enable Jim to become an honest, loyal and kind man, they actually do not captivate Jim’s mind or inspire him. They are simply too staid and predictably upstanding (Stevenson, 2003: 30). As to Jim, he does not fit completely into their world.

2.2.2 Long Jone Silver

Long Jone Silver, a very complicated and self-contradictory character, however, plays a crucial role in the process of Jim’s growth. Except his immoral quality, such as cunning, mendacity, greed and unloyality, he also presents his admirable character or spirit that is deeply impressed by Jim. Long Jone Silver provides the possibility for Jim to think for himself and spark his courage. In Chapter 13, an idea of going ashore with the pirates occurs to Jim,

Then it was that there came into my head the first of the mad notions that

contributed so much to save our lives. If six men were left by Silver, it

was plain our party could not take and fight the ship; and since only six

were left, it was equally plain that the cabin party had no present need of

my assistance. It occurred to me at once to go ashore. (Stevenson, 2008:

90)

Then he carries out his own plan and risks himself. In Chapter 22-26, getting rid of the direction of his captain, Jim also makes his own plan and succeeds in taking their ship Hispaniola back by overcoming the terrible surroundings and killing the pirate Israel Hands. When Jim defeats Hands, he begins to think that,

I was no sooner certain of this than I began to feel sick, faint, and

terrified. The hot blood was running over my back and chest…yet it was

not so much these real sufferings that distressed me, for these, it seemed

to me, I could bear without a murmur; it was the horror I had upon my

mind of falling from the cross-trees into that still green water, beside the

body of the coswain. (Stevenson, 2008: 183)

These both show that Jim’s sense of autonomy and free are continually developing in 2

the influence of Long Jone Silver during the adventure.

Besides, Jim is caught between two worlds——between childhood and adulthood, and between the lawful, rational world and the lawless pirate world (Stevenson, 2003: 21). Although staying in the lawless pirate world, he never changes his own virtue, such as honesty and sincerity. Moreover, he hates this experience of searching for wealth and has an aversion to Treasure Island. The final lines in this novel show Jim’s this feeling, “Oxen and wain-ropes would not bring me back again to that accursed island.” (Stevenson, 2008: 243).

Although Dr. Livesey, Squire Trelawney and Long Jone Silver inspire Jim a lot, Jim’s own struggle and challenge is also indispensable in his growing to be mature, such as his perfect accomplishment of three challenges.

2.2 The perfect accomplishment of three challenges

In this whole voyage, Jim gets through all the three challenges so that he manages to change into an adult and accomplish his journey of growing up.

The first one is Jim’s un-expectation of overhearing Long Jone Silver’s secret scheme of revolt. Hiding in the apple barrel, Jim felt utter frightened and surprised to hear this terrible news. However, he strives to calm down and successfully controls himself, which helps Smollett, Trelawney and others realize their danger and then stay vigilant. It is Jim’s bravery that enables the captain to make a full preparation for this fight, and that brings a good start.

The next one is Jim’s struggle of finding the treasure with the help of Ben Gunn, who has lived in this island for three years after a failed treasure hunt. In addition, he also finds out the trace of Silver and his men, which also plays an important role in winning this fight.

The last one is difficult for Jim to deal with, as well. He returns the ship Hispaniola by risking his life, kills the pirates, and gets the ship that is applied to take them back. In this challenge, the most difficulty for Jim is the struggle with the strong man Israel Hands. They engage in a fierce scuffle. Jim climbs up a mast and Hands follows. Jim pulls his pistol on Hands, who flings his knife, piercing Jim’s shoulder and pinning him to the mast. Jim’s gun goes off and Hands falls into the water.(Stevenson, 2003: 101) “I felt a blow and then a sharp pang, and there I was pinned by the shoulder to the mast. In horrid pain and surprise of the moment——I scare can say it…and both escaped out of my hands.”(Stevenson, 2008: 181).

In a word, Jim’s successful accomplishment of getting through these three 3

tremendous challenges means that he has been a mature man.

3. Conclusion

To sum up, Treasure Island is not only a tale of a child’s wonderful adventure, but also a story of the growth of a boy. Jim’s dramatical growth from a dreamy, coward and puzzled little boy to a man who is brave, mature and has courage to face the reality, attributes to the influence of Dr. Livesey, Squire Trelawney, and especially Long Jone Silver, and his perfect accomplishment of three challenges. His incredible growth and miracle adventure make the novel more appealing and interesting.

Works cited

[1]（英）史蒂文森（Stevenson，R.L.）著，汪淳波译. 金银岛 [M]. 天津：天津

科技翻译出版公司，2003.

[2]（英）史蒂文森（Stevenson，R.L.）著，王勋等编译. 金银岛：中文导读英文

版 [M]. 北京：清华大学出版社，2008.

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