Treasure Island Characters

An Ordinary HeroTreasure Island is supposed to be a novel for boys. This is coming out of stodgy, Victorian England, so girls aren't supposed to want to sail away and hunt for treasure. But some of...

We think Long John Silver is the best part of this book. He's totally what we imagine a pirate should be: cunning, sly, peg-legged, with a parrot on his shoulder. There's a reason why he's what we...

Doctor Livesey is the local medical man and judge in Jim's hometown back in England. He's also friends with Squire Trelawney and part of the original group of treasure hunters. He's the only one of...

Squire Trelawney is a local example of the landed gentry, or nobility, in Jim's hometown. His status isn't as high as that of a lord, baron, or earl, but he does have aristocratic blood. He is a go...

Captain Smollett is a stand-up guy, but he's also all about the discipline. The way he knows there's something wrong with the crew is that they've been spoiled: Squire Trelawney has given them a ba...

Ben Gunn is a marooned sailor Jim Hawkins finds on the island. He had been a part of Captain Flint's crew, like Long John Silver and Billy Bones. But unlike these men, absolutely no one respects hi...

At a certain point, Long John Silver uses his parrot, Captain Flint, to teach Jim a moral lesson. He points out that Captain Flint swears a blue streak even though she has no idea what she's saying...

Billy Bones is the hard-drinking, sea-chanty-singing pirate who first appears at the Admiral Benbow Inn seeking a quiet, out-of-the-way place to live. In many ways Billy Bones is a template for the...

Three of Squire Trelawney's four named servants accompany him on his voyage to Treasure Island. He leaves one behind, Mr. Blandly, to send another ship after them if they don't turn up in Bristol b...

According to Robert Louis Stevenson, pirating isn't just a job, it's a way of life. By which we mean that all the pirates in this book seem to have basically the same characteristics. Sure, on a sc...

Black Dog is the pale pirate, missing two fingers, who confronts Billy Bones at the Admiral Benbow Inn. Jim also sees Black Dog talking to Tom Morgan at Long John Silver's bar, the Spy-Glass. Lucki...

Pew is the blind pirate who delivers the black spot – a summons to appear at a certain time – to Billy Bones. After seeing Pew, Billy Bones has a sudden heart attack (from fear? anger? We don't...

These are two random pirates Pew calls for in confusion as he tries to escape the Admiral Benbow Inn. Because he's blind and unfamiliar with the terrain, he gets turned around as all the pirates at...

Tom Morgan is chatting with Black Dog at the Spy-Glass pub when Jim first sees him. Jim believes at first that Tom Morgan isn't aware of Black Dog's piratical roots, but Tom Morgan, of course, is a...

Job Anderson is the boatswain on board the ship, which means he's in charge of deck discipline. When Mr. Arrow mysteriously "disappears," Anderson takes over many of the duties of the first mate. N...

Israel Hands is the coxswain aboard the Hispaniola, and he also appears to be Long John Silver's second in command of the pirates. The coxswain is the crewman who monitors the steering of the ship....

Dick Johnson is the youngest pirate. He's converted to the pirate cause by Long John Silver once they are all aboard the Hispaniola. However, he is inexperienced and weak. He offers up his Bible so...

O'Brien is the red-nightcap-wearing pirate who is part of the first attack on the good guys' stockade. He is also the unfortunate soul who Israel Hands stabs on board the Hispaniola just as Jim cut...

George Merry is one of Long John Silver's remaining pirates when Silver takes Jim hostage. He spearheads the movement to remove Long John Silver from his leadership position after the Hispaniola di...

Jim's parents are honest innkeepers. Jim's father is dying at the start of the novel; he passes away in Chapter 3. With his death Jim becomes free to carve out his own way in the world. Jim's mothe...

Mr. Arrow is one of those little signs we get that all is not right on board the Hispaniola (before, of course, Jim overhears definite proof of the planned mutiny). Mr. Arrow is first mate on the s...

In case you had any lingering feelings that Long John Silver talks a more violent game than he plays, his showdown with Tom proves that his threats are serious. (By the way, this Tom isn't Squire T...

Mr. Dance is the leader of the armed group of tax collectors who chase away the half-dozen pirates who invade the Admiral Benbow Inn after Billy Bones's death. (As for why tax collectors would be a...