Captain Silver: Saint or Scoundrel
Published on Oct 28, 2019
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Captain Silver: Saint or Scoundrel
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Captain Long John Silver
Captain Long John Silver is a very complex and ruthless character. Silver was also very conniving, He posed as the ships genial cook that way he was allowed on the ship during the voyage. Captain Silver is a disloyal person due to his careless acts of shifting sides so frequently that none of his crew and those boarded on the ship had no idea of what his true intensions were. Other than being a ruthless person Silver is also considered a man of his word and loyalty. Captain Smollet and Dr. Livesey both have respect towards Silver during the outset of the voyage. Jim is also on the good side of Silver. He looks up to Silver and respects him as he is. He would say that Silver is the best man there during the voyage. But the question is still roaming around is Silver still considered a villain or hero considering that he is a murderer and ruthless person but also considered a well respected and polite man in this story.
In the novel Treasure Island By Robert Louis Stevenson the character Captain Long John Silver is a very complex and ruthless character. Silver was also very conniving, He posed as the ships genial cook that way he was allowed on the ship during the voyage. Captain Silver is a disloyal person due to his careless acts of shifting sides so frequently that none of his crew and those boarded on the ship had no idea of what his true intensions were. Other than being a ruthless person Silver is also considered a man of his word and loyalty. Captain Smollet and Dr. Livesey both have respect towards Silver during the outset of the voyage. Jim is also on the good side of Silver. He looks up to Silver and respects him as he is. He would say that Silver is the best man there during the voyage. But the question is still roaming around is Silver still considered a villain or hero considering that he is a murderer and ruthless person but also considered a well respected and polite man in this story.
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“Well, sir… better speak plain… I don’t like this cruise; I don’t like the men; and I don’t like my officer. That’s short and sweet." (As the voyage gets started there is rumors going around about the reasoning of the voyage and the Captain fears that there is untrustworthy people on board.)
Captain Smollett knew that things were not going to go as planned because of the rumors going around the ship. The only ones that knew about the voyage and the plan were Dr. Livesey, Captain Smollett and Jim Hawkins and that’s how they wanted it to be. Smollett had the feeling that if it got out to the wrong person that all would break loose on the ship. Little did Smollett know that the whole crew aboard were imposters and already had a plan to take over the voyage to get to the treasure.
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“ I don’t put much faith in your discoveries, as a general thing; but I will say this, John Silver suits me.” (Stevenson, 36)
Dr. Livesey is complimenting Squire Trelawney on finding and hiring Long John Silver as a sea cook for their voyage. The Dr. just had met Silver and respected him as a man. Dr. Livesey respected Silver because Silver came up to him giving him false accusations of there being a villainous pirate that goes by the name Black Dog, on the ship. This confession from Silver impresses Dr. Livesey. Long John Silver made up this confession so that way he wouldn't get caught up in his own lie. He was trying to cover up his tracks. (Captain Smollett Enjoyed the discovery of Captain Silver he really enjoyed his presence)
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“My heart was sore for him, wicked as he was, to think on the dark perils that environed and the shameful gibbet that awaited him.” (Stevenson 129)
Jim Hawkins sees that Long John Silver is playing a risky game, trying to please and pacify his pirate gang while looking for a way to make peace with Jim's friends and save his own life. Knowing the dangers of this decision, Jim feels sorry for silver, especially since he lost his life because his life will likely end with death by the way things are getting handled. What Jim know about Silver and his bad decisions and murderous ways he looks past that due to the way he feels about Silver. There's a likeable side to the man that Jim cannot ignore and which stirs feelings of pity.
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“All the crew respected and even obeyed him. He had a way of talking to each, and doing everybody some particular service. To me he was unweariedly kind; and always glad to see me in the galley, which he kept as clean as a new pin; the dishes hanging up burnished, and his parrot in a cage in one corner. “Come away, Hawkins,” he would say; “ come and have a yarn with John. Nobody more welcome than yourself, my son. Sit you down and hear the news.”(Stevenson, 43)
The crew respected Long John Silver due to his respect for others. But he was still all about himself. He is a selfish conniving person. And wanted the treasure all for himself.
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Long John Silver is a conniving person, he seems nice and an upstanding individual, however Long John Silver only acts good because it benefits him and what he’s trying to accomplish. Long John Silver is impersonating a sea cook in order to obtain the treasure, he has no intensions of sharing or finding the treasure to benefit anyone but himself. Long John Silver is impersonating and being kind to those on the voyage, this seems to be harmless but he is taking advantage and lying in order to get what he wants. These actions show Long John Silvers true intensions which are not pure. Long John Silver is a villain in this novel.
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Friend or Foe
“I’ve always liked you, I have for a lad of spirit, and the picture of my own self when I was young and handsome.”(Stevenson 120)
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Long John Silver expresses to Jim the influence he has on him. Long John Silver sees himself in Jim as a younger man. Long John Silver genuinely likes Jim but has no real compassion because he’s constantly putting his selfish needs first. Long John Silver is willing to protect Jim as shown throughout the novel. “There’s never a man looked me between the eyes and seen a good day a’terward, Tom Morgan, you may lay to that.” (Stevenson 122) However Long John Silver will only protect Jim if it does not interfere with his pride and soon to be possession, the treasure. The treasure he seeks is worth more than any person or potential relationship.
Long John Silver decides that Jim Hawkins should be kept hostage so that the pirates can use him when bargaining with Jim's friends. When pirate Tom Morgan draws a knife, intent on killing Jim, Silver stops him with the reminder that no man has ever tried to dominate or stand against him and lived.
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Captain Long John Silver does not get what he deserves at the end of the novel but gets what he wanted in the beginning. What he wanted was some treasure to himself. I don’t think he deserves it because he abandoned his crew and left them stranded on the island. He was disloyal to his own. His crew respected and trusted him and by that that the crew got taken advantage of.
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Open Ended Question
Do you think Long John Silver can have real compassion for anything other than materialistic objects ?
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Work Cited
Stevenson, Robert louis. Treasure Island. Dover Thrift Editions, 1993.
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