Metacognitive Reader Section
The plot of this book is centered around a search for treasure in an unforgiving setting. A very stereotypical pirate story some may think, but this story is the original that all the others copied. As I read I found I was captivated in the settings and plot due to the authors skill in imagery and vivid language. I found I was putting myself in the character's shoes and in the middle of dangerous situations.
This book despite being of high literary merit was not much of a thought provoker. I found that I was focused more on the plot than other aspects of the book but that didn't make the book bad if anything I enjoyed the book more. The plot had some very memorable moments like in the beginning of the book when the blind man attacked Jim Hawkins, the main protagonist, I was on the edge of my seat. I also got chills whenever he heard the clicking of the blind mans cane like here, "I had heard in the silent, frosty air a sound that brought my heart into my mouth-the tap-tapping of the of a blind man's stick upon the frozen road. It drew nearer and nearer, while we sat holding our breath"(Stevenson 22) The strong language makes this section quite impact to the reader. In this section I considered outwardly appearance because this character despite being blind was one of the most dangerous men in the book. Another memorable section is when Jim discovers the cook long john silvers plan to commit mutiny. This section is when the story really begins and every moment that follows is edge of your seat action. The scene is a catalyst to the action throughout the remainder of the story. "The barrel shook as he leaned his shoulders against it, and I was just about to jump up when the man began to speak. It was Silver's voice, and, before I had heard a dozen works, I would not have shown myself for all the world, but lay there, trembling and listening, in the extreme of fear and curiosity for from these dozen words I understood that the lives of all the honest men aboard depended upon me alone"(Stevenson 58) . The life or death feel of the section made my heart beat out of my chest as I pictured my self in Jim's shoes with nowhere to run relying on shear luck to survive. I also was shocked because prior to this long John was one of the friendliest characters so once again I considered what an outwardly appearance means. Then the chapter ends the epitome of a cliff hanger, I stopped for a second and wondered what would happen next it was a nerve racking moment. This book is filled with moments like this where every decision is life or death and everything rides on your luck. overall reading this book could be considered stressful. I Think that this book is of higher literary merit because of the authors constant use of imagery and vivid language. This ads to the plot and captures the reader in his world making it less like reading a book and more like going on an adventure of your own. |
Theme
Throughout the book Jim takes action and good often comes of it whether he is taking a ship or finding vital information. Due to the repetition of such events an apparent theme of Treasure Island is "doing something is better than doing nothing" because when something happened, Jim reacted and didn't just ignore it . These things often make a large impact on the outcome of vital battles or conflicts.
One of these situations is when Jim finds the boat that is currently controlled by pirates adrift. Rather then running or hiding he approaches the ship and after some conflict with the only person on the ship is able to commandeer the ship. If he had not taken action then the ship would have remained in the pirates' possession despite its low amount of care in defending it. Events like this are every where in the book and clearly depict a overall theme. Even the behavior of the two groups, the pirates and the ships remaining crew, point to this theme. The crew work constantly and keep on their toes, but the pirates drink constantly and sleep which hurts them in life or death situations. This overlying pattern points to the theme because the crew are rewarded in the long run for their efforts. |