The Theme of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

          This week, I read the book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. For my writing assignment this week, I am supposed to write about the theme of the book. The theme is what the message in the book the author (in this case, Robert Louis Stevenson) is trying to say.

          It can be easy to determine the theme of the book sometimes, but other times it can be very difficult to, and in this case, it was. Eventually, I think I figured it out.

          The story is about a boy named Jim Hawkins, who becomes in possession of a treasure map that was previously owned by a pirate named Billy Bones. Bones was given the black spot, which is a pirate’s way to tell someone that they are going to kill you. He has a heart attack and dies. Jim finds the treasure map and decides that he wants to follow it.

          He sails on a ship called the HISPANIOLA, but the sponsor of the ship left the choosing of the crew to a cook with one leg that Billy Bones warned Jim about, Long John Silver. Silver is secretly a pirate and chooses only pirates for the crew. The captain, Captain Smoliet is not very happy about this and keeps an eye out for Silver, but Long John has found a liking to Jim.

          Later on during the voyage, Silver becomes aware that Jim has the treasure map and attacks the crew on an island. Silver finds that the treasure has already been found and taken by Ben Gunn, who helps Jim and his team. Eventually, Captain Smoliet’s and Jim’s team win the fight against the pirates and Silver leaves and is never found again. Jim also becomes the captain of the HISPANIOLA.

          Of course, this is a short summary of the book, but I believe that the message is to be adventurous and to follow your heart, and to not let anything, not even pirates, stop you from doing what you desire. I suggest you read the book and Stevenson’s other books and watch the movies too.