Harald Fiedler 

 

16

th

 of April 1999 

 Page 

1 

 

Treasure Island 

By Robert Louis Stevenson 

 
 

author: Robert Louis Stevenson was a scotisch writer. He was born on the 13

th

 of November 

1850 in Edinburgh and died on the 3

rd

 of December 1894 in Apia/Samoa. Stevenson 

studied lawyer but he earned his money with the writing of fabulous 
traveladventures. Since his childhood St. was consumptive and so he lived in France 
and in Switzerland because of the better climate. In 1883 he wrote „Treasure Island“ 
which became his biggest success and made him rich. With the money he afforded to 
live on the Island Samoa. After a lot of stories of the scotisch history he created the 
representation of a divided personality in „Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde“ (1886). 

 
Persons:  Jim Hawkins – the landlord’s son 
 

Dr. Livesey – country doctor 

 

Mr. Trelawney – the squire 

 

Ben Gunn – a maroonded man 

 

John Silver – ship’s cook 

 Captain 

Smollett 

 Buccaneers 

(pirates) 

 
Summary:  The story plays in the 18

th

 century. There are buccaneers who robbed ships and 

buried the haul on an island years ago. One of the man had a map with the exact 
notes of the treasure. Alcohol and brutality are deciding the action – the aim is 
the treasure. 
This map was handed over to the country doctor Livesey by the landlord’s son 
Jim Hawkins. Dr. Livesey visited Mr. Trelawney, the squire, and showed him 
the map of treasure island. Trelawney was immediately willing to buy a ship and 
sign on a crew to find the treasure together with Livesey and Jim. 
Captain Smollett a honest man with good knowledge of human nature didn’t 
please the crew. They were former buccaneers and knew each other. Among 
them Mr. John Silver, the ship’s cook, who was as bad as the others but he hided 
his cruel interests under his friendliness. 
After a long journey on sea the ship got to the island. Now two groups 
constituted: One group with the buccaneers, who were headed by Silver and the 
other very small group wih Livesey, Trelawney, Jim, Smollett and a few 
servants of the squire. A lot of fights killed people on both sides. 
Three years ago the pirates maroonded one of their mates, Ben Gunn, on the 
island because they thought he betrayed them. This man found the treasure and 
handed it to Mr. Trelawney to return with him and the rest of his man to Bristol. 
 
Result: 
The three pirates who survived had to remain on the island. Silver, a man who 
always looked after his own interests, asked for forgiveness and got off the ship 
at the next harbour with a sack of money and vanished. 
The treasure had been divided by Mr. Trelawney. 

 
Comment:  The adventure novel „Treasure Island“ is told in an exciting manner and the 

several characters of the people are well described. The involved people had 
been undertaken all troubles and fights to get the treasure.