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.