Code Of Conduct In Treasure Island

In Treasure Island, codes of conduct play important roles not only in the storyline but also in the relationships between the main characters. From honor among thieves to chivalry and what is expected by society, the novel is built around codes of conduct and what they mean for each character’s role in the plotline.

At the beginning of the novel, Jim’s father dies, his mother and he must flee from angry pirates and villagers, she returns home, and he leaves with a local doctor and to find treasure. Jim’s leaving his mother with only an inept servant boy was, at least to me, shocking and not at all what would have been expected of him by society. In most cases, when code of conduct is followed, the boy would have stayed home and been the man

However, with the sighting of land, new worries and troubles are in the air. The pirates are not content with their leadership—a doctor, a wealthy man, and a weak captain. With land and mutiny in view, most of the crew heads to shore and lines are drawn for the standoff that is to come; Jim sided with the “leadership” and a few other faithful crew members, and the other side was the rest of the crew led by Long John Silver (an infamous pirate and the antagonist of the novel). With drawn lines and already many deaths, the first days were eventful and full of excitement. On Treasure Island, tensions were high as were the death rate and the number of those wounded. Through a turn of events, Jim is captured by the mutineers. However, he is not killed; Long John Silver protects him and refuses to let the other pirates lay a hand on the young boy. “To me he was unweariedly kind…(106)” This made these rough men suspicious of their leader, thinking that he was dealing with the enemy. By defending Jim, Silver broke the pirate code of conduct of sticking together. Yet, by breaking it and taking care of Jim, he honored the gentlemen’s code of conduct to protect children. Although Long John’s intentions were purely selfish (he hoped the boy would tell him where the treasure was, which Jim did not do), he never hurt the boy even when it ruined relationships between him and his crewmates. "But now, you look here: you're young, you are, but