Treasure Island Transition Into Maturity

1158 Words3 Pages

The transition into maturity is a process by which a boy adapts traits from male figures and chooses a moral identity. Jim Hawkins, in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, begins an innocent boy, encased in a domestic setting. By loosing his father, Jim is able to utilize characteristics from other male characters, specifically Silver and Dr. Livesey, during his quest for maturity. Although Silver’s intensions seem genuine, the reader quickly discovers he lacks a consciousness, making his affection towards Jim untrustworthy. Thus, the qualities that Jim admires in Silver, which Silver uses for villainous endeavors, are adapted in Jim’s quest for maturity and enable him to develop a moral identity, courage, mental resolve, cleverness, …show more content…

At the Admiral Benbow, Jim is an obedient and cowardice boy entrapped by the domestic setting. Jim innocence and immaturity are highlighted as the one-legged pirate causes “the worst of nightmares” (Stevenson 10). Additionally, Jim’s childish attachment to his mother is present when the old sailor Pew scares him into running to his mother for protection. However, following the death of his father and Billy Bones, who was struck dead by “thundering apoplexy,” Jim is able to gain initiative (23). He obtains the map to “square the count” between the pirate and himself (28). Thus, the map’s attachment to Jim thrusts him out of his domestic setting into his voyage for treasure and …show more content…

Jim threatens the injured Hands from superior position: “‘One more step, Mr. Hands,’ said I, ‘and I’ll blow your brains out!’” (138). Jim’s lack of consciousness and piratical character is highlighted because he “laughed aloud” (138). According to Lisa Honaker, Jim becomes adept to Silver’s piratical boastfulness and has embraced Silver’s piratical characteristics (Honaker, 42). As Jim is “smiling away, as conceited as a cock upon a wall,” he presents the smugness of Silver, which he firstly detested. When Jim kills Hands, “without conscious aim,” he becomes “sick, faint, and terrified” (Stevenson, 139-140). Jim is incapable of adhering to a piratical character and reclaims values of order and justness from Dr. Livesey. Following, Jim becomes resolved to cease actions of instinct and disobedience (Honaker, 43). Thus, Jim’s moral identity and maturity becomes constructed of Silver’s courage, mental resolution, and Dr. Livesey’s justness

Open Document