Treasure Island Summary: Plot, Characters and Ending
Treasure Island follows Jim Hawkins, a boy who finds a pirate's treasure map at his family's inn and sails to find the treasure. Among the crew is the charming one-legged cook Long John Silver, who is secretly planning a mutiny.
Many popular ideas about pirates, including treasure maps marked with an X, come from this novel.
| Character | Who they are |
|---|---|
| Jim Hawkins | Young narrator |
| Long John Silver | Ship's cook and pirate leader |
| Billy Bones | Old sea captain at the inn |
| Dr. Livesey | Sensible local doctor |
| Squire Trelawney | Wealthy, talkative gentleman |
| Captain Smollett | Strict, honest captain |
| Ben Gunn | Marooned former pirate |
| Israel Hands | Pirate coxswain |
How does Jim get the map?
An old seaman, Billy Bones, lodges at the Admiral Benbow inn run by Jim's family, terrified of a one-legged sailor. Pirates come looking for him. Blind Pew hands him the black spot, a death sentence, and Bones dies of a stroke. Jim and his mother open his sea chest, and Jim takes an oilskin packet just before the pirates raid the inn. Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney find it contains a map of Captain Flint's treasure.
↑ Back to the topWhat happens on the voyage?
The Squire buys a ship, the Hispaniola, and hires a crew with the help of Long John Silver, who becomes cook. Captain Smollett distrusts the crew. Near the island, Jim climbs into an apple barrel and overhears Silver plotting to seize the ship once the treasure is found. He warns his friends.
↑ Back to the topWhat happens on the island?
Jim slips ashore with the pirates and sees Silver kill an honest sailor. Fleeing, he meets Ben Gunn, a pirate marooned for three years who is half mad and longs for cheese. Captain Smollett, the doctor and the squire take refuge in an old stockade and fight off the pirates.
↑ Back to the topHow does Jim take back the ship?
Jim sneaks off in Ben Gunn's small boat, cuts the Hispaniola's anchor rope and drifts aboard. He fights the wounded pirate Israel Hands, who chases him up the mast, and Jim shoots him. He hides the ship in a quiet inlet, then returns to the stockade and finds it held by pirates. Silver protects him from the others, seeing him as a useful hostage.
↑ Back to the topHow does Treasure Island end?
Silver leads the pirates to the treasure site with the map, only to find an empty hole. Ben Gunn had found the treasure long ago and moved it to his cave. The pirates turn on Silver, but the doctor, Gray and Ben Gunn fire on them and they scatter. The treasure is loaded aboard and the remaining pirates are left on the island. In a port in South America, Silver escapes with a bag of coins. Jim goes home rich, and still wakes from nightmares hearing Silver's parrot screaming about pieces of eight.
↑ Back to the topMore about Treasure Island
This summary reveals the whole plot, including the ending.