level 2 Teacher’s notes Teacher Support Programme

Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson South Pacific. Suffering from tuberculosis, he decided to
buy an estate on Samoa, where he could retire in a warm
climate. He never returned to Scotland, but he continued
to publish novels, poems and short stories until his death
in 1894.

Summary
Treasure Island is one of the most famous adventure
stories in English literature. The lasting appeal of the story
is supported by the fact that there are more film versions
of Treasure Island than almost any other classic novel.
The story, set in the mid-eighteenth century, is mainly
narrated by a young boy named Jim Hawkins. An old
About the author sailor comes to stay at the seaside inn owned by Jim’s
Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh, parents. When the sailor dies, Jim searches his belongings
Scotland, in 1850. His father was a successful lighthouse and finds a map revealing the location of an island with
engineer, and his mother was the daughter of a church treasure buried on it. Jim’s friend, Mr Trelawney, buys a
minister. Hoping that his son would follow in the family ship to search for the treasure.
business, his father sent Stevenson to university to study During the voyage, Jim discovers that there are many
engineering, but Stevenson soon changed to law and pirates among the crew, and that they are led by Long
qualified as a lawyer in 1875. In the same year, he met John Silver. When the ship reaches the island, a battle
W. E. Henley, the publisher of London Magazine. Henley begins between the pirates and Mr Trelawney’s men. Jim
immediately recognised Stevenson’s literary potential and befriends an old pirate who lives alone on the island and
encouraged him to become a writer by offering to publish has already found the treasure. After many adventures,
his short stories in the magazine. Rather than work as a Jim and his friends defeat the pirates and sail back to
lawyer, Stevenson set off on a series of journeys around England with the treasure.
Europe and began publishing accounts of his travels. In
1876, he met Fanny Osborne, an American woman ten Background and themes
years his senior. She was married with two children, but Cliffhangers: Stevenson first published Treasure Island
she and Stevenson fell in love, and she obtained a divorce as a serial in a children’s magazine. In the late nineteenth
in 1879. Stevenson travelled to California to marry her in century, it was common practice for novels to be
1880, and afterward, they returned to live in England. published in weekly magazines. The need to encourage
In 1881, Stevenson took his new wife and stepchildren on readers to buy the next issue of the magazine led authors
holiday to Braemar in Scotland. The weather was appalling to develop dramatic plots punctuated with ‘cliffhangers’
and they were forced to stay indoors. To pass the time, (very exciting moments) at the end of each episode.
Stevenson and his twelve-year-old stepson, Lloyd, began Treasure Island follows this pattern, containing a plot that
drawing maps of imaginary islands. To amuse the children, has many twists and turns, making the novel very exciting
Stevenson used the idea of a secret map as the basis of a to read.
story about hidden treasure. Taking inspiration from his First-person perspective: Most of Treasure Island is
travels to America and his childhood visiting lighthouses written in the first-person, and the story is narrated by
with his father, and basing the character of Long John the young hero, Jim Hawkins. Telling the story in the
Silver on his friend W. E. Henley (who had only one leg), first-person encourages the reader to identify with the
he sat down and wrote the adventure that eventually main character, inviting him or her to share Hawkins’ fear,
became Treasure Island. In the years following the excitement and tension as the story unfolds.
publication of the book, Stevenson wrote a series of best-
Hidden treasure: Treasure Island draws on a theme that
selling novels, including The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr
can be traced back to the Middle Ages and beyond – the
Hyde and Kidnapped, which remain popular to this day. In
myth of hidden treasure. Stevenson gives this traditional
1888, Stevenson chartered a yacht to travel around the
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Treasure Island
plot a realistic basis by setting his story in the eighteenth one picture and then writes a short paragraph about
century, which was a time when pirates were still active it on a piece of paper. Pairs swap pieces of paper and
in the West Indies, often hiding their stolen treasures try to guess which pictures are being described.
away in remote places. Pirates were a source of great After reading
fascination in late nineteenth-century England, and they 4 Artwork: Get students to draw a picture of the old
featured in much of the music and literature being captain (Billy Bones). Direct them to focus on the first
paragraph on page 1. When they have finished, they
produced at the time. They had the attraction of being
should show their pictures to the rest of the class.
both dangerous and romantic. 5 Discuss: Get students to talk about what life was like
Pirates: Stevenson’s great creation, the one-legged Long in the mid-eighteenth century. What kind of clothing
did people wear? What kind of jobs did they have? Did
John Silver, is one of the most memorable characters
they have telephones, TVs, cars, etc? Did they travel
in English literature. A few years after Treasure Island regularly? Did they go on vacations to other countries?
was published, J. M. Barrie created a similar figure in his Was travelling easy or hard?
play Peter Pan – Captain Hook, who had only one hand
Chapter 1, pages 7–12
(instead of having only one leg). In any adventure story, it
Before reading
is essential to have the ‘good guys’ struggling against the 6 Guess: Ask students to predict what will happen to
‘bad guys’. Pirates were extremely suitable for the role Jim and his mother after they hide behind the trees.
of bad guys, as they went against the rules of society and Will they escape from the pirates? Will the pirates find
lived outside the law. Unlike ghosts and monsters, which them? What will they do with the envelope? What will
be inside the envelope?
were also popular in the stories of the nineteenth century,
7 Discuss: Look at the picture on page 9. What can you
pirates really existed, and therefore, they were much see on the map? When was the map made? Why was it
more effective figures of fear and horror for children – made?
even older ones.
After reading
Escape: One of Treasure Island’s most important themes 8 Check: Review students’ predictions about what
is the idea of escaping – escaping from poverty by would happen to Jim and his mother after they hide
finding treasure and escaping from one’s own country by behind the trees. Check if their predictions were
right or wrong.
travelling to exotic locations. Many popular novels feed on 9 Role play: Ask students to work in groups and role
this need for escapism, and Treasure Island combines both play the scene in which Jim goes to Mr Trelawney’s
aspects. Travel was much more difficult in the nineteenth house and talks to Mr Trelawney and Dr Livesey
century, and Jim’s experience of sailing to the Caribbean (page 8).
is in itself an exciting adventure. By combining this theme 10 Role play: Ask students to work in groups and role
play the scene in which Jim hides in the barrel of fruit
with violent pirates and the search for hidden treasure, and hears Long John Silver talking about Captain Flint
Stevenson successfully sends the reader on an exciting and his men (page 12).
and satisfying journey of the imagination.
Chapter 1, pages 13–17
Before reading
Discussion activities 11 Write: Get students to look at the picture on page
Chapter 1, pages 1–6 17 and write a short paragraph describing Ben Gunn’s
Before reading appearance. You can start the activity by asking
1 Discuss: Ask students to look at the picture on the students the following questions:
cover of the book. What can you see? Where do you How big is Ben Gunn?
think the story takes place? What do you think happens How long is his hair?
in the story? What does he have on his face?
2 Discuss: Ask students if they have ever seen a film What kind of clothes is he wearing?
version of Treasure Island. Did you like the film? Why or Is he wearing shoes?
why not? Do you remember any of the characters in the Does he look friendly or mean?
story? List the characters the students mention on the After reading
board, and then ask them to find pictures of the 12 Artwork: Get students to draw a picture to explain
characters in the book. how Long John Silver lost his leg. When they have
3 Pair work: Put students into pairs and ask them to finished, they should show their pictures to the rest
look at the pictures in the book. Each pair chooses of the class.
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Treasure Island
13 Role play: Divide the class into groups. Ask students After reading
to look at this sentence on page 16: ‘I’m Ben Gunn,’ 17 Discuss: Get students to look at the picture on page
he said. ‘I live here. The pirates left me on the island 27. How do you think Jim is feeling? How do you know
three years ago.’ Each group should do a role play to this? How do you think Israel Hands is feeling? How do
answer one of the following questions: you know this?
How was Ben Gunn left on the island?
Why was Ben Gunn left on the island? Chapter 3, pages 28–33
How did Ben Gunn live on the island for three years by Before reading
himself? 18 Write: Get students to look at the picture on page
32 and write a short paragraph explaining who is
Chapter 2 sitting around the table and what they are doing.
Before reading
14 Discuss: Ask students to think about why Chapter 2 After reading
is called ‘Dr Livesey’s Story’. Does Jim tell this part of 19 Discuss: At the end of the book, Jim says that he
the story? If not, who tells it? never wants to go back to the island. Ask students if
they believe this – take a vote – and then get them to
After reading say why they think Jim is being truthful or not.
15 Pair work: Get students to work in pairs. One 20 Discuss: What does Jim do with the treasure in
student is Dr Livesey, and the other student is England? Get students to work in small groups
Captain Smollett. Dr Livesey is back on the Hispaniola. and think of answers to this question. Make it a
He tells Captain Smollett about the house on the competition. Ask each group to report back with its
island. He says that the house is a good place to stay ideas. When the groups have reported back, take a
in. However, the captain doesn’t agree. The men talk vote to find out which idea the students like best.
about where they should stay on the island. The group that came up with the idea wins the
competition.
Chapter 3, pages 22–27
Before reading
16 Guess: Get students to predict what will happen to
Jim, Mr Trelawney, Dr Livesey and Captain Smollett
after they go into the house. Will the pirates come?
Will they fight with the pirates? What will happen to Ben
Gunn? What will happen to Long John Silver? What will
happen to the map? What will happen to the hidden
treasure?

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