Study Guide: Treasure Island — Part Two, “The Sea-cook,” Chapter: “I Go to Bristol”

Themes / Big Ideas (and how they connect to the novel’s larger concerns)

Coming-of-age and leaving home: Jim’s excitement turns to tears when he sees his replacement at the inn, marking his first real break from childhood and family—a key step in his maturation throughout the book.
Romance of the sea vs. the reality of danger: Jim’s vivid daydreams and Trelawney’s rapture (“It’s the glory of the sea…”) contrast with the foreshadowed tragedy to come, echoing the novel’s tension between adventure and peril.
Trust, appearances, and deception: Trelawney’s glowing description of Long John Silver and the crew he recruits sets up the novel’s central question of who is trustworthy, anticipating betrayal and moral ambiguity.
Loose talk, secrecy, and risk: “The squire has been talking” underscores how gossip endangers the mission—secrecy and discretion are recurring survival themes.
Authority, class, and hierarchy: The squire’s word is “like law,” and he wants things done “man-o’-war fashion,” reflecting the novel’s interest in leadership, discipline, and the ripple effects of command decisions.
Greed versus glory: Trelawney’s rush to adventure, at times dismissing “treasure” for “the glory of the sea,” sits alongside the treasure hunt’s lure—two motives (glory and gold) that drive choices and conflicts across the story.
Empire and period attitudes: References to “natives,” “savages,” and the “odious French” reveal 18th‑century imperial viewpoints; the novel frequently brushes against the ethics of conquest and othering.
Maps and imagination: Jim’s obsessive study of the map shows how stories and symbols (the map, the Spy-glass hill) propel action—an enduring motif in Treasure Island.

Vocabulary

Word	Part of Speech	Definition
ere	prep./conj.	Before (archaic).
gamekeeper	n.	A person who manages wildlife on a large estate.
brooded	v.	Thought deeply and anxiously about something.
schooner	n.	A fast sailing ship, typically with two masts.
buccaneers	n.	Pirates or privateers, especially of the Caribbean.
berth	n.	A job or position on a ship (also a sleeping place); here, a job.
public-house	n.	A tavern or inn; a pub.
calumnies	n.	False and malicious statements; slander.
odious	adj.	Extremely unpleasant; hateful.
riggers	n.	Workers who set up a ship’s ropes, masts, and sails (rigging).
boatswain	n.	A ship’s deck officer overseeing the crew and equipment; pronounced “BOH-sun.”
capstan	n.	A vertical drum used on ships to wind ropes or cables and lift anchors.
tarpaulins	n.	Literally heavy waterproof cloth; here, slang for sailors.
consort	n.	A ship that accompanies another for support or protection.
indomitable	adj.	Impossible to defeat or subdue.
aloft	adv.	Up in the masts or rigging; high above the deck.
savages (historical)	n.	Period term for Indigenous peoples; now recognized as offensive.
quay	n.	A dock or wharf where ships load and unload; pronounced “key.”
rig	n.	The arrangement of a ship’s masts, sails, and rigging; also the type of setup.
man‑o’‑war	n.	A large, armed naval warship.

Note on language: The chapter includes period terms (e.g., “savages,” “woman of colour”) that reflect 18th‑century attitudes and are offensive today. When discussing, address their historical context and impact.

Quotes to Look For

“...in all my fancies nothing occurred to me so strange and tragic as our actual adventures.” — Imagination vs. reality; ominous foreshadowing.
“The ship is bought and fitted... name, Hispaniola.” — The quest becomes real; the ship as symbol.
“...as soon as they got wind of the port we sailed for—treasure, I mean.” — Loose talk and the lure of gold.
“Dr. Livesey will not like that. The squire has been talking, after all.” — Secrecy vs. bragging; risk-taking leadership.
“Long John Silver... I engaged him on the spot to be ship’s cook.” — Silver’s introduction; naïve trust in appearances.
“Well, sir, I thought I had only found a cook, but it was a crew I had discovered.” — Silver’s influence and foreshadowed power over the men.
“Hang the treasure! It’s the glory of the sea that has turned my head.” — Glory vs. greed; romanticizing danger.
“...Blandly... is to send a consort after us if we don’t turn up by the end of August...” — A safety net and timeline that shape the plot.
“I forgot to tell you that Silver is a man of substance...” — Squire’s confidence in Silver’s respectability; dramatic irony.
“I had my first attack of tears.” — The cost of adventure; Jim’s step toward adulthood.
“I seemed never to have been near the sea till then.” — Awakening to a new world; threshold to the true maritime sphere.
“We sail tomorrow!” — The decisive crossing from preparation to action.