Study Guide: Treasure Island — “Council of War”
Themes / Big Ideas
- Leadership and authority vs. chaos
- Smollett models disciplined, strategic command; the “council” shows lawful order pushing back against pirate lawlessness—a core tension across the novel.
- Deception and appearances
- Silver’s public loyalty (cheers, compliments) masks private mutiny; the crew’s hearty response contrasts with their plotting, underscoring the book’s recurring appearance-vs-reality thread.
- Knowledge as power
- The “copy” of the map without red crosses and Jim’s intelligence-gathering from the apple barrel show how information—and who controls it—steers events throughout the story.
- Coming-of-age and agency
- Jim moves from observer to trusted partner; the adults toast his “luck and courage,” recognizing his role—central to the novel’s bildungsroman arc.
- Loyalty vs. betrayal
- The gentlemen sort “faithful hands” from mutineers; Trelawney’s regret and the shock that “they’re all Englishmen” highlight the fragility of trust.
- Strategy over brute force
- Smollett insists on patience—“lay to” and “keep a bright lookout”—reflecting the book’s emphasis on cunning and timing over rash heroics.
- Civilization’s code vs. pirate code
- Rituals (toasts, orders, councils) contrast with the island’s pirate history (Skeleton Island, careening ships), mirroring the novel’s recurring clash of moral worlds.
- The lure and peril of treasure
- Even the island’s sight stirs greed and danger; Silver’s burning eyes at the chart echo how treasure tempts and corrupts in the larger narrative.
Vocabulary
| Word | Part of Speech | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| forecastle | noun | The forward part of a ship, often where the crew’s quarters are. |
| weather bow | noun | The front side of a ship that faces into the wind (windward bow). |
| sheeted home | verb phrase | Set and tightened the sails fully, securing the sheets (sail ropes). |
| anchorage | noun | A place suitable for anchoring a ship safely. |
| islet | noun | A very small island. |
| careen | verb | To tip a ship on its side for cleaning or repair. |
| soundings | noun | Measurements of water depth, often shown on nautical charts. |
| mizzen | noun | The rearmost mast on a three-masted ship. |
| nor’ard | adverb | Northward (sailor’s pronunciation; “south’ard” means southward). |
| duplicity | noun | Deceitfulness; double-dealing. |
| pretence | noun | A false reason or front used to hide one’s real purpose. |
| mutiny | noun | Rebellion by sailors against their officers. |
| yard-arm | noun | The outer end of a horizontal spar (yard) on a mast; historically used for hangings. |
| lay to | verb phrase | To stop a ship and hold position, usually by setting sails against the wind. |
| come to blows | idiom | To begin fighting. |
| whistle for a wind | idiom | To wait helplessly for something you can’t control. |
| pipe (piped all hands) | verb | To summon the crew using a boatswain’s whistle. |
| haul your wind | verb phrase | To steer a ship closer to the wind; alter course windward. |
| alow and aloft | adverb phrase | Everywhere on the ship, from the lower decks up to the masts. |
| prodigious | adjective | Remarkably or impressively great; extraordinary. |
Quotes to Look For
- “Long John’s eyes burned in his head as he took the chart, but by the fresh look of the paper I knew he was doomed to disappointment.” (Power of information; Silver thwarted.)
- “Ah, this here is a sweet spot, this island—a sweet spot for a lad to get ashore on.” (Silver’s manipulative charm; danger disguised as friendliness.)
- “Thank you, Jim… that was all I wanted to know.” (Livesey’s calm, covert coordination with Jim.)
- “My lads… you’ll have grog served out for you to drink our health and luck.” (Smollett’s leadership—using ritual to steady the crew.)
- “One more cheer for Cap’n Smollett,” cried Long John. (Public loyalty as performance; Silver managing appearances.)
- “You were right, and I was wrong. I own myself an ass, and I await your orders.” (Trelawney’s humility; restoring proper command.)
- “He’d look remarkably well from a yard-arm, sir.” (Smollett’s blunt justice; the threat of consequences.)
- “We must go on, because we can’t turn back.” (No safe retreat; the crew is committed.)
- “We must lay to… and keep a bright lookout… Lay to, and whistle for a wind.” (Patience and vigilance as strategy.)
- “Jim here… can help us more than anyone… Jim is a noticing lad.” / “Hawkins, I put prodigious faith in you.” (Jim’s coming-of-age and new responsibility.)
- “And to think that they’re all Englishmen!… I could find it in my heart to blow the ship up.” (Betrayal felt most keenly among one’s own.)