Study Guide — Treasure Island, “The Cruise of the Coracle”

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

Coming of age and self-reliance: Jim manages fear, studies the sea, and acts decisively, illustrating his growth from boy to capable seaman.
Man vs. nature—and learning respect for it: Jim survives by adapting to wind, current, and swell rather than fighting them; the sea is a powerful, indifferent force throughout the novel.
Perception vs. reality: The “huge slimy monsters” turn out to be harmless sea lions; the waves look like “glossy mountains” from shore but have “valleys” a small craft can thread—echoing the book’s recurring theme that appearances deceive (as with pirates’ false loyalties).
Courage vs. recklessness: Jim’s daring choice to board the Hispaniola borders on rash, yet it proves pivotal—typical of the novel’s blend of bold action and real risk.
Discipline vs. mutiny (order vs. chaos): The unmanned, wildly wandering Hispaniola shows what happens when seamanship and leadership break down—an image of the mutineers’ incompetence and the cost of rebellion.
Skill, luck, and Providence: Wind lulls, currents, and timing give Jim openings, but he also earns success through observation and seamanship—balancing chance and agency, a tension seen across the book.
Physical endurance and survival: Thirst, sun, salt, and fatigue test Jim’s will, highlighting the bodily costs of adventure that underlie the romance of treasure-hunting.
The lure of adventure: Jim admits the “air of adventure” motivates him as much as necessity—capturing the novel’s enduring pull of risk and reward.

Vocabulary

Word	Part of Speech	Definition
coracle	noun	A small, light, roundish boat; here, Jim’s tiny craft.
gunwale	noun	The top edge of a boat’s side.
breakers	noun	Waves that break into foam against shore or rocks.
swell	noun	Long, smooth, rolling waves on the open sea.
trough	noun	The lowest part between two waves.
contrariety	noun	Opposition or conflict; being contrary (e.g., wind vs. current).
yaw	verb	To swing or veer off course from side to side (of a vessel).
leeway	noun	Sideways drift of a ship due to wind/current; also, margin for error.
in irons	adjective (naut.)	With the bow pointed into the wind so the sails can’t fill; the ship stalls and won’t steer.
dead aback	adj./adv. (naut.)	With the wind pressing directly onto the front of the sails, stopping or forcing the ship backward.
tiller	noun	A lever used to turn a boat’s rudder (to steer).
jib-boom	noun	A spar extending beyond the bowsprit to carry the jibs.
bowsprit	noun	A spar projecting forward from a ship’s bow.
companion (companionway)	noun	The hatch and stairway from the deck to the space below.
batten (down)	verb	To fasten or secure tightly; “batten down” hatches or, figuratively, people.
forefoot	noun	The forward, lowest part of a ship’s hull where stem meets keel; under the bow.
stock-still	adjective	Completely motionless.
easting	noun	Eastward distance made in navigation.
shiver (of sails)	verb (naut.)	To flutter or shake when the wind is wrong (sails not drawing).
wind’s eye	noun phrase (naut.)	The direction from which the wind blows; “in the wind’s eye” = directly into the wind.

Quotes to Look For

“I felt willing rather to starve at sea than to confront such perils.” — Heightens man-vs-nature stakes and Jim’s isolation.
“I have understood since that they were sea lions, and entirely harmless.” — Perception vs. reality; fear often exaggerates danger.
“It was plain she was not to be interfered with…” — Respecting the coracle’s balance; learning to work with nature, not against it.
“I began to be horribly frightened, but I kept my head, for all that.” — Jim’s growing steadiness under pressure.
“I set myself to study how it was she managed to slip so quietly through the rollers.” — Observation as survival skill; practical seamanship.
“I found each wave… like any range of hills on dry land…” — Vivid imagery that reframes the sea and shows Jim’s learning.
“Clumsy fellows… they must still be drunk as owls.” — The mutineers’ lack of discipline; contrast with Captain Smollett’s professionalism.
“It became plain to me that nobody was steering.” — Image of leaderless chaos, mirroring the moral disorder of mutiny.
“The scheme had an air of adventure that inspired me…” — The pull of adventure alongside necessity (thirst), central to Jim’s character.
“I could not choose but suppose she was deserted… where I might batten them down, perhaps, and do what I chose with the ship.” — Jim’s daring, strategic thinking—and moral boldness.
“My first impulse was one of despair, but my second was towards joy.” — Emotional whiplash of high-stakes action at sea.
“I sprang to my feet and leaped, stamping the coracle under water… I was left without retreat on the Hispaniola.” — Point of no return; decisive act that propels the plot and Jim’s maturation.