Characters
Who is the narrator of Treasure Island?
(Jim Hawkins)
Where does Billy Bones choose to stay at the beginning of the novel?
(The Admiral Benbow Inn)
What is a “buccaneer”?
(A pirate or privateer)
What is the name of Jim’s family inn?
(The Admiral Benbow Inn)
If you were Jim, would you have opened the chest? Why or why not?
(Student answers vary)
What is Billy Bones’s main fear throughout the first chapters?
(That the “sea-faring men”/pirates will find him)
What happens to Billy Bones after his confrontation with Black Dog?
(He has a stroke/attack and later dies)
What does the “black spot” symbolize?
(Pirate judgment/doom/death sentence)
How does the inn’s isolated location add to the suspense?
(It makes Jim and his family vulnerable to pirate visits)
How does Jim show courage in these chapters?
(By helping his mother, retrieving the map, facing danger)
Who is the blind beggar that delivers the black spot?
(Pew)
What does Jim and his mother do after Billy Bones dies?
(They open his chest to claim what he owes, and Jim finds the map)
What is the significance of the sea chest?
(It contains the map that starts the treasure hunt)
What role does the stormy weather play in these chapters?
(It mirrors the tension and danger, creating atmosphere)
What do the pirates’ actions toward Pew show about loyalty among them?
(They abandon him, showing they value themselves over others)
How does Dr. Livesey respond when Billy Bones threatens him? (He calmly stands up to him and warns him not to misbehave)
(He calmly stands up to him and warns him not to misbehave)
What happens when the pirates return to the inn after Billy Bones’s death?
(They ransack the place, but Jim escapes with the map)
Stevenson often uses nautical terms. What does “matey” suggest about relationships between pirates?
(They are comrades/shipmates, though not always loyal)
How does Stevenson’s description of Pew increase the sense of fear?
(Blind but powerful, cold hands, commands others despite his disability)
Compare Billy Bones to Dr. Livesey. How are they different kinds of authority figures for Jim?
(Billy = violent/dangerous, Livesey = calm/respectful/trustworthy)
Who is Black Dog, and why does he visit Billy Bones?
(A pirate and old crewmate who comes to confront Billy Bones about the treasure map)
What is the fate of Pew when the soldiers arrive?
(He is trampled by horses and killed)
How does Stevenson use descriptive language to create suspense in the inn scenes?
(Storms, mysterious visitors, pirate slang, and dark imagery)
Why does Stevenson begin the story in a quiet countryside inn instead of immediately on a ship?
(To contrast ordinary life with the sudden intrusion of pirate danger, increasing suspense)
How do these first five chapters set the stage for the adventure to come?
(They introduce danger, the map, and Jim’s role in the treasure hunt)