Study Guide — Treasure Island, Part Six: “Captain Silver — In the Enemy’s Camp”
Themes and Big Ideas (and how they connect to the novel)
Leadership, authority, and “pirate democracy”
- In this chapter: Silver enforces his captaincy by intimidation yet defers to a “forecastle council” and claims he’s captain by ’lection.
- In the novel: Competing models of leadership (Smollett’s discipline vs. Silver’s charisma) test what real authority looks like.
Loyalty, betrayal, and shifting alliances
- In this chapter: Silver pivots to protect Jim; the crew turns on Silver; Livesey bargains with the pirates.
- In the novel: Allegiances constantly shift as treasure—and survival—reorder loyalties.
Coming-of-age courage
- In this chapter: Jim openly confesses he wrecked the pirates’ plans and faces death with resolve.
- In the novel: Jim’s initiative and moral courage grow as he moves from cabin boy to a decisive actor.
Law and justice vs. piracy
- In this chapter: Livesey’s “flag of truce,” the talk of courts and the gallows, and Jim’s offer to be a witness set civil law against pirate “codes.”
- In the novel: The treasure hunt becomes a conflict between lawful order and outlaw codes.
Persuasion, rhetoric, and the power of talk
- In this chapter: Silver uses gentle talk, threats, and showmanship to control the room.
- In the novel: Silver’s tongue is as dangerous as any cutlass; words often determine who survives.
Survival and bargaining over pride
- In this chapter: Silver and Jim strike a “back-to-back” pact; Livesey hands over the chart—moves governed by survival, not pride.
- In the novel: Practical bargains repeatedly trump bravado, exposing the costs of greed.
Appearance vs. reality
- In this chapter: Silver reports what the doctor said about Jim; the doctor gives Silver the map—moves that seem contradictory and invite suspicion.
- In the novel: Disguises, ruses, and misleading appearances keep the true game concealed until the end.
Vocabulary
| Word/Phrase | Part of Speech | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| buccaneers | noun | Pirates, especially those active in the Caribbean. |
| dog-watch | noun | One of the two short shipboard watches in late afternoon/evening (typically 4–6 and 6–8 p.m.). |
| flag of truce | noun phrase | A white flag requesting a pause in hostilities for negotiation or safe conduct. |
| kelson (keelson) | noun | A longitudinal beam above the keel that strengthens a ship’s frame. |
| forecastle (fo’c’sle) | noun | The forward part of a ship’s upper deck; also the sailors’ living quarters. |
| marlin-spike | noun | A pointed metal tool used to separate rope strands and splice lines. |
| yard-arm | noun | The outer end of a horizontal spar (yard) on a mast; in idiom, a place of hanging. |
| by the board | idiom (adv.) | Overboard; destroyed or gone. |
| hawse | noun | The bow area where anchor cables pass; in idiom, one’s path or headway. |
| athwart my hawse | idiom | To cross in front of or obstruct someone; to defy or provoke. |
| batten down your hatches | verb phrase | To secure a ship’s hatches; figuratively, “be quiet/prepare for trouble.” |
| lay to (you may lay to it) | verb phrase | Nautically, to keep a ship nearly stationary; idiomatically, “you may count on it.” |
| glim | noun (slang) | A light or lamp; here, a torch or candle. |
| link (torch) | noun | A torch, often made of pitch or resinous material. |
| truculently | adverb | Aggressively or defiantly; with a readiness to fight. |
| daubed | verb/adj. | Smeared or coated crudely with a substance (e.g., clay). |
| cannikin | noun | A small drinking cup or mug. |
| caulker | noun (slang) | A stiff drink taken as a bracer. |
| staunch | adjective | Loyal, firm, and dependable. |
| gallows | noun | A frame for execution by hanging; by extension, capital punishment. |
Quotes to Look For (with why they matter)
“I’m all for argyment; I never seen good come out o’ threatening.”
— Silver’s philosophy of persuasion over brute force.“and the first is this: here you are, in a bad way—ship lost, treasure lost, men lost, your whole business gone to wreck; and if you want to know who did it—it was I!”
— Jim’s bold confession; a turning point in his courage.“Kill me, if you please, or spare me. But one thing I’ll say, and no more; if you spare me, bygones are bygones, and when you fellows are in court for piracy, I’ll save you all I can.”
— Jim appeals to law and justice, offering himself as witness.“Take a cutlass, him that dares, and I’ll see the colour of his inside, crutch and all, before that pipe’s empty.”
— Silver’s fearsome authority and showmanship.“I’m cap’n here by ’lection. I’m cap’n here because I’m the best man by a long sea-mile.”
— Pirate “democracy” and Silver’s self-justification as leader.“Let me see him that’ll lay a hand on him—that’s what I say, and you may lay to it.”
— Silver publicly protects Jim to keep control.“You’re within half a plank of death, and what’s a long sight worse, of torture.”
— The immediate peril and stakes of Jim’s capture.“Back to back, says I. You save your witness, and he’ll save your neck!”
— The Silver–Jim pact: mutual survival over enmity.“I’m on squire’s side now.”
— Silver signals a shift in allegiance—pragmatic, not moral.“And talking o’ trouble, why did that doctor give me the chart, Jim?”
— The mystery of Livesey’s move; foreshadows strategy behind the map.“This crew’s dissatisfied; this crew don’t vally bullying a marlin-spike; this crew has its rights like other crews...”
— The crew asserts “rights,” revealing the pirates’ own code and rising mutiny.