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| “ | There’s never a man looked me between the eyes and seen a good day a’terwards. | „ |
| ~ Long John Silver |
Long John Silver is the main antagonist of the 1883 novel Treasure Island. At the beginning of the novel he appears to be a friendly one-legged cook, however as the story goes on he reveals himself to be the mastermind & leader of the Pirate Crew that mutinies against the crew of the Hispaniola. He also was member of Captain Flint's crew by the past He is the archenemy of Him Hawkins.
He was created by the late Robert Louis Stevenson.
Appearance[]
Long John Silver is mainly characterised by his missing left leg, cut off close by the hip, and under the left shoulder, he carried a crutch. He often has on his shoulder a parrot named Cap'n Flint (in reference to his former captain).
Biography[]
Past[]
We don't know much information about Silver before meeting Jim Hawkins. He claims to have served in the Royal Navy and lost his leg under "the immortal Hawke".
However, we know he has been Captain Flint's quartermaster on his ship, the Walrus. From this fact, he knew also some pirates that Jim Hawkins will meet later, like Billy Bones, Blind Pew, Black dog, Ben Gunn and Israel Hands. He lost his left leg due to a broadside, the same which made Pew blind.
After Flint's death, he and the Walrus' crew decide to recover his treasure by taking the map, given to Billy Bones.
Treasure Island[]
When Jim goes to Bristol and visits Long John Silver at the Spy Glass tavern, his suspicions are immediately aroused: Silver is missing a leg, like the man Bones warned him about. But Silver manages to win Jim's trust. Despite Captain Smollett's misgivings about the mission and Silver's hand-picked crew, duping Squire Trelawney, the Hispaniola sets sail for the Caribbean Sea. Silver uses also his parrot, Cap'n Flint, as other way to earn Jim's trust by telling stories about the parrot's history. He incites the first mate, Mr Arrow, a drunkard, to drink more alcohol, leading him to be ejected overboard during a storm.
As they near their destination, and without knowing that Jim secretly listens them, John Silver reveals he was Captain Flint's quartermaster and several of the other crew were also once Flint's pirates, and he is recruiting more men from the crew to his own side. Silver plans to kill Captain Smollett and the remaining loyal crew once the treasure is discovered.
Arriving at the island, the pirates take control of the ship, while Jim and Smollett's loyal band take refuge in an abandoned stockade on the island. After a brief truce, the mutineers attack the stockade, with casualties on both sides of the battle. Silver and his pirates assault the stockade but are repulsed in a furious battle.
Later, Captain Smollett's party has agreed to a truce whereby the pirates take the map and allow the besieged party to leave. Jim returns to stockade where Silver and the pirates capture him. When Jim reveals he had foiled their plans and cut the Hispaniola's anchor, the pirates want to kill him, but Silver refuses and choose to take him in hostage. In the morning, Livesey arrives to treat the wounded and sick pirates, and tells Silver to look out for trouble once he's found the site of the treasure. Knowing that Jim knows where is the ship, he decides to use him as way to avoid condemnation. If they find the treasure then he can ransom Jim, but if things do go bad Jim owes him for his protection and can vouch for him with his friends.
After a dispute over leadership, Silver and the others set out with the map, taking Jim along as a hostage. They find a skeleton with its arms oriented toward the treasure, unnerving the party. Ben Gunn shouts Captain Flint's last words from the forest, making the superstitious pirates believe that Flint's ghost is haunting the island. They eventually find a treasure cache, but it is empty. The pirates prepare to kill Silver and Jim, but they are driven off by the doctor's party, including Gunn. Livesey explains that Gunn had already found the bulk of the treasure and taken it to his cave, long ago. The expedition members load this portion of the treasure onto the Hispaniola and depart the island, with Silver as their only prisoner. At their first port, in Spanish America, Silver steals a bag of money and escapes. The remaining crew sail back to Bristol and divide up the treasure.
Personality[]
He claims to have been the only man whom Flint ever feared. Although treacherous and willing to change sides at any time to further his own interests, Silver has compensating virtues. He is wise enough to save his money, in contrast to the spendthrift ways of most of the pirates. He is physically courageous despite his disability: for instance, when Flint's cache is found to be empty, he coolly stands his ground against five murderous pirates despite having only Jim, a boy in his teens, to back him.
Concept and creation[]
According to Stevenson's letters, the idea for the character of Long John Silver was inspired by his real-life friend William Henley, a writer and editor. Stevenson's stepson, Lloyd Osbourne, described Henley as "...a great, glowing, massive-shouldered fellow with a big red beard and a crutch; jovial, astoundingly clever, and with a laugh that rolled like music; he had an unimaginable fire and vitality; he swept one off one's feet". In a letter to Henley after the publication of Treasure Island, Stevenson wrote: "I will now make a confession. It was the sight of your maimed strength and masterfulness that begot Long John Silver...the idea of the maimed man, ruling and dreaded by the sound, was entirely taken from you".
Actors[]
- Robert Newton in 1950, Long John Silver (1954) and The Adventures of Long John Silver (1955).
- Orson Welles in 1972
- Richard Dawson in 1973
- In Takarajima, he is voiced in Japanese by Genzō Wakayama (TV series, 1978) and Michio Hazama (movie, 1987). In English, he is voiced by Richard Epcar.
- Charlton Eston in 1990
- Tim Curry in Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
- Jack Palance in 1999
- Brian Murray in Treasure Planet (2002)
- Eddie Izzard in 2012
- Luke Arnold in Black Sails (2014-2017), a prequel story which takes place 20 years before Treasure Island.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- He is based on William Henley, a Stevenson's friend, who lost his left leg.
- His missing leg and parrot have greatly contributed to the image of the pirate in popular culture.
- His parrot, Cap'n Flint, is a reference to his former captain and a way to earn Jim Hawkins' trust. The parrot cries out "Pieces of eight!" This use tied the coin (and parrots) to fictional depictions of pirates. Deriving from the wide popularity of this book, "pieces of eight" is sometimes used to mean "money" or "a lot of money", regardless of specific denomination, and also as a synonym for treasure in general.
- He has probably been an inspiration for Hector Barbossa: both of them have lost a leg, have a pet named after their former captains and led a mutiny after the treasure was revealed.
External Links[]
- Long John Silver on the Wikipedia
- Long John Silver on the Reform Wiki
[]
 Villains
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