Ironically his 'share' of Flint's treasure ( £420) is considerably less than that of Ben Gunn (£1,000) and what Silver boasts was his share from England (£900) and from Flint (£2,000).Īccording 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. He confides in his fellow pirates that he and his wife plan to rendezvous after the voyage to Skeleton Island is complete and Flint's treasure is recovered, at which point Silver will retire to a life of luxury. Silver is married to a woman of African descent, whom he trusts to manage his business affairs in his absence and to liquidate his Bristol assets when his actions make it impossible for him to go home. (The repentant maroonee Ben Gunn is the other, but he spends all £1,000 in nineteen days.) Jim's own ambivalence towards Silver is reflected in the last chapter, when he speculates that the old pirate must have settled down in comfortable retirement: 'It is to be hoped so, I suppose, for his chances of comfort in another world are very small.' When Silver escapes at the end of the novel, he takes 'three or four hundred guineas' of the treasure with him, thus becoming one of only two former members of Captain Flint's crew to get his hands on a portion of the recovered treasure. 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 seamen despite having only Jim, a boy in his teens, to back him. He is wise enough to save his money, in contrast to the spendthrift ways of most of the pirates. His relationship with Jim Hawkins, the novel's protagonist and narrator, belies that duality, as he serves as a mentor and eventually father-figure to Jim, creating much shock and emotion when it is discovered that he is in charge of the mutiny, and especially when Jim must confront and fight him later on.Īlthough treacherous and willing to change sides at any time to further his own interests, Silver has compensating virtues. Like many of Stevenson's characters, there is significant duality in the character ostensibly Silver is a hardworking and likeable seaman, and it is only as the plot unfolds that his villainous nature is gradually revealed. He also claims to have been the only man whom Flint ever feared. He was very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham-plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling.' 'His left leg was cut off close by the hip, and under the left shoulder, he carried a crutch, which he managed with wonderful dexterity, hopping about upon it like a bird.

Silver claims to have served in the Royal Navy and lost his leg under 'the immortal Hawke'.

She was at the boarding of the Viceroy of the Indies out of Goa, she was, and to look at her you would think she was a baby.' She's been at Madagascar, and at Malabar, and Surinam, and Providence, and Portobello. She's sailed with England-the great pirate Cap'n England. ''Now that bird,' Silver would say, 'is, maybe, two hundred years old, Hawkins-they lives forever mostly, and if anybody's seen more wickedness it must be the devil himself. Long John Silver has a parrot, named Captain Flint in honor-or mockery-of his former captain, who generally perches on Silver's shoulder, and is known to chatter pirate or seafaring phrases like ' Pieces of Eight', and 'Stand by to go about.' Silver uses the parrot as another means of gaining Jim's trust, by telling the boy all manner of exciting stories about the parrot's buccaneer history. Stevenson's portrayal of Silver has greatly influenced the modern iconography of the pirate. Long John Silver is a cunning and opportunistic pirate who was quartermaster under the notorious Captain Flint. ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) ( February 2017) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. This section possibly contains original research.

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