LESSON 3

Read the Lecture notes on the Chapters 3 - 4.

Then take the quiz below.

Lecture Notes

Analysis

Chapter 3

It is worth noting Stevenson's technique of intensifying various moods in this chapter. First of all, there is a general mood of sadness created by the fact that Jim Hawkins's father's funeral is occurring in the background. Secondly, there is the strange mood created by Bones's behavior as he brandishes his cutlass while singing sentimental love songs. Last, the final mood is one of progressively intense evil, signaled by the arrival of Pew, the blind beggar. His presence and the simple act of presenting Bones with a scrap of paper carry a new oppressive form of evil into the narrative.

The black spot was the traditional pirates' death notice. When the pirates turned against someone, they gave him the black spot—a warning that he would be killed soon.

Chapter 4

Here, Stevenson maintains suspense, whisking the characters along through a series of trying circumstances—frustration in se-curing help, fear in returning to the inn, anxiety in poring over the contents of the sea chest, and terror throughout their escape. The entire chapter is skillfully modulated to sustain the reader's interest and involvement in the action.

In this chapter, Jim's mother asserts herself and becomes one of the most memorable minor

characters in the novel. She stands up in defense of her actions before her neighbors and later has Jim search the body of a dead man for a key before rifling his trunk. She possesses a compelling personality, marked by a mixture of avarice and honor.

Click here for the quiz.

For next lesson, read

In Treasure Island, read chapters 5 and 6, pages 19 - 27.

Click here for the chapter 5 and 6 Vocabulary words.