Blog assignment 3: Book reflection

I recently read the novel “Treasure Island” by R. L. Stevenson. It is about the teenager Jim Hawkins who comes across the map of an island where a huge pirate treasure is supposedly buried. After showing the map to some trusted men in the village, they decide to buy a boat and hire a crew to find the legendary treasure. However, they soon realize that they are not the only ones who are interested in hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of gold coins…

Perhaps you think that this sounds like a cliché? Well, considering that this novel was published as early as 1883, it practically defines this genre. As a matter of fact, whenever you think of a pirate, you are probably thinking of Stevenson’s version of a pirate (missing leg, drinking rum, singing songs, parrot on the shoulder).

What really struck me while I was reading this novel is the difference between what is considered to be appropriate cultural material for young people now, in contrast to what was considered appropriate in the past. When written, the novel was intended for adolescent boys, a “coming-of-age story”. However, it contains a lot of material which I dare say would never be allowed in modern novels intended for the same target audience as Treasure Island. Allow me to give you an example: one of the most famous quotes from the novel comes from when the protagonist, Jim, threatens a pirate with a gun and says “One more step, Mr. Hands, and I’ll blow your brains out! Dead men don’t bite, you know”. It is even mentioned that he chuckles. Compare this phrase to a similar one: “I’m not gonna hurt ya. I’m just gonna bash your brains in”. For those of you who do not know, that phrase comes from one of the more creepy scenes (in my opinion) in the modern horror movie “The Shining”, when the antagonist, Jack, threatens to kill his wife. Protagonist in teen novel - antagonist in horror movie a hundred years later - similar phrasing. Noteworthy?

Also remember that the quote from the novel comes from “the good guy”, of course the “bad guys” are far worse. The novel is full of scheming two-faced liars, assassination attempts, alcohol abuse, cold blooded murder, impending torture, starvation, mutiny, marooning and much, much more. Get your copy today!

I do think that people today might be a little overprotective. I know that there is an ongoing debate about whether violent video games and/or violent movies are dangerous to children or not. Therefore I would like to recommend watching the third episode (“Video Games”) of the seventh season of American duo Penn & Teller’s show “Bullshit!”.

To round things off, I would also like to recommend the novel. I thought it was a fun read, and it really made me long for a big mug o’ grog! (MI3 references FTW!)

/Kristoffer