Long John Silver | |
---|---|
Real Name |
John Silver |
First Appearance |
Treasure Island (1883) |
Original Publisher |
Cassell and Company |
Created by |
Robert Louis Stevenson |
Origin
Long John Silver is a pirate who was ship's quartermaster under the notorious Captain Flint. Silver claims to have served in the Royal Navy and lost his leg under "the immortal Hawke". He
was said to have been the only man whom Flint ever feared. He had a parrot on his shoulder. Silver is a hardworking and likeable seaman, but his villainous nature is gradually revealed. His relationship with Jim Hawkins, is interesting, 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 him and fight later on. Although willing to change sides at any time in the interests of his own survival, Silver has compensating virtues: he is wise enough to pay attention to money management, in contrast to the spendthrift ways of most pirates, and is physically courageous despite his disability; for instance, when Flint's cache is found to be empty, he coolly stands his ground against five grown men despite having only Hawkins to back him.
When Silver escapes 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; a separate cache of bar silver is apparently left on the island. (The repentant maroonee Ben Gunn is the other, but he spends it all in nineteen days.) Jim's own ambivalence towards Silver is reflected 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."
Public Domain Appearances of Long John Silver
Literature:
- Young Folks Magazine 1881-1882 (Serialized as Treasure Island or, the mutiny of the Hispaniola)
- Treasure Island (1883)
- Peter and Wendy (1904): According to J. M. Barrie's play Peter and Wendy, Captain Hook was the only man whom Silver ever feared.
Film:
- Treasure Island (1920)
Comics:
- Long John Silver & the Pirates #30-32
- Catholic Comics vol. 3 #1-10
- Robin Hood & His Merry Men #36
- Kid Eternity #4,7
- Four Color #624
- Sparkie #1
- More Fun Comics v1 #6,10,11
- Thriller Comics #3
- Target Comics #2-6,10-11
Public Domain Comic Appearances Inspired by Long John Silver
- Top-Notch Laugh Comics #43: A crook named after Long John Silver hid the mao to locate his loot inside a first edition of Treasure Island. Long John Silver and the Book Worm (MLJ) kill each other over the treasure before the arrival of Black Hood.