Loyalty and Betrayal

Every major character must choose between self-interest and faithfulness, and those choices set the outcome.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Faithful and the Fallen

The Faithful and the Fallen Context The loyal party numbers seven; the mutineers nineteen. Englishmen are arrayed against Englishmen. Development Long John Silver tears most of the crew away from duty, but a few, like Gray, remain uncertain until the last. Significance The split is a moral map of the book. Loyalty becomes the measure of a man's worth.

Gray's Choice

Gray's Choice Context As the loyal party leaves the Hispaniola, Captain Smollett gives Abraham Gray thirty seconds to choose his side. Development Gray breaks away from the mutineers, bleeding from a knife cut, and joins the captain's boat. His decision changes the battle's balance. Significance Gray's choice shows that loyalty is an individual act, even when the crowd is wicked.

Ben Gunn's Secret Loyalty

Ben Gunn's Secret Loyalty Context Ben Gunn, a former pirate, trusts Jim Hawkins and Dr. Livesey more than the 'gentlemen of fortune' who abandoned him. Development He moves the treasure, scares the mutineers, and fights beside the loyal party. His loyalty is bought with the promise of passage and reward. Significance Ben's choice is both practical and emotional. It proves that cruelty can destroy loyalty and kindness can win it.

Silver's Double Game

Silver's Double Game Context Silver is simultaneously the captain of the mutineers and the secret ally of the doctor, working to save his own neck. Development He protects Jim while leading the pirates, and promises loyalty to both sides. The double game nearly kills him at the pit. Significance Silver's treachery is universal betrayalism. He is loyal only to his own survival, and the theme uses him as its negative example.

The Mutineers Left Behind

The Mutineers Left Behind Context The three surviving mutineers kneel on the sand, begging to be taken away. The ship continues on its course. Development The doctor tells them where to find supplies, but they are left to the island. One fires a useless shot at the ship. Significance The abandonment is a final act of hard-hearted loyalty to the rest. It shows that betrayal has a logical end: isolation.

during the mutiny plot on the Hispaniola

when Captain Smollett calls Abraham Gray from the ship

when Ben Gunn chooses the gentlemen over his old shipmates

from the stockade to the treasure pit

when the Hispaniola sails away from Treasure Island