Student Question

What are the physical descriptions of Captain Smollett, Dr. Livesey, Long John Silver, Squire Trelawney, and Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island?

Quick answer:

In Treasure Island, Dr. Livesey is neatly dressed with a powdered wig, bright black eyes, and smokes a pipe. Squire Trelawney is tall, heavy, with black eyebrows and a rough face. Long John Silver is one-legged, tall, strong, with a plain face and often has a parrot. Captain Smollett is smart-looking and perpetually angry. Jim Hawkins is a young, small, strong, and athletic boy.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

DR. LIVESEY.  The doctor dressed neatly with a powdered wig "as white as snow." He was well-mannered with "bright, black eyes" and regularly smokes a pipe. He is apparently more youthful than the squire of Captain Smollett, and is athletic, highly intelligent and a competent doctor.

SQUIRE TRELAWNEY. The wealthy squire was tall, better than six feet tall, and somewhat heavy. He had black eyebrows and a red, "rough-and-ready" face well-lined from his age and travels. Like the doctor, he also smokes a pipe.

LONG JOHN SILVER.  The colorful Silver was one-legged, using a crutch for his missing left leg, on which he hopped about "like a bird." Jim describes Silver as "very tall and strong," with a pale, plain face "as big as a ham." He nearly always smiled, and he whistled often; while at the inn, he was clean and even-tempered. On board the ship, he often had a parrot, Cap'n Flint, on his shoulder.

CAPTAIN SMOLLETT.  There is little description of the Captain, who Jim calls "smart-looking" and "angry with everything on board."

JIM HAWKINS.  As the narrator, Jim gives little or no description of himself. We know he is a young boy, smaller than all of the men on board. He proves to be strong and athletic enough to defend himself from the murderous pirate aboard the ship.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial