Treasure Island · Chapter
II: Black Dog Appears and Disappears explained
On a bitter cold January morning, Jim Hawkins encounters a mysterious stranger at the Admiral Benbow Inn who is looking for his 'mate Bill'—the captain.
What happens
On a bitter cold January morning, Jim Hawkins encounters a mysterious stranger at the Admiral Benbow Inn who is looking for his 'mate Bill'—the captain. The stranger, revealed to be Black Dog, confronts the captain in the parlor. A violent fight erupts, ending with Black Dog fleeing wounded. The captain suffers a stroke, and Doctor Livesey arrives to bleed him and warn him that rum will be his death.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Disguise
Black Dog's initial fawning manner hides his true menacing purpose, and he uses false familiarity to get close to the captain.
Superstition and Fear
The captain's terror at seeing Black Dog is described as like seeing a ghost or the Evil One, and the tattoo of a gallows is called 'prophetic' by the doctor.
Characters to notice
- Jim Hawkins
Jim serves the stranger, witnesses the fight, and helps the doctor tend to the captain.
- Black Dog
A pale, tallowy man missing two fingers on his left hand; he confronts the captain and fights him, then flees wounded.
- Billy Bones
The captain is confronted by Black Dog, fights him, suffers a stroke, and is bled by Doctor Livesey.
- Doctor Livesey
Arrives to treat the captain after his stroke, bleeds him, and warns him against drinking rum.
Key passages
“He was a pale, tallowy creature, wanting two fingers of the left hand; and, though he wore a cutlass, he did not look much like a fighter.”
The stranger was pale and greasy-looking, missing two fingers on his left hand, and despite carrying a cutlass, he didn't appear to be a seasoned warrior.
Jim's first impression of Black Dog emphasizes his unsettling appearance and ambiguous nature.
“The captain spun round on his heel and fronted us; all the brown had gone out of his face, and even his nose was blue; he had the look of a man who sees a ghost, or the Evil One, or something worse, if anything can be.”
The captain whirled around to face them; his face lost all color, turning blue even at the nose, and he looked as if he had seen a ghost or the devil himself.
The captain's extreme reaction reveals his deep fear of Black Dog and hints at their shared criminal past.