Treasure Island · Chapter
Pieces of Eight explained
Jim Hawkins, having killed Israel Hands and disposed of O'Brien's body, finds himself alone on the Hispaniola.
What happens
Jim Hawkins, having killed Israel Hands and disposed of O'Brien's body, finds himself alone on the Hispaniola. He manages to lower the sails and abandons the ship, wading ashore. He makes his way back to the stockade under the rising moon, only to discover a large fire burning and no sentries awake. Creeping inside, he is betrayed by Silver's parrot, Captain Flint, who shrieks 'Pieces of eight!' and awakens the sleepers. Jim is captured by the pirates.
Themes in this chapter
Courage and Cowardice
Jim shows courage in killing Hands and managing the ship alone, but also feels terror and sickness after the violence.
Deception and Disguise
Jim's stealthy return to the stockade is undone by the parrot's unexpected cry, revealing the danger of hidden watchers.
Superstition and Fear
Jim's horror at the dead bodies and the eerie quiet of the stockade, coupled with the parrot's shriek, heightens the supernatural atmosphere.
Characters to notice
- Jim Hawkins
Jim kills Israel Hands, disposes of O'Brien's body, abandons the Hispaniola, and returns to the stockade where he is captured by Silver's men.
- Israel Hands
Israel Hands falls from the ship and drowns; his body lies on the sand, later joined by O'Brien's corpse.
- Long John Silver
Silver is present in the stockade; he orders a torch brought after Jim is captured.
- O'Brien
O'Brien is dead, his body thrown overboard by Jim; it rests beside Israel Hands on the seabed.
- Ben Gunn
Jim recalls encountering Ben Gunn earlier and sees a fire he assumes is Ben's cooking fire.
Key passages
“He rose once to the surface in a lather of foam and blood, and then sank again for good.”
Israel Hands surfaced briefly in a bloody froth before sinking to his death.
Jim witnesses Hands's final moments after their fight.
“I was no sooner certain of this than I began to feel sick, faint, and terrified.”
As soon as Jim realized Hands was dead, he was overcome with nausea and fear.
Jim's reaction to the violence he has just committed.
“Pieces of eight! pieces of eight! pieces of eight! pieces of eight! pieces of eight!”
The parrot repeated its learned phrase over and over without stopping.
Captain Flint the parrot betrays Jim's presence to the pirates.
“I turned to run, struck violently against one person, recoiled, and ran full into the arms of a second, who, for his part, closed upon and held me tight.”
Jim tried to flee but collided with one man, then was grabbed and held by another.
Jim is captured by Silver's men inside the stockade.