and left him staring sober.clear-headed; not drunk
Treasure Island
Chapter 3
Robert Louis Stevenson · Trailblazers 4th–6th
Copywork
The poor captain raised his eyes, and at one look the rum went out of him and left him staring sober. The expression of his face was not so much of terror as of mortal sickness. He made a movement to rise, but I do not believe he had enough force left in his body.
Read the three sentences aloud and listen for the word "sober". What does the rum going out of him let the captain see, and why does Jim choose "mortal sickness" rather than "terror" to name the look on his face?
Discussion
Narration Tell what happens from Jim's visit to the captain's room at noon to the moment the captain falls in the parlour.
- The captain talks boldly about tricking his enemies, yet Jim says his words “contrasted sadly with the weakness of the voice.” Is the captain fooling Jim, himself, or neither? Tone
- The captain calls the doctor “that eternal doctor swab,” yet tells Jim to ride to him if the trouble comes. What does that tell us about the captain? Inference
- After Jim's father dies the captain grows weaker, yet draws his cutlass on the table when he is drunk. Is he more dangerous now, or less? Character
- Once the captain pipes up “a kind of country love-song” from his youth. Why might Stevenson put that small moment in? Author's choice
- Jim warns the blind man that the captain “sits with a drawn cutlass.” Is that kindness toward someone who is hurting him, or a way of avoiding going in? Moral reasoning
Make a Connection Tell about someone you know who talks boldly when they are frightened.
Vocabulary
- sober
- mortal
terror as of mortal sickness.
deadly; leading to death- spirited
spirited as they were in meaning,
full of energy and courage- uttered
the voice in which they were uttered.
spoken aloud- distress
Our natural distress,
deep sorrow or trouble- confidences
he had as good as forgotten his confidences;
secrets told in trust- flighty
but his temper was more flighty,
changeable and unsteady- vise
gripped it in a moment like a vise.
a clamp that holds something fast- cowed
It cowed me more than the pain,
frightened into giving in- apoplexy
struck dead by thundering apoplexy.
a stroke; a sudden deadly seizure
Critical thinking
- The captain pleads, reminds Jim of past kindness, threatens, and offers a guinea for rum. Using two pieces of evidence, which appeal comes closest to working on Jim?
- The captain looks into his palm and cries, “Six hours. We'll do them yet.” Using two pieces of evidence, is he hopeful, beaten, or both?
- Jim says the blind man's voice “cowed me more than the pain.” Using two pieces of evidence, explain what makes this stranger so frightening.