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A character in Treasure Island

Who is Jim Hawkins?

By the Library of Alexandria · 2 minute read · Updated 23 Oct 2026

In short

  • Jim Hawkins is the innkeeper's son who tells the story in Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure novel Treasure Island.
  • He finds a pirate's treasure map and sails aboard the Hispaniola as its cabin boy.
  • His trust in the friendly cook Long John Silver becomes tangled with fear as he discovers a hidden plot.

Who Jim Hawkins is

Jim Hawkins lives with his parents at the Admiral Benbow, a lonely inn on the English coast. When the rough sailor Billy Bones arrives with a sea chest, Jim's familiar home becomes a place of fear.

A packet Jim takes from the chest contains a map showing where Captain Flint's treasure lies buried. He brings it to Dr Livesey and Squire Trelawney, whose plans carry him from the inn to the sea.

How Jim Hawkins changes

At first, Jim watches dangers he does not fully understand, including Billy Bones's fear of a sailor with one leg. Aboard the Hispaniola, he overhears plans for mutiny while hidden inside an apple barrel.

He tells his trusted companions what he hears, giving them a chance to prepare without alerting the plotters. As danger grows on the island, Jim begins making choices alone rather than simply following the adults.

Jim Hawkins and the others in the story

Long John Silver treats Jim kindly, tells him stories, and seems far less frightening than Jim expects. Discovering the cook's secret forces Jim to question a man he has begun to like.

Jim remains loyal to his friends and to the truth, though fear accompanies his growing courage.

Questions

Who is Jim Hawkins?

Jim Hawkins is the young cabin boy at the centre of Treasure Island, and he tells most of its story.

How does Jim Hawkins discover the mutiny?

Jim overhears Silver discussing the plot while he sits hidden in an apple barrel aboard the ship.

Is Jim Hawkins friends with Long John Silver?

Jim comes to like Silver because the cook is friendly and kind to him. That affection becomes uncertain when Jim learns that Silver leads the pirates.

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