Classics Without All the Class discussion

Feel free to discuss these chapters as you read. Full spoilers for these three chapters, but if you end up spoiling future chapters preface your post with *spoilers*.

Jim shows his smarts again! He has shown tactical aptitude on land and sea. Cutting loose the Hispaniola sets the stage for the final showdown. Did anyone pick up on how old Jim is? I am guessing 14 or so but I don't remember reading his age anywhere.

Seemed like a teenager. I loved the boat drama as well. It was a necessity to have even more so than the gold. He was truly a "fortune's favorite". Captain Smollet should have loved to sail a few more with him!

I actually had a bit of a problem with Jim leaving the fort. It showed a lack of discipline and a lack of respect for Captain Smollett especially after Smollett had just called them out on leaving their posts while he had his showdown with Silver. He left them short a man when they were outnumbered already and completely clueless as to what had become of him. Much like military discipline, a captain's strict control over his crew is imperative to the running of a tight ship. Jim is very lucky that his solo adventure worked out. Had he lost the ship it would have been a whole different ballgame. Of course it made for great fiction but I did have a problem with Jim's selfishness in this instance. I guess I have to take his young age into consideration and cut him some slack. I agree, he's between 12 and 15.

Perhaps he yearned to be looked at as brave, masculine, and a little reckless. Youg readers needed to see him as a cool dude of his time.

Beth wrote: "Perhaps he yearned to be looked at as brave, masculine, and a little reckless. Youg readers needed to see him as a cool dude of his time."


Dude, when I read this I was like, seriously Jim, seriously?! I mean why are you running off yet again! you have serious problem! Like a death wish or something! Probably like Karen above says, total lack of discipline and listening to authority!

Then again mamybe b/c his last little adventure did turn out successfully b/c he managed to save the ship, he was a little over confident. Either way, gah! Idiot!

Jeane wrote: "


Dude, when I read this I was like, seriously..."

I love reading your posts, because I can imagine hearing you say it, since I know your voice and personality a bit from the podcast :)

And if Jim had not been so daring, the fate of the rest of the ship would have been even graver. He always manages to come out on top.

Yep it COULD have all backfired on him....but it didn't. I think the dialog certainly made him sound like an overconfident teenager at times. I do think Robert Lewis Stevenson knew his audience and predicted they would relate to Jim in that situation.