Remembering Long John Silver

Long John Silver is one of those rare literary characters who has transcended time as well as the confines of the novel in which he exists. For instance, there are now more than 1,200 Long John Silver's fast food restaurants located all over the world, serving a variety of seafood, named after him. In films, he has been portrayed by a list of great actors including Anthony Quinn, Charlton Heston, Orson Welles, Robert Newton, Jack Palance, and others.

Who is Long John Silver? With a name that rolls off the tongue so easily, he's a colorful anti-hero who may well have stolen the limelight from the hero, Jim Hawkins. In Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Treasure Island, Long John Silver is an ostentatious pirate who served under the infamous Captain Flint. He also boasted that he lost his leg while serving under Lord Edward Hawke in the Royal Navy. As a result, he walks with a crutch. However, Long John Silver is a proud man who would not be put down by his handicap. How does he hide his shortcoming? He keeps a parrot on his shoulder, creating an instantaneous diabolical effect wherever and whenever he appears. Would anyone pity such a man?

In the novel, Long John Silver functions as a mentor to Jim Hawkins, winning his trust so much so that Jim treats him as a father as the story progresses. Even when Jim discovers the truth about Silver's plotting of the mutiny, he cannot find the strength or resolve to destroy such a man. After Long John Silver makes off with "three or four hundred guineas" from the treasure, Jim reasons that he must be enjoying his life somewhere since it's hard for such a man to get his rewards in heaven.

Long John Silver is not one of those characters that you can either hate or love. The duality of his nature makes him an endearing person, if not, a human. Though Silver may sell his soul if the price is right, he's also ready to risk his life in the face of danger at the drop of a hat. For these reasons, Long John Silver lives in the memories of readers, long after they put the book away.

Still, you better not trust Long John Silver with any of your silver. If you have to sell silver, trust them to the best silver buyer. This way, you will surely get your instant cash for silver!