# does Long John Silver care about Jim, or just use him to his benefit **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 11, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983 "2011-04-11T18:38:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/1 "2011-04-11T18:38:20Z")
my friend wants to know ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/2 "2011-04-11T18:39:17Z")
You didn’t say “need answer fast!” I never got the impression that LJS had any affection for Jim. He was just another patsy to manipulate. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/3 "2011-04-11T18:44:22Z")
I believe Long John Silver is more concerned with Jack than Jim. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/4 "2011-04-11T19:15:21Z")
In the Muppet version it seems like he really does care for Jim, just cares about the treasure more. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/5 "2011-04-11T19:44:33Z")
Both. He starts off just using him as a patsy, then develops some genuine affection for him. But he’s such a villain at heart that he never lets that affection dissuade him from being a self-serving scoundrel. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/6 "2011-04-11T21:04:16Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > Both. He starts off just using him as a patsy, then develops some genuine affection for him. But he’s such a villain at heart that he never lets that affection dissuade him from being a self-serving scoundrel. I second that. RLS, of course, leaves it somewhat ambiguous; different film versions can be more (or less) explicit. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/7 "2011-04-11T21:15:15Z")
Silver likes Jim, but would still throw him to the sharks to save his own skin. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/8 "2011-04-11T22:50:59Z")
When I first read Treasure Island, around age 10, I remember being scared by Silver, and also puzzled - he was the first character I encountered in my reading who was both likeable and dangerous. Most kids lit is much more black and white, and the idea that there could be a likeable character who was also scary and untrustworthy was very unsettling. ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/9 "2011-04-11T22:56:19Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Silver likes Jim, but would still throw him to the sharks to save his own skin. “So, do you want to learn any Rigilean while you’re here?” “Just teach me one phrase and I’ll be fine.” “Which phrase would that be?” “Do what you want with the boy, just let me go free.” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/10 "2011-04-11T23:54:11Z")
Am I the only one that wondered if the “popular” “fast” “sea” ““food”” franchise had some new mascot or homeless looking spokesperson or something? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/11 "2011-04-12T00:34:23Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > I second that. RLS, of course, leaves it somewhat ambiguous; different film versions can be more (or less) explicit. I dunno–LJS is such a psycho that he may just be pretending to every stitch of humanity that he evinces. It’s been a few years since I read it, and I remember LJS being far and away the best part of that wonderful book, precisely because he’s the most likeable villain I remember encountering–and I say that as someone who’s a big fan of HBO. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/12 "2011-04-12T00:35:37Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Am I the only one that wondered if the “popular” “fast” “sea” ““food”” franchise had some new mascot or homeless looking spokesperson or something? Well, if the place has so many scare quotes around it, I guess they chose a properly ambiguous mascot 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/13 "2011-04-12T00:37:15Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Am I the only one that wondered if the “popular” “fast” “sea” ““food”” franchise had some new mascot or homeless looking spokesperson or something? Yep. First thing that came to my mind was the restaurant, which caused this question to make no sense to me at all. Also, is “My friend wants to know” the new, trendy way of saying “I don’t feel like typing anything or explaining my question here so I’ll leave all you guys to do the work.”? ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/14 "2011-04-12T00:40:38Z")
What else is there to explain besides the OP? further explanation to please you: I first read this book in 7th grade and have loved it ever since. It is one of my favorite books. I often hear, even written on the back of the book, that Long John Silver is a great example of a morally ambiguous character. But I am not sure I see that. Silver seems to me always only doing what is best for him. He is loyal neither to the pirates nor to Jim and company. He always seems to protect Jim when he can use it to bargain later (I protected Jim, try to save me from swinging). I think Long John Silver is always just looking out for #1. Also I have Treasure Island the 1950 Disney movie on laserdisc. what else do you want me to explain? ---
**Author:** ![SSgtBaloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@SSgtBaloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSgtBaloo)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/15 "2011-04-12T00:41:34Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Am I the only one that wondered if the “popular” “fast” “sea” ““food”” franchise had some new mascot or homeless looking spokesperson or something? Me too. I was a bit puzzled to discover this was about literature, not fish-n-chips. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/16 "2011-04-12T00:44:13Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > what else do you want me to explain? Who your friend is. He seems quite the intriguing character. Is he really your friend or do you just use him as the excuse to post these questions? Back to the OP: Long John Silver liked Jim Hawkins all right, but he is only in love with money and himself. The lady who saves his money for him in England is just a banker, he would cut her throat in a minute. P.S. I agree with Captain Smollett that Jim Hawkins gets into too much trouble for his own good and he needs to learn discipline before being invited on another English vessel. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/17 "2011-04-12T00:51:16Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > further explanation to please you: > > I first read this book in 7th grade and have loved it ever since. It is one of my favorite books. I often hear, even written on the back of the book, that Long John Silver is a great example of a morally ambiguous character. But I am not sure I see that. Silver seems to me always only doing what is best for him. He is loyal neither to the pirates nor to Jim and company. He always seems to protect Jim when he can use it to bargain later (I protected Jim, try to save me from swinging). I think Long John Silver is always just looking out for #1. Was that so hard to explain? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/18 "2011-04-12T00:51:17Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > Who your friend is. He seems quite the intriguing character. Is he really your friend or do you just use him as the excuse to post these questions? PSXer seems quite the bunburyist. But why jump down his throat about it? I agree with him that the title in the OP was self-explanatory. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/19 "2011-04-12T00:52:45Z")
I already explained in a previous post, my friend is made up. I use him when I don’t know what else to put in the OP because I think the topic title explains enough ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983/20 "2011-04-12T00:53:23Z")
It was a joke, playing off the thread title. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-long-john-silver-care-about-jim-or-just-use-him-to-his-benefit/577983.md?page=2)