Still, the idea of treasure functions in another way in the book, too, playing off the double meaning of the word “fortune,” which can mean both “wealth” and “fate.” At one point, Israel Hands declares that the voyage on the Hispaniola might always have been cursed with bad fortune-that death and destruction were, perhaps, fated to follow all those on board the ship. It’s something that can be sought and striven after without this search implying greed or sin. Treasure is instead, throughout the book, considered as an unquestioned good. The pirates might be the murderous enemies of the protagonist, but not because they are greedy while the others remain selfless and unconcerned with money. Importantly, the story never really challenges this desire. The existence of this fortune tempts nearly all the characters in the novel-few are exempt from such a dream, from Long John Silver and Captain Smollett to Jim Hawkins himself. The plot of Treasure Island is structured around the hunt for a fortune of massive proportions.
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