Unbinding Piratical Themes: Treasure Island, The Unbinding of Mary Reade, and Piratical History

<p>Robert Louis Stevenson’s <em>Treasure Island, </em>a touchstone in children’s literature, is known among critics as the novel that popularized numerous piratical themes and tropes as well as the classic pirate archetype, which has been emulated in fictional pirates ever since. Long John Silver, the basis for this archetype, has been analyzed by these critics for over a century for his exciting personality, his moral ambiguity, and his thirst for freedom. Because of the incredible influence of <em>Treasure Island </em>and its pirate archetype, modern pirate literature, such as Miriam McNamara’s <em>The Unbinding of Mary Reade</em>, must reproduce many of the themes that Stevenson popularized in order to be recognized as piratical, yet it must also simultaneously adhere to the demands of a modern audience. McNamara, to appeal to this audience, positions a historical, cross-dressing female pirate figure as her main character, which not only mimics the classic themes that Silver popularized but also works to provide queer representation and a tale of gender transgression. Themes of freedom and ambiguity prevail throughout <em>The Unbinding</em>, as Reade rejects oppressive society on land in favor of truly expressing her undefined gender and sexuality on the open seas. By analyzing the influence of <em>Treasure Island </em>and its themes on the modern pirate genre through <em>The Unbinding,</em> McNamara’s novel<em> </em>reveals itself as a powerful, emulative tale of claiming freedom through piracy.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Year dc:date.available

2025

Author dc:creator

• Runnels, Sarah I

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Eric Tribunella
• Dr. Nicolle Jordan
• Dr. Alexandra Valint

• historical
• gender
• queer
• feminist
• Children's and Young Adult Literature
• Queer Studies
• Social History
• Women's Studies

Repository record dc:identifier

https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1172

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:aquila.usm.edu:masters_theses-2243