Mr. Arrow in Treasure Island
Minor character
The ship’s mate whose drinking undermines his duty and leaves the Hispaniola short-handed.
Who is Mr. Arrow?
Mr. Arrow is the mate of the Hispaniola aboard which Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey, Captain Smollett, Jim Hawkins, and a hired crew sail for Treasure Island. He is nominally in a position of authority and is expected to help enforce discipline and oversee the ship, but he struggles with growing drunkenness and an unexplained ready supply of liquor. Early in the voyage his increasing incapacity becomes obvious to the officers and crew; he fails to perform reliably, and eventually he disappears, leaving the ship one officer short. His breakdown forces other men—Job Anderson in particular—to shoulder extra responsibility and contributes to Captain Smollett’s unease about the cruise. Mr. Arrow’s presence and rapid decline highlight weaknesses in the ship’s leadership and unsettle the ship’s balance of order and control during the outward passage.
Personality
- Indulgent
- Jim notes an always-available barrel of grog and the ship’s indulgent atmosphere that Arrow partakes in, showing how he gives in to drink.
- Unreliable
- Stevenson records Arrow’s growing drunkenness and eventual disappearance, leaving the officers short-handed.
- Officer in title
- He is introduced and identified aboard the Hispaniola as the mate, expected to carry out duties under Captain Smollett.
- Physically failing
- The voyage notes emphasize Arrow’s failing state as days pass, contrasting with other competent seamen who step up.
Character arc
Mr. Arrow appears as the appointed mate of the Hispaniola, a formally important figure whose job should be to support the captain and maintain order among the crew. At first his position is simply noted when the party come aboard and Captain Smollett discusses ship arrangements with the squire and doctor. Very soon, however, Jim and others observe that Arrow is drinking too freely; the ship’s indulgent provisions and accessible liquor feed his excess. Over the first days of the voyage his condition worsens: he becomes increasingly drunken and unreliable. That decline forces others—most immediately Job Anderson and the boatswain—to fill the operational gap. Before long Arrow disappears entirely from the ship’s functioning; his absence leaves the Hispaniola one officer short and intensifies Smollett’s misgivings about the voyage and its personnel. He does not recover or redeem himself in the chapters covered; his trajectory is from official authority to dereliction and removal, and his failure helps reallocate responsibility among more competent men.
Mr. Arrow in pictures
Relationships
- Captain Smollett Smollett is the commanding officer who expects the mate to support ship discipline and grows uneasy as Arrow fails in his duties.
- Squire Trelawney Trelawney is responsible for hiring and outfitting the ship; Arrow serves aboard under the squire’s expedition though Trelawney clashes with Smollett over ship arrangements.
- Job Anderson When Arrow falters and then disappears, Job Anderson and other hands fill the operational gap left by the mate.
- Israel Hands Israel Hands emerges as a competent seaman in the same period Arrow declines, effectively contrasting with Arrow’s failure.
- Jim Hawkins Jim observes life aboard the Hispaniola and notices Arrow’s growing drunkenness and disappearance among the shipboard details he records.
Why Mr. Arrow matters
Mr. Arrow functions as a small but telling example of how personal vice and weak leadership can compromise a voyage. His decline and disappearance destabilize the ship’s chain of command and underline Captain Smollett’s warnings about discipline and the danger of loose talk and familiarity. Arrow’s failure contrasts with the steadiness of others who must compensate, reinforcing themes about responsibility, the consequences of indulgence, and the fragile balance keeping the honest men safe on the outward passage.
Chapters with Mr. Arrow
More Treasure Island characters
Jim HawkinsProtagonist
Dr. LiveseyMajor character
Long John SilverAntagonist
Squire TrelawneyMajor character
Captain SmollettMajor character
Captain FlintAntagonist
Ben GunnMajor character
Abraham GrayMajor character
All chapter summaries ›Characters ›
Read Treasure Island illustrated
Every scene in these notes comes from the Book2Life reader, where the full public-domain text is illustrated as you read, with character portraits and narration. Free in your browser and on iPhone.
