Question

squire trelawney, dr. livesey, and the rest of these gentlemen having asked me to write down the whole particulars about treasure island, from the beginning to the end, keeping nothing back but the bearings of the island, and that only because there is still treasure not yet lifted, i take up my pen in the year of grace and go back to the time when my father kept the admiral benbow inn and the brown old seaman with the sabre cut first took up his lodging under our roof.

which best explains stevensons reason for beginning the chapter with this paragraph?

stevenson creates confusion in the reader with a narrator who explains that he is writing a story because he has been asked to do so by several other characters.
stevenson creates interest in the reader with mention of still undiscovered treasure and the arrival of a mysterious character in the narrators life.
stevenson creates unease in the reader with a detailed account of the problem the main character has to overcome to reach a solution.
stevenson creates a clear visual picture in the readers head with a strong description of the storys setting without giving its actual location.

Explanation:

Analyze the opening paragraph

The paragraph establishes the premise of the narrative. The narrator explains that he is writing down the details of "Treasure Island" because he was asked to do so, keeping back only the exact location ("bearings") because "there is still treasure not yet lifted." He then introduces the starting point of his tale: when "the brown old seaman with the sabre cut first took up his lodging under our roof."

Evaluate the author's purpose

An opening paragraph serves as a narrative hook to engage the reader's curiosity. Stevenson introduces two highly intriguing elements immediately:

1. "treasure not yet lifted" (undiscovered treasure).
2. "the brown old seaman with the sabre cut" (a mysterious, rough-looking character arriving at the inn).

These elements are designed to spark interest and suspense rather than cause confusion, unease about a specific problem, or focus purely on visual setting descriptions.

Compare with the given options

• Option 1: Suggests the opening creates "confusion." This is incorrect; the framing is a standard, clear 19th-century framing device, not an attempt to confuse.
• Option 2: Suggests it "creates interest" by mentioning "still undiscovered treasure" and the "arrival of a mysterious character." This directly matches the text ("treasure not yet lifted" and "the brown old seaman with the sabre cut").
• Option 3: Suggests it "creates unease" with a "detailed account of the problem." The paragraph does not detail a specific conflict or problem yet.
• Option 4: Suggests it creates a "clear visual picture... with a strong description of the story's setting." The paragraph mentions the "Admiral Benbow inn" but does not provide a detailed visual description of it.

Therefore, the second option is the most accurate explanation of Stevenson's narrative choice.

Answer:

• (A) Stevenson creates confusion in the reader with a narrator who explains that he is writing a story because he has been asked to do so by several other characters.
• (B) Stevenson creates interest in the reader with mention of still undiscovered treasure and the arrival of a mysterious character in the narrator's life. (Correct answer)
• (C) Stevenson creates unease in the reader with a detailed account of the problem the main character has to overcome to reach a solution.
• (D) Stevenson creates a clear visual picture in the reader's head with a strong description of the story's setting without giving its actual location.