ABSTRACT
Themes in literature can be distinguished from the subject or content. The themes, or messages, are often implicit and not necessarily overtly stated. Different readers will respond to and identify with different themes within a novel, and as themes are at the heart of the way in which readers attribute meaning to what they read, it is important that space is allowed for individual response and interpretation. Responses will be determined by experiences and thematic relevance to readers. Some of the major themes that emerge in Treasure Island include friendship, trust, loyalty, the quest, good and evil, personal growth and maturation, fortune and luck. Children may well identify further themes.
