Black Spot (Treasure Island)

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
For the 1887 painting called The Black Spot, see: Albert Bettannier.
File:TI-BlackSpot.jpg
The pirates prepare the Black Spot; N. C. Wyeth, 1911

The Black Spot is a literary device invented by Robert Louis Stevenson for his novel Treasure Island. In the book, pirates are presented with a "black spot" to officially pronounce a verdict of guilt or judgment. It consists of a circular piece of paper or card, with one side blackened while the other side bears a message and placed in the hand of the accused.[1] It was a source of much fear because it meant the pirate was to be deposed as leader, by force if necessary—or else killed outright. In Treasure Island, Billy Bones is much frightened by it but remains determined to outwit his enemies; however he suffers a stroke caused by the overconsumption of liquor and dies.[2] Later Long John Silver receives the spot, but is calm enough to notice that it has been torn out from a Bible, and warns his associates of the ill luck this will bring upon them.[3] The Black Spot is also used against Long John Silver (Brian Blessed) in Disney's TV miniseries Return to Treasure Island, 1986.

Origins

The origin of Stevenson's Black Spot might be in the historical tradition of Caribbean pirates of showing an Ace of Spades to a person condemned as traitor or informer. The card was putting the person dangerously "on the spot", since the ace bears a single pip.[4][5][6]

Appearances in other works

The Black Spot has since been used in other works of popular culture:

Listed chronologically:

  • 1930: In Swallows and Amazons Uncle Jim (James Turner), (Captain Flint) receives the Black Spot from Nancy.
  • 1938: In the film Algiers Regis draws the ace of spades when forced to cut the deck. Carlos calls this drawing of the black spot "very bad luck".
  • 1946: In the novel Joy in the Morning by P. G. Wodehouse, Boko Fittleworth greets the news that Bertie Wooster is engaged to Florence Craye by saying "I did think that the black spot had finally passed into Stilton's possession."
  • 1948: Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" describes use of the black spot to select the annual victim of ritual human sacrifice.
  • 1969: A Pirate Utopia, The pirate lord Olaf, is given the black spot by Leonard as he had tortured some people without permission.
  • 1986: In Stephen King's novel It, the doomed Negro nightclub is named "The Black Spot."
  • 1996: Muppet Treasure Island, a retelling of Treasure Island, the black spot is drawn on a piece of paper and given to Billy Bones; when he explains that the black spot is "a pirate's death sentence," the Great Gonzo utters "Fabulous." It is also given to Long John Silver on a leaf from a Bible. He escapes execution by claiming they have defiled the holy book.
  • 2000: The 2000 video-game Skies of Arcadia presented players with a black spot, a message from a bounty hunter that they would soon be hunted down and killed.
  • 2002: Puzzle Pirates, an MMORPG created by Three Rings Design, uses the term "Black Spot" to refer to a temporary way to silence rude and disruptive players.
  • 2006: In the Disney feature film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Captain Jack Sparrow is presented with a "Black Spot" by Davy Jones as a marker that the Kraken can track; in the film, the black spot appears as a large black boil-like swelling on the palm of his hand.
  • 2007: In the CBS reality television show Pirate Master, the black spot is given by the captain to the three contestants that he nominates to be voted off.
  • 2008: On the indie-Americana band Murder By Death's fourth album Red of Tooth and Claw, there is a song titled "The Black Spot" in which the singer laments, "The black spot, I never thought I'd be the one givin' it to you."
  • 2009: The pirate-themed power/folk metal band Alestorm featured the Black Spot in their song "Chronicles of Vengeance" on their second album Black Sails at Midnight.
  • 2011: The third episode of Series 6 (Season 32) of Doctor Who, "The Curse of the Black Spot", takes place on a pirate ship, suggesting that the device of the spot is a reference to Stevenson, but the black spot is a mark that is placed on the palm of the hand of anyone that is sick or injured by a mystical seductress named only as "The Siren", not on a card handed to an individual.
  • 2006-2011: Kate Beaton's "Hark! A Vagrant:" Page 265 has a pirate receive a black spot from another pirate before he's shot for pointing out that the practice was invented by Stevenson. Page 281, strip "Davey Jones, I mean, In the drink" a man receives a black spot from gangsters, he then tells them "You've mixed up genres."
  • 2012: 30 Rock Season 6, Episode 3, "Idiots Are People Three" Jack Donaghy hands Criss (Liz Lemon's new boyfriend) a black spot while telling Liz he is Officially Disapproving of Criss (with no "H" and two "S".) He later presented Criss with a gold star following his marriage to Liz Lemon.

References

  1. ↑ The fullest description is in chapter 29 of the book where the narrator describes still having Silver's Black Spot in his possession.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Billy Bones receives the spot - chapter 3
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Long John Silver receives the spot from Morgan - chapter 29
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Black_Spot_(Treasure_Island)&oldid=2330787"