Why is Treasure Island also considered a coming-of-age story?

Treasure Island, written by the British author Robert Louis Stevenson, is widely recognized as a coming-of-age story because it chronicles the profound personal growth of its young protagonist, Jim Hawkins.12

While the novel is celebrated as a preeminent adventure tale, it functions as a coming-of-age narrative by placing Jim in high-stakes, life-and-death situations that force him to mature rapidly. Throughout his journey, Jim must navigate complex challenges, rely on his own wits to survive against ruthless adversaries, and confront significant moral lessons. This development reflects the core elements of a bildungsroman, a genre of literature that explores the moral and psychological formation of a character as they transition into adulthood. By the end of the narrative, Jim’s experiences with treachery, mutiny, and the ambiguity of human motives leave him fundamentally changed from the boy who first helped his parents run the Admiral Benbow inn.134