Long John Silver’s positive traits

Stevenson spends a lot of time describing Long John Silver in both negative and positive lights. Silver's positive traits make him human to the reader. We become invested in his character; we become sympathetic. We see Silver, and we see what he might have been had he not chosen the pirate's life. We come to understand the motivations behind his actions..... and we also see that even characters that are "bad" to the core often have redeeming qualities.