Complications are the difficult circumstances that are reactions to a characters attempt to make something end up being right. Typically complications are resolved through the revealing plot which helps the character overcome a struggle or issue internally or externally. Complications occur to all characters some more but most of the complications witnessed first in Treasure Island are internal and about morale. For Jim Hawkins, in the beginning of the book he deals with a complication that is both internal and external with him doing the right thing or just doing something to make others happy. In the instance, what was going on was, that Jim and his mother had to make the choice of being safe and worrying about their own family and taking the chest full of whatever the captain had or just letting it go and move on without getting hurt. On page 65,“I ran to him at once, calling to my mother. But haste was all in vain. The captain had been struck dead by thundering apoplexy. It is a curious thing to understand, for I had certainly never liked the man, though of late I had begun to pity him, but as soon as I saw that he was dead I burst into a flood of tears. It was the second death I had known, and the sorrow of the first was still fresh in my heart.” From this point on the complication set in and the characters had to make a decision morally of what they were going to do with the Captain.
Another complication that is found in Treasure Island is when Jim hides and hears a bunch of things about pirate tasks that are going to be done. In chapter 11 this occurs and to Jim's surprise, many of the pirates were planning something evil and it was Long John Silver who had done so and Jim had a complication there of revealing himself or not and know very important information that could help others.
“Where is he now? Well, he's dead now and under hatches; but for two years before that, shiver my timbers! the man was starving. He begged, and he stole, and he cut throats, and starved at that, by the powers!” (Treasure Island, pg 182).