In the shark hunting scene, it's beautifully subtle yet so starkly on display for us that Flint is the only one capable of committing real violence. It's Silver's idea, Silver hands him the harpoon, and certainly Silver is the one who holds onto the rope like his life depends on it. But Flint is the one who throws and spears the shark. Flint is the one who then knifes it dead.
Lest we forget that Flint's violence and Silver's scheming are the driving force of the narrative.
In case we didn't get the point made right beforehand when Silver failed as quartermaster to administer discipline over the stolen rations and Flint had to step in and do it for him, further straining his always tenuous captain-to-crew relations.
Before we delude ourselves into forgetting that Silver's aversion to real violence will inevitably put Flint directly into harm's way.
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