Robinson Crusoe: Analysis

Robinson Crusoe is a novel written by Daniel Defoe. The first Edition dates to 1719 and is considered as the first English novel. Due to this, it is one of the most important and relevant novels in English language.

Shortly, the book narrates the story of an English castaway who is shipwrecked, and has to live in a desert island for 28 years and the events that happen to him. Despite the narrative style (which is complicate to follow) and the absence of a love motive (in that time it was a must-have), it had a good reception in the literary world. As a result of this, it is a very good work to be analyzed.

I will point out some aspects of the work that, in my opinion, are very important and they must be given a special meaning. They are:

• The Colonial vision of Robinson Crusoe.
  
• The Religious references in the novel.
  
• Morality troubles found.
  
• The Economic view and the importance given.
  

And in addition, mixing all of these themes, I have developed a theory of mine, which I have called “Crisistunity” (made with the words "Crisis" and "Oportunity"), but I will expand on that later.

As we easily can see Robinson Crusoe is a representation of the colonial life. James Joyce said of Robinson Crusoe: "He is the true prototype of the British colonist. … The whole Anglo-Saxon spirit is in Crusoe: the manly independence, the unconscious cruelty, the persistence, the slow yet efficient intelligence, the sexual apathy, the calculating taciturnity." [“Daniel Defoe,” translated from Italian manuscript and edited by Joseph Prescott, Buffalo Studies 1 (1964)]

In some way Crusoe tries to replicate his own society on the island, developing an island-wise application of European technology, farming, and also a political hierarchy. In the novel Crusoe is addressed as the “king” of the island (by himself), or the “governor” of the mutineers (by the Captain). Moreover, the island is referred to as a “colony” at the very end of the novel. Also a representation of the idea “Master-Slave” is present in the novel, represented by Robinson and Friday: While Friday is the “Savage” who is living a wild life and can only be saved adopting a more European lifestyle, Crusoe is shown as the Enlightened man.

Religion was very important when Robinson Crusoe was written. Religion was present in every single aspect of life, during the Enlightenment, and the period of colonies. Robinson Crusoe has several religious references. This was because the very Daniel Defoe was a Puritan, and wrote books on how to be a good one, such as The New Family Instructor (1728) and Religious Courtship (1732). The themes and the theological and moral points of view, in the religious works of Defoe, are shared in Robinson Crusoe. It is also said that the name of “Crusoe” could have been taken from one of the Defoe’s classmates, Timothy Cruso, also a guidebooks writer [p.e God the guide of youth (1685)] who died eight years before “Robinson Crusoe” was written.

In the very first chapter of the novel Crusoe is compared to Jonah. Both neglected their duty and find punishment in the sea.

“That is another case,” said he; “it is my calling, and therefore my duty; but as you made this voyage on trial, you see what a taste Heaven has given you of what you are to expect if you persist. Perhaps this has all befallen us on your account, like Jonah in the ship of Tarshish”

[“Robinson Crusoe” Extract from Penguin Edition (1985)]

Religion and Morality are well-known as to be related each other. In "Robinson Crusoe", we have a good example. When Robinson finds out the rites the cannibals perform, first of all, he is shocked. Then, he thinks about killing all of them, but later, he realizes that is their religion, they were educated that way, and they do not know that what they are doing is not correct. So, he finally turns back and leaves them alone. The problem with Cultural Relativism is very clear in this point.

Another a moral problem is the moment when Robinson reaches the island and he makes a list with the Pros & Cons of his situation (Chapter "I Build My Fortress") because he feels sorry for the death crew but not too much because he is alive.

Later he makes some trips to the ship, supply himself of tools, goods and other stuff. This is an example os the Economical view of the character of Robinson Crusoe. He is a hard-working person, and his work is worthed more than all the valuable things that were in the ship. He leaves the valuables, and chooses to rescue the useful tools, because he knows that what is actually valuable in the island are the tools. Karl Marx made a critic about this on his work "Capital".

The shipwreck is one of the "Crisistunity moments" (when everything is apparentely against the character, but finaly he turns them into a possitive experience): He nearly dies but, he does not, and he can supply of tools. Another one is when he is lost in the sea, after scaping of the pirates, boarding the coast of Africa. They are looking for exchange in order to get some good (food and water), but by chance, they save the tribe, and they get them for free and more over some fur of exotic animals (which later he sells for a good sum to the Captain). And the last one is when a ship arives to the island, but the crew are muteened. So Robinson manages to talk with them, convinces them, and they finaly leave the island.

Finally, I want to point that Robinson Crusoe was way dificult to read for me because the language used is nearly Old English, and the vocab was sort of old-fashioned.