Robinson Crusoe Analysis - Book Report/Review Example

Robinson Crusoe A Critical Review Order No. No. of pages: 6 – 6530 “Robinson Crusoe”, a scintillating adventure written by the famous English Novelist and journalist, Daniel Defoe is any reader’s delight. It was first published on April 25th 1719, by Simon and Schuster, which received positive and widespread reception which was spontaneous and universal. This novel is set in the background of an uninhabited island with just a single lonely soul Robinson Crusoe and his fate. Defoe was born of poor parents and had to face the raw edges of misery at a very tender age. In his early days, Defoe had gone through very hard times and could not afford an education at a very reputed or prestigious college. His father being a butcher and a dissenter, Defoe was brought up in a very sheltered and protected parish which he did not relish. He completed his schooling at the Dissenter Academy in order to become a Presbyterian minister, but the thought of spending the rest of his life within the stifling confines of the parish made him wary. He was extremely ambitious and wanted to have the best in life, so he set up his own Haberdashery in the posh part of London. Later, he dappled awhile in politics but suffered many setbacks as he was put behind bars time and again. His family was stricken with poverty and his health became poor. It was in these very hard times in 1719 that he came to write and complete one of the most imaginative literary masterpieces which remain popular even to this day, not only for its adventure but also for the wonderful romance that surrounds it. The full title of this famous novel was “The Life and the Strange and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe” which was influenced by the experiences of an adventurous person called Alexander Selkirk who had run away to sea and requested to be left on an uninhabited island in 1704 to be rescued 5 years later. Defoe’s last great work of fiction was called “Roxanna” in 1724. Phenomenally talented, industrious and ambitious Defoe wrote works on the supernatural such as “The Political History of the Devil.” Defoe was the first to use simple prose in narrating stories with realistic situations and believable characters. He gained literary immortality when he published “Robinson Crusoe”. The author’s style and language is both simple and captivating and this is precisely the reason for the impact it had on his readers. This story became a rave and hence spawned two sequels namely –“The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe” in 1719 and the other “The Serious Reflections of Robinson Crusoe” in 1720. It is said to be the first English novel to be written and published. The centrifugal point in this captivating novel is Robinson Crusoe, who leaves England in September 1651 and sets sail on a sea voyage to seek good fortune, much against his parent’s wishes. Due to a shipwreck, he is a castaway on a lonely island on the coast of America, at the mouth of the Great River of Orinoco, on September 30th 1659, which was not totally uninhabited. In fact, there is an ominous presence of treacherous cannibals whom Crusoe encounters time and again. Defoe enumerates a gripping account of how on one such occasion, a cannibal was in hot pursuit of a native in order to kill and eat him, but Crusoe braves the wrath of the cannibal and saves the native whom he names “Friday” since he was found on a Friday. This native came to be Robinson’s most trusted and devoted servant from then on and Crusoe taught him how to speak English. This fictitious tale transports its audience to the “middle of things” as it were, because it is so beautifully written, it feels as though the reader is on the island with Crusoe undergoing all the trials and tribulations he faces each passing day. Crusoe wakes up on the shores of the island not realizing that he was the only one to survive the shipwreck and he was going to spend the next 28 years, two months and nineteen days of his eventful life on this island before getting rescued and taken home. After the tragic shipwreck where no one else except Crusoe survives, he wakes up to find himself alone on the shore of the island with the scorching heat beating down upon him. He sadly realizes that he had lost his captain and other friends to the cruel waves of the ocean. He resigns himself to his solitary existence for he knew that was the only way to survive the harsh reality. He picks up courage by trying to make do with all the things at his disposal. He makes a small raft with the twigs from trees and goes on short trips to the ship bringing back food supplies, some clothes tools and arms before the ship could sink. He also found some carpenter’s tools and ammunition which he thought would be very useful to him. Crusoe made use of all the materials he brought from the ship. He made himself a small tent of leaves, twigs and grass using his tools. The author deftly describes the resourcefulness and presence of mind of Crusoe who knew he needed protection if he was to survive. He was now able to rest peacefully and be safe against wild animals or cannibals who may come that way. He learned everything the hard way and so was able to face any kind of hardship that he encountered. He did not forget to bring his “Bible” which he faithfully read everyday and which stood him in good stead when he began to lose hope. Defoe shows Crusoe often turning to God to give him support and courage to face the hardships on the island. Defoe himself was a Puritan and Robinson Crusoe is filled with religious aspects. Before writing this novel he was engaged in writing guide books such as The New Family Instructor (1727) and Religious Courtship (1722) on how to become a good Puritan Christian. In fact the name “Crusoe” might have been taken from a classmate Timothy Cruso who also wrote guide books but who had died 8 years before Defoe could publish his novel. It is even speculated that Timothy Cruso’s guide book called “God the Guide of Youth” inspired Robinson Crusoe because many of the passages in this book are closely related to it. Robinson grew a few crops from which he got some grain. He also tried his hand at catching some fish which he found difficult at first but succeeded later. He dried these in the sun and ate them later. Defoe graphically describes the torturous days that Crusoe had to undergo when his body was wracked with fever, pain, vomiting and ague. He vividly Describes, how Crusoe put his faith and trust in God and cried with prayers on his lips to be saved “Lord, look upon me! Lord, pity me! Lord, have mercy upon me! After all the hardships and suffering, the maximum that could be endured by any human being, Crusoe saw deliverance come in the guise of a Portuguese ship. Everyone aboard the ship including the captain did everything in their power to bring Crusoe back to stability. They gave him fresh clothes and good food and spoke to him using endearing terms because they understood how much he had suffered all these years in isolation. This novel of Defoe’s stands testimony to the sufferings of a fellow human being and thus acts as a source of encouragement to anyone who faces very hard times. To keep his sanity, Crusoe started writing a journal in which he kept a record of every single thing he did each day. He collected his wits about him and survived the onslaught of all his adversities and emerged a more stronger and better individual than what he previously was. The German writer Johann Gottfried Schnabell coined the word “robinsonade” to make a point. In the archetypical robinsonade, the protagonist is isolated from civilization and devoid of all comforts by being marooned or shipwrecked on an island. It also involves how he improvises and handles his difficult situation. “Robinsonade” is a literary genre which derives its name from the classic story of Robinson Crusoe due to its staggering success. As novelist James Joyce eloquently noted the true symbol of the British conquest is Robinson Crusoe: "He is the true prototype of the British colonist… ". Later works expanded on and explored this mythology. J.M Coetzee, a Nobel Prize winning author (2003) published a novel titled “Foe” in 1986 which is an allegorical representation of the novel Robinson Crusoe which is about colonialism, racism and philosophy. The famous novelist James Joyce had this to say of the protagonist in this story - "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". Despite its simple narrative style, it nevertheless creates a huge impact on its audience as can be clearly seen in their response. By the end of the 19th century, no book in the history of Modern Literature had spawned more translations, spin-offs and more editions than “Robinson Crusoe”. There are more than around 700 versions of this story including a good number of Children’s versions. The story of “Robinson Crusoe” is loved and enjoyed by one and all even today because Defoe’s portrayal of his protagonist Robin has managed to touch the hearts of whoever becomes associated with it. They somehow identify themselves at sometime or the other to the suffering Crusoe when they face harsh realities in life. There is also a cultural significance that the novel cast on society because of its popularity. The word Robinson Crusoe became synoymous to the word “castaway”, which was used as a metaphor for anyone who was being or doing something alone. The word “Man Friday” referred to a personal assistant, sevant or even for a companion. This novel has stood the test of time and never fails to enthrall its reader. Daniel Defoe died on 26th April 1731 at his lodgings in Ropemaker’s Alley in Moorfields after leaving to the world a wonderful literary legacy. References: www.bibliomania .com/0/0/17/31 www.cliffnotes.com/wileyCDA/Litnote/id-161,page Num-2-html www.etext.lib.virgnia.edu/toc/modeng/public/DefCru1.html Robinson Crusoe Norton Critical Edition ISBN O-393-96452-3 Robinson Crusoe (London:W.Taylor,1719) Shinagel, Michael,ed. (1994) www.sparknotes.com/lit/crusoe www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson_Crusoe Read More