Robison Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe

Defoe's first and most famous novel, The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner is a fictional tale of a shipwrecked sailor, based on the true adventures of a seaman, Alexander Selkirk, who had been marooned on an Island for about five years. Robinson Crusoe was followed by some more novels, and all his major characters reflect Defoe’s own turbulent life and his adventurous spirit.

The main character in Robinson Crusoe is a brave man. Robinson Crusoe has the courage to leave home and go to London alone to realize his dreams. He is also brave enough to escape from being enslaved to a Turkish captain. After becoming a farmer in Brazil, he is brave enough to continue sailing even though he had the experience of being attacked by pirates. Then, he is shipwrecked on a deserted island. He is able to survive on the island for 28 years. When cannibals arrive on the island with two captives, he is brave enough to attack them and rescue one of the captives. Because of this courage, he gains a life-long companion whom he names Friday.

Robinson Crusoe and Friday in the novel Robinson Crusoe are similar in the sense that they have the same feelings of friendship, love and trust. Robinson Crusoe learns from Friday that people of different races and believes share these same feelings. They enjoy each other’s company, and care for and trust each other. They are both brave. They killed seventeen cannibals and saved Friday’s Father and a Spaniard from being eaten. After that, they helped to regain and English captain’s ship. However, their backgrounds are very different Robinson Crusoe is literate and civilized, whereas Friday is illiterate and a savage.

One of the themes in Robinson Crusoe is the subject of survival. As we read how Robinson Crusoe builds his life on the desolate island, we see that one can survive well if one is hardworking and persevering. When marooned on the island, he does not feel sorry for himself but is determined to live each day as it comes. He tries to make a boat and a canoe to escape from the island, but both attempts fail. However, he does not give up. He continues to make the best of his life on the island and succeeds in making it a comfortable home through his perseverance and hard work.

The event that I find interesting is where Robinson Crusoe saves Friday from the cannibals. it is quite scary when Robinson Crusoe sees the cannibals kill one of their prisoners and cut him up to pieces. This scene is also full of action. The other prisoners,

who is Friday, escapes and runs towards the place where Crusoe is hiding, chased by two cannibals. Crusoe quickly shoots the cannibals with his rifle. The way Friday shows his gratitude is touching and vivid. Slowly and cautiously, the poor frighten man kneels down, kisses the ground and then lifts Crusoe’s foot and lowers it on top of his own head. He then takes Crusoe’s sword and cuts off one of the cannibals head. thisparts is gruesome and shocking.

The values discussed in Robinson Crusoe are perseverance and courage. Crusoe perseveres through every difficulty that arises in his life. This makes him stronger. Then he is shipwrecked on a deserted island. Through a positive attitude and a love for life, Crusoe is able to endure the hardship and loneliness of living alone on the island. He does not lose hope although the circumstances seem hopeless. He fights back by adapting to the situation. He is willing to learn whatever new thing that life can teach him on this lonely island. He uses what nature provides, and drawing on his intelligence, creativity and determination to survive, quite cheerfully builds a basic life for himself. Crusoe is indeed brave and full of courage.

In my opinion, the character in Robinson Crusoe who is determined is Robinson Crusoe. He is determined on being a sailor and determined to survive. He realizes his dream by running away to London. When he is stranded on an island, he is determined to survive instead of feeling sorry for himself. He makes his life as comfortable by using materials in the jungle. He stays on the island for 28 years until he saves an English captain and is offered a lift back to England. After setting up a family in England, he is still determined to sail. When his wife passed away, he returns to the sea where he is happiest.

I find Robison Crusoe in Robinson Crusoe the most interesting character. His father wants him to be a lawyer, but he wants to be a sailor. He makes his dream come true by meeting the right people at the port. I also find him very creative and resourceful. Even thought he is no carpenter or tailor, he improvises and experiments with whatever materials he can get from the jungle to make he own clothes, and umbrella pottery and tools he is like an old fashioned McGyver. He uses his intelligence to tame wild goats, build houses and bake bread. He is also very adventurous. After being rescued from the island, he still returns to the sea for more adventures.

I like Robinson Crusoe because he never gives up hope. When he is abandoned on an island, Crusoe is desolated. But he does not give in to discouragement. Instead he gets busy and makes the best of his situation until he can be rescued. I admire this spirit of determination and adventure. Crusoe is also creative, resourceful and positive-minded. I

like the way he builds a life of some comfort for himself out of the natural resources of the island. Crusoe does not despair or compliant, instead, he looks at life through new eyes and even picks up new skills like pottery. I also like Crusoe because he is brave. He fights the cannibals to rescue Friday although his own life may be endangered.

I admire Robinson Crusoe because he is able to survive on a deserted island for twentyeight years. He depends on his inner strength and courage, his creativity and his belief in himself. Crusoe never gives up hope. Instead, he adapts to the situations and allows himself to be carried along by the adventure of being shipwrecked. He remains positive in out looks for ways to solve his problems. He even enjoys trying his hand at new skills like pottery. Crusoe takes this as a test of endurance, spirit and creativity. He learns to live with nature and depend on nature to supply his needs.

The important lesson I have learn in Robinson Crusoe is to be brave in the face of every challenge no matter how difficult the situation may seem. Crusoe is marooned on and island but he responds with courage and the determination to survive. He adapts to the situation and uses the material resources around him to build a basic but comfortable life for himself. He tries his hand at different skills. He even makes a canoe. In this way, he grows in endurance and inner strength. He succeeds over every difficult circumstances. He remains positive in mind and spirit. This is how he manages to survive for 28 years on the island. If I adopt this attitude, I can succeed in anything I do.

Works Cited:

Bennett, James O’Donnel. “Defoe’s Life and Strange Adventures of Robinson Crusoe.” A Key to 35 Best Sellers of the Ages Selected From Much Love Books. New York: Fawcett, 1965. 224-30. Defoe, Daniel. The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner. The Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.net/etext/521>.

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Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” America’s Literature. eds. Hart, James D. and Clarence Gohdges. New York: The Dryden Press, 1955. Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952.

Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. Trans. Hilda Rosner. London: Picador, 1991. Seidel, Michael. “Crusoe and Defoe.” Critics on British & American Fiction. Ed. Shaker Prasad Bastakoti. Kathmandu: Durga Prakashan, 2006. 52-57.