ROBINSON CRUSOE

notes

• Robinson's life and adventures are interesting and incredible

• The story has been published to instruct

• It is a true story

First passage

-the beginning of the book: Robinson’s account of his family background

father, German (a merchant)

mother, English

anglicized name (Kreutznauer→Crusoe)

two brothers, one dead, one missing

Father-son conflict

Robinson→ rambling thoughts; I would be satisfied with nothing but going to sea

father→very ancient; a wise and grave man

a eulogy of the middle state, the best state in the world, the most suited to human happiness

not exposed to the miseries and hardships, the labour and sufferings, of the mechanick part of mankind

not embarrassed with the pride, luxury, ambition, and envy of the upper part of mankind

Second passage

Robinson wakes up and sees he can reach the ship

he sees a boat but can’t reach it

he’s about to be overcome by grief but then takes control of himself and decides to go on board

he makes a raft to carry his provisions to the shore

The setting

Stress on his physical + rational efforts

Rational attitude, practical mind

Symbolic value of the SEA and the SHIP

View of NATURE

Third passage

Robinson finds a footprint on the sand

He reflects on how changeable man’s feelings are according to what happens in his life

He turns to the Scriptures for comfort and guidance

Idea of PROVIDENCE

God’s rights vs man’s duties

Fourth passage

Detailed description of the “savage” -general impression/face expression -hair -forehead -eyes -skin colour -face -nose -mouth -teeth

Handsome → because he looks like a European

Friday’s vs Robinson’s behaviour

A slave-master relationship is «naturally» established

PLOT →3 parts

• Crusoe's early life; disobeying his father he goes to sea. After a series of adventures he gets to Brazil where he becomes a plantation owner. While going to Africa to get slaves he's shipwrecked on a desert island. He's the only survivor; he is rescued after 28 years.

2. A journal → his life on the island, how he uses his intelligence and strength to overcome difficulties and become the master of the island. After many years of solitude he meets a "savage" whom he names Friday and whom he converts to Christianity; he also teaches him the English language and culture.

3. He is rescued, returns to Brazil with Friday as his servant, finds out he has become rich.

STYLE

• very matter-of-fact

• little access to Robinson's thoughts and feelings (even if at times he reflects on religious matters)

• mainly about actions, objects, events• no real plot, a diary-like sequence

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE

• 1st-person narrator

(sort of autobiography)

• different from the author who, in the Preface, says he's only an editor

INTERPRETATIONSReligious allegory → a Puritan dissertation

about man's redemption from sin. Man must try and be saved through his work and self-reliance. At first, the island is an "island of despair", but gradually, through endurance, hard work, intelligence, ingenuity, it is transformed into a sort of paradise of which he's the master. He does not ask God for salvation, relies only upon himself.

• Economic allegory → merchant capitalism: the “civilization” Robinson establishes on the island is very similar to the society he comes from. ↓

his property (house, fence)

gathers wealth (stocks of food and supplies)

establishes a strict work routine

He embodies the values of the self-made man, like a businessman who, starting from nothing, slowly builds himself an empire

Imperialist allegory → demonstration of the white, Christian Robinson's superiority over Friday, who must be civilized and converted to the true religion.

• Robinson sees it as his right to be lord and master of the island despite the fact that Friday was there before him.