Religion in Robinson Crusoe

I implied yesterday that I had writers block. I dont. I have time issues, and a block as far as being able to
write something in the allotted time (sayten minutes). But then again maybe it is a certain kind of writers
block: I want to make an argument, but I dont have the time, or really the space. My week+ of posting
on Your Face Tomorrow was awesome from my perspective, but an abuse of the blogging medium as well. I
need to try to bite off less. Lets see how that works out.

First, I wanted to get to the religious elements of Robinson Crusoe. They are many, and fairly interesting. This
is a very Protestant didactic novel. The bare bones: Crusoes parents are hard-working bourgeois who believe
in pious toil with the goal of a limited, reasonable happinesshappiness with ones lot in life, to the extent that
one can reasonably improve it from that of his parents. Thus they are not at all fans of Crusoes plan to go to
sea; they are far too risk-averse for this. Stay home, work hard, youll do okay.

Crusoe, as a young man, doesnt take any of this very seriously, including the religious element. Hes not an
unbeliever by any means, just a thoughtless sinner. When he gets caught in his first storm at sea, a very minor
one all things considered, he begins to pray. But he backslides almost immediately (and with the help of strong
drink). Then he spends several years among heathens (that is, among the Moors as a slave and later among
Catholics in Brazil). Again, this is not a big deal for him from a religious perspective.

On the desert island is where he begins really to find God. After he begins to work.

And now I began to apply myself to make such necessary things as I found I most wanted, particularly a chair
and a table; for without these I was not able to enjoy the few comforts I had in the world; I could not write or
eat, or do several things with so much pleasure without a table.

So I went to work; and here I must needs observe, that as reason is the substance and original of the
mathematics, so by stating and squaring every thing by reason, and by making the most rational judgment of
things, every man may be in time master of every mechanic art. I had never handled a tool in my life, and yet
in time, by labour, application, and contrivance, I found at least that I wanted nothing but I could have made
it, especially if I had had tools.

After Crusoe worksand theres more to that passage than just work, but hold a momenthe receives his
next sign from God (how many he ignored earlier, warning him not to go to sea!). Suddenly, he finds, grain
has begun to grow near his new home. A miracle! But after some thought he unravels the miraclehe had
dropped some seed there without realizing itand his gratitude diminishes once more. But soon he will get the
message that sends him on his path for good. A dreadful illness turns Crusoe to prayer once more, and his
recovery holds him to it. Hes had a vision, and begins to wonder about the creation of heaven and earth, the
meaning of life, and why he is here.

Crusoe actually wrestles in the text with some of these questions.

Sure we are all made by some secret Power, who formed the earth and sea, the air and sky; and who is that?

Then it followed, most naturally: it is God that has made it all: well, but then it came on strangely; if God has
made all these things, he guides and governs them all, and all things that concern them; for the Being that
could make all things, must certainly have power to guide and direct them.

If so, nothing can happen in the great circuit of his works, either without his knowledge of appointment.

And if nothing happens without his knowledge, he knows that I am here, and am in a dreadful condition; and if
nothing happens without his appointment, he has appointed all this to befal me.

Thus he begins to look back upon a dreadful mispent life that has landed him in such a situation. He will read
the Bible a lot. He will contemplate killing the cannibals he finds on his island, but ultimately decide their
judgment is in Gods hands, not his. He will instruct Friday in Christianity, learning more about his own beliefs
as he does so. And of course, in a very Protestant way: how easy it is to teach a new pupil when any Christian
can look directly to the Bible, interpreting it for himself, without the need for priestcraft!

And with that, back to that first passage about work. Crusoe is doing the same thing there, and wherever he
must teach himself something to get by on his own. How lucky are we, rational humans, with our ability to
learn. All one must do is rationally consider mathematics and he can make himself a table! All one must do is
thoughtfully read the Gospels and he can impart the wisdom and comforts of Christianity to a new friend! Hard
work, of course, but who isnt up to some hard work when the rewards are so great?

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Character Analysis
Robinson Crusoe was one of the bestselling novels in the year 1719 and its hero, our
friend Mr. Crusoe, was a man very much of his 18th-century moment. His continued
staying power over the years suggests that the values he represented in 18th-century
England have resonated with readers for centuries since.
What kind of values, though, does Crusoe embody? Well, let's get down to brass tacks.

Man of Faith
Robinson Crusoe is a (fictional) spiritual autobiography. Crusoe is first the rebellious
son, then the repentant castaway, and finally the faithful Christian convert. We begin the
novel with Crusoe's rebellion: the defiance of his father's plan for him, which is framed
as defying the authority of God himself. Crusoe then suffers a series of misfortunes that
land him on the island. Once there, he must atone for his sins, and undergoes a serious
religious conversion. The novel then becomes a collection of religious observations. We
eventually see Crusoe turn into a religious teacher, as he manages to convert Friday to
Christianity upon meeting him.
Besides the redemptive structure of Robinson Crusoe, we can see many Biblical
themes developed in the novel. For example, Crusoe's own story is a whole lot like
the parable of the prodigal son. The character of Crusoe is also pretty similar to such
Biblical figures as Jonah (swallowed by a whale/giant fish) or Job (loses everything he
cares about) who have their faith tested through many trials and a tremendous amount
of suffering. Like Jonah and Job, Crusoe survives his suffering only to have a stronger
faith in God.
Finally, the novel is also a theodicy of sorts, which means an exploration of why good
things happen to bad people or why God allows evil to exist in the world. We can see
this when Crusoe is lamenting his fate: "Why has God done this to me? What have I
done to be thus us'd?" (78-79).

Man of Business
Sure, Crusoe's goal is adventure, but also adventure by way of major profit. Crusoe is
involved in early mercantile capitalism. He buys and sells things and is very interested
in making cashola. Notice how he tallies up his earnings:
The generous Treatment the Captain gave me, I can never enough remember; he
would take nothing of me for my Passage, gave me twenty Ducats for the Leopard's
Skin, and forty for the Lyon's Skin which I had in my Boat, and caused every thing I had
in the Ship to be punctually deliver'd me, and what I was willing to sell he bought, such
as the Case of Bottles, two of my Guns, and a Piece of the Lump of Bees-wax, for I had
made Candles of the rest; in a word, I made about 220 Pieces of Eight of all my Cargo,
and with this Stock I went on Shoar in the Brasils. (31)
As a man of trade, Crusoe is very interested in acquisition of goods and wealth. The
novel often catalogues in great detail how much money he makes, even when he's on
an island where such things don't matter. Remember, though, Crusoe's involvement in
trade also deeply implicates him in the slave trade. He not only buys and sells
commodities, but also human beings.

Man of Reason
After landing on the island, Crusoe quantifies and calculates nearly everything. He
makes a calendar and records all of his observations in his journal. For Crusoe, even
the natural world is knowable and quantifiable.
Take, for example, his description of building furniture (a table and chair):
So I went to work; and here I must needs observe, that as Reason is the Substance and
Original of the Mathematicks, so by stating and squaring every thing by Reason, and by
making the most rational Judgment of things, every Man may be in time Master of every
mechanick Art. (59)
Crusoe displays here his ultimate faith in reason and logic. His worldview is one in
which the world is knowable and reason brings light to the dark corners of existence.
The island starts out as a frightening place but is soon organized and colonized.

Man and Nature

Crusoe sees nature as something that must be useful. He isn't into all that getting-out-
and-connecting-with-nature stuff, nor is he interested in the beauty of nature. Nope,
Crusoe colonizes the island and turns it into his own dominion:
I descended a little on the Side of that delicious Vale, surveying it with a secret Kind of
Pleasure, (tho' mixt with my other afflicting Thoughts) to think that this was all my own,
that I was King and Lord of all this Country indefeasibly, and had a Right of Possession;
and if I could convey it, I might have it in Inheritance, as completely as any Lord of a
Mannor in England.(85)
As we see here, Crusoe believes in private property. It's not so much the beauty of the
island that brings him pleasure as the idea that he can ownthe island that it's his to
possess.
Man of Many Cultures
As a mariner and world traveler, Crusoe has an interesting role in terms of the different
cultures he comes into contact with. In the following description we see him becoming a
patchwork man of many different cultures:

My Beard I had once suffer'd to grow till it was about a quarter of a Yard long; but as I
had both Scissars and Razors sufficient, I had cut it pretty short, except what grew on
my upper Lip, which I had trimm'd into a large Pair of Mahometan Whiskers, wuch as I
had seen worn by some Turks, who I saw at Sallee; for the Moors did not wear such,
tho's the Turks did; of these Muschatoes or Whiskers, I will not say they were long
enough to hang my Hat upon them; but they were of a Length and Shape monstrous
enough, and such as in England would have pass'd for frightful. (127)
No longer a proper English gentleman, Crusoe modifies his look while on the island.

Man and the Other

Crusoe's attitudes toward other cultures are what we might call Eurocentric, an attitude
in which he assumes that white, Western culture is superior.
Xury, for example, because he is not white, European, or Christian, gets handed over
by Crusoe to the Portuguese sea captain. To Crusoe, Xury is obviously his subordinate.
This same attitude later extends to Crusoe's man Friday. Friday is ostensibly a native of
the area, but Crusoe does not regard him as an equal. Their relationship is one in which
Crusoe is dominant and Friday is subordinate. Notice the hierarchy inherent in all of
Crusoe's relationships with people from other cultures.

Man and Woman

You've probably noticed that there are no women in the world of Robinson Crusoe.
They are defined, more or less, by their absence. Crusoe does take a wife, at one point,
but this action is reserved for the very end of the novel and only gets one measly
paragraph:
In the mean time, I in Part settled my self here; for first of all I marry'd, and that not
either to my Disadvantage or Dissatisfaction, and has three Children, two Sons and one
Daughter: But my Wife dying, and my Nephew coming Home with good Success from a
Voyage to Spain, my Inclination to go Abroad, and his Importunity prevailed and
engag'd me to go in his Ship, as a private Trader to the East Indies: This was in the
Year 1694. (257)
Notice that Crusoe's wife's name is never mentioned, and their life together is not
described in any detail whatsoever. (Did you notice how we learn that they married and
that she died all in one sentence?) Why do you think that might be?
 Man as King
Crusoe sees himself as the top of the island's social order. This becomes especially
apparent as the island gains more and more inhabitants. We'll let Crusoe explain the
situation himself:
My Island was now peopled, and I thought my self very rich in Subjects; and it was a
merry Reflection which I frequently made, How like a King I look'd. First of all, the whole
Country was my own meer Property; so that I had an undoubted Right of Dominion.
2dly, My people were perfectly subjected: I was absolute Lord and Law-giver; they all
owed their Lives to me, and were ready to lay down their Lives, if there had been
Occasion of it, for me. It was remarkable too, we had but three Subjects, and they were
of three different Religions. My Man Friday was a Protestant, his Father was a Pagan
and a Cannibal, and the Spaniard was a Papist: However, I allow'd Liberty of
Conscience throughout my Dominions: But this is by the Way. (203)
Crusoe sees himself as the ruler the king, even of the small society on the island.

The Character of Robinson Crusoe

1. Robinson Crusoe is the central character around whom the moral lesson centres.
2. From the beginning, Defoe presents him as an individual endowed with a capability for moral
development because of his natural possession of moral sensitivity.
3. As events open, he appears as lacking a certain degree of moral insight and self knowledge, but
gradually he gains moral and spiritual re-awakening and self discovery.
4. This gradual change can be traced in three stages in his life:

a) When the novel opens, Crusoe leaves home in disobedience of his father and without asking
for Gods blessings in search for more wealth, neglecting his fathers advice concerning the
advantages of the middle class. Crusoe ,then, goes through four adventures in the sea during
which he experiences many misfortunes, and has very narrow escapes from death. At this stage,
Crusoes character is shown as discontented, rash, romantic ,lacking reason and any sense of
moral duty towards God and father. Despite the dangers he faces, he never realizes the moral
lesson or that these dangers are a punishment of God for his wrongdoings. He blames his bad
luck, fate, or his companions.

b) The second stage in Crusoes moral and spiritual development starts with his journey to the
coast of Guinea which ends up in his shipwreck, the death of all his fellow sailors and his own
survival after he swims to a remote deserted island. During this stage, Crusoe suffers, first,
physically to provide for his food, shelter, and security. As he struggles to do this, he shows his
great abilities of a resourceful, energetic, and inventive individual, although he has never had any
 knowledge of mechanics or mathematics. At the same time, however, he has many moral
reflections which show his mental stress.

c) The final stage of this process of gradual moral and spiritual re-awakening culminates in the
episode his illness and dream after the earthquake. For the first time, Crusoe recognizes that he is
the doer of all his misfortunes, and realizes that he is responsible of all his wrongdoings for has
neither asked God for help when he is in danger, nor thanked Him when he is rescued. With this
admission of guilt, Crusoe moves quickly in the road of moral and spiritual recovery. Thus he
sincerely prays to God for help for the first time. After that, he feels not only physical but also
spiritual ease and comfort. As he triumphs over the cannibals, saves Friday and the captain of
the ship and his crew, and finally saves himself, he reaches complete satisfaction.

1. Thus Crusoe is portrayed as a complex round character who, after many experiences

reaches his moral and spiritual growth.

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Author
Daniel Defoe Biography

Robinson Crusoe

Physical Character Textual Evidence

Appearance Traits
Ages from a Rebellious, Runs away from home because he wants to
young man of 18 Adventurous become a sailor against his parents wishes
to a mature man Intelligent Learns mathematics and navigation
of 53 Determined Works hard to become a good sailor. Creates a
comfortable life on the island.
Hard-working Salvages useful items from the shipwreck. Builds
homes and plants crops for food.
Courageous Escapes from the Turkish captain.
Rescues Friday, Fridays father and the Spaniard.
Commanding Respected by Friday, the Spanish and the English
on the island.
Enterprising A successful trader and tobacco farmer in Brazil.

Friday

Physical Character Traits Textual Evidence

Appearance
Young man of Faithful Stayed with Crusoe and followed his orders until
26, olive the end.
coloured skin, Intelligent Learnt English and religion from Crusoe (p. 38,
lively, intelligent para. 1)
eyes, fine white Brave Fought the cannibals with Crusoe (p. 43, para.
teeth 2)
Curious Willing to learn and ask about new things (p.41,
para. 2)

The characteristic and the development of the personality of Robinson Crusoe We could hardly find
somebody who wouldnt know D. Defoes novel Robinson Crusoe in the civilized world. It is one of the
first novels written in the realm of English literature. In our short essay we would like to focus on the
characteristic of Robinson Crusoe and on the development of his personality in the novel. We think, that
nor all the situations and events in his life did change the basis of his personality. Although after his
arrival from the island, he did see the life differently, his desire for adventure, the adventurous aspect of
his character stayed unchanged. The best way, how to tell something about a literally work, is to show
our suggestions in the text itself. Thats why we will use quotations to support our most important
suggestions. Before we get to the main point of this short essay, we would like to introduce shortly
Defoes novel Robinson Crusoe. It was written in 1719 when Defoe was about sixty years old. As we
have already mentioned, it is one of the first novels in English literature. Moreover, it is probably the
first realistic novel in English literature. It is based on the real life story of John Selkick, who was the
prototype for Robinson Crusoe and spent four years on an island. The novel is written in 1st person
narration (IchErzhlung). Because of this, there is no explicit characteristic of the hero. So we will have
to deduce Crusoes character from his behaviour. There is one strong centre character in the novel. The
narration is put in chronological order (the plot is identical with the story). Let us now reach our aim and
characterize our hero. As it is good known, the main aspect of the personality of Robinson Crusoe is his
adventurous spirit. Crusoe was of good origin: () that mine was the middle state, or what might be
called the upper station of low life () was the best state in the world () He had a bright future in
front of him. His father tried to persuade him to stay at home. He said: () I might be well introduced,
and had a prospect of raising my fortune by application and industry, with a life of ease and pleasure.
On fathers words he first decided to obey him: and I resolved not to think of going abroad any more,
but settle at home according to my fathers desire. But after a few days his adventurous spirit won. He
decided to run away. From the beginning on, he had to face many dangers. He decided to return home
several times because of them, but he never obeyed his good intentions. This was, as Crusoe is
suggesting, the main reason of so many dangers and worries, he had to face during his life. The
adventurous spirit is one of the aspects of his character. What other important aspects were there in his
personality? Somebody may say, that following aspects of Crusoes personality were developed under
the pressure of the danger and worries he had to undergo. But we think there had to be some basis for
this development in his character also before. To live a life of a castaway demanded a lot of diligence
and patience: () but labor and patience carried me through that and many other things. Without his
patience he probably wouldnt be able manufacture all the necessities for his life on the island. He really
needed a lot of skills to develop. But fortunately, he was skillful and docile, so he managed to prepare
many things himself, some even not necessary (cakes, etc.) Thanks this he succeeded in making his life
on the island more comfortable. Crusoe realized he had everything he needed, and was actually satisfied
with what he had. He didnt feel any deficit of food: () I was not driven to any extremities for food;
but rather plenty, even to dainties. And as he had enough food and all the most important tools, he
missed only one thing. The company of other human being. Not to fell alone, Crusoe caught a parrot and
taught it to speak. But a parrot, although able to speak, is still only a parrot. It can only repeat what it
has learned. Thats why we think Crusoe desired for human company all the time, though only
subconsciously. Crusoe, as he was more less satisfied with his state, was able to be extremely happy
about small things and achievements. No joy at a thing of so mean a nature was ever equal to mine
() Now, were reaching other important point. There was something, what helped Crusoe to carry the
absence of other human being on the island. Once he got very ill. As he was suffering, he was thinking
about his life: () conscience, that had slept so long began to awake, and I began to reproach myself
with my past life, in which I had so evidently, by uncommon wickedness, provoked the justice of God to
lay me under uncommon strokes, and to deal with me in so vindictive a manner. These reflections
oppressed me for a second or third day of my distemper, and in the violence as well of the fever as of
the dreadful reproaches of my conscience extorted some words from me, like praying to God, though I
cannot say they were either a prayer attended with desires or with hopes; it was rather the voice of
mere fright and distress;() But later on Crusoe began to pray. He was honestly sorry that he disobeyed
all the warnings of his relatives, friends and first of all God, so many times. He starts to practise habits of
religious life: I kept this day a solemn fast, setting it apart to religious exercise, prostrating myself on
the ground with the most serious humiliation, confessing my sins to God, acknowledging His righteous
judgements upon me, and praying to Him to have mercy on me, through Jesus Christ;() Its probably
the relation to God what helped him to survive. From this relation he was gaining hope that all his
troubles arent pointless. And when he was depressed because of his situation, he was looking for some
source of hope. And he found it: () I daily read the Word of God and applied all the comforts of it to
my present state. Crusoe himself considered his relation with God as very important: () if God does
not forsake me, of what ill consequence can it be, or what matters it, though the world should all
forsake me; seeing on the other hand, if I had all the world and should lose the favour and blessing of
God, there would be no comparison in the loss? As we are coming closer to the end of our work, we
would like to introduce one more aspect of Crusoes personality. After the arrival of Friday and the other
persons on the island Crusoe is changing his behavior. He is behaving as if he was the ruler and the
owner of the island. Even as a king: My island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich in
subjects; and it was a merry reflection, which I frequently made, how like a king I looked. First of all, the
whole country was my own mere property, so that I had undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my
people were perfectly subjected. I was absolute lord and lawgiver; () And Crusoe was considering
himself as a ruler and owner of the island also after he returned home. There are some more features of
Crusoes character that we could mention. But they arent of so big importance. We have showed, what
we think are, the most important aspects of the personality of Robinson Crusoe. Undoubtedly, there are
8/25/2017 Referaty.sk - The characteristic and the development of the personality of Robinson Crusoe
http://referaty.atlas.sk/cudzie-jazyky/anglictina/2322/?print=1 2/2 many more of them, which could be
seen in Crusoes character. At the end we do have to prove one more thing. In the beginning we were
suggesting, that the deepest aspect of Crusoes character, the adventurous spirit, wasnt changed. The
end of the novel can prove it. We would expect him to settle down and live a peaceful and calm life. But
the novel ends: All these things, with some very surprising incidents in some new adventures of my
own, for ten years more, I may perhaps give a further account of hereafter. This is the conclusion of the
novel. And we think, we can conclude our essay as well, because we have reached the aim of it. We have
characterized Robinson Crusoe and proved our suggestion from the