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 twenty-
eight 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 eBook. 1801. 14 Feb. 2006 <
http://www.gutenberg.net/etext/521>.
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.