Daniel Defoe, born Daniel Foe, was born in c. 1660 in Stoke Newington. He is the writer of the famous book Robinson Crusoe, which was first published in 1719. By writing this book, Daniel is, according to some criticals, the founder of the English noval.
This book is about a great adventure of a man, named Robinson Crusoe. I had red the backside of this book and found out the subject of this book: the sole survivor of a shipwreck. This book was going to indicate the life of Crusoe during his adventure on an island. A life which is only about survive, survive and survive’.
When I read a book, it must be exciting and full with adventure. I expected this book to have these two elements in it. That is why I decided to read this book, Robinson Crusoe.
By research: Daniel Defoe based his book on a deportation of a English doctor to the Caribbean. In his book Defoe refers many times to this event’
A part of this book is probably based too on the real-life experiences of Alexander Selkrik, a Scottish sailor, who was lonely put on an island in 1704.
The story takes place during the 17th century. Because of the lack of modern techniques influence the story. For example, if Robinson had a mobile phone, he would not have been so long away from home. Another main point in the 17th century is the slavery. Robinson got a lot to do with slavery during his lifetime around Africa. He had become a slave himself for a amount of time. Fortunately he succeed to escape’
The story is about the sole survivor of a shipwreck. This indicates that the book is especially about the main character and because he is ‘the sole survivor’, there are not many and big other characters. I describe Robinson Crusoe (main character) and two small other characters:
Robinson Crusoe:
Robinson Crusoe is the main character in this book and the narrator too. The book starts when Crusoe is looking for a career. His father wants him to study the law, but Crusoe has a great need to be at sea. He decided to be disobedient to his father and is going to make his career at sea as a merchant. After his third journey, Robinson got stuck on an island. He felt guilty because he had left his family and especially his father. Robinson is a religious man and was scared to be punished for his disobedience. During the period at the island the book shows the development of his mind as a result of his experiences: Crusoe is first the disobedient son, then the ‘guilty feeling’ sole survivor and at last a very faithful person.
Noticeable is that Robinson felt he was a king on the uninhabited island. When Robinson found tracks of other human existence on the island, he got terrified and saw the footprint as a negative thing. He never thought about the option of being rescued by this person. This indicate that Crusoe liked the way he lived and did not want to go home, back to the social community.
Friday:
Friday was the first person Robinson had social contact with. Robinson saved him from death and spent a few years with Friday on the island. Friday was not born with the name ‘Friday’ but Robinson called him ‘Friday’ to think about the day on which his life was saved, he was not alone anymore. Friday’s behavior is noticeable. He is acting like a servant and called Robinson ‘master’. His behavior is in contrast with Robinson, Friday’s excited character is in contrast with the emotional depression of Robinson.
Xury
Xury was a friend of Robinson and servant at the same time. During the second trip of Robinson as merchant, the ship was taken over by pirates and Robinson was enslaved by a moor. He escaped together with Xury from the Moors. The relationship between those two is comparable with the relationship between Robinson and Friday. Xury was very helpful to Robinson and did not think for himself.
The book starts when Robinson is looking for a career. His father wants him to study the law, but Crusoe had a great need to be at sea. He choose to be disobedient to his father and is going to travel at sea as a merchant. During his third journey, things went wrong and Robinson got stuck on an island. On the island, he had only one thing on his mind: How to survive?
There are many themes in this book which have no connection with each other. The main central theme in this book is ‘Faith’.
The main character has a great need to be at sea and decided to be disobedient to his father, who wants him to study law. Because of his disobedience, he thought, he got punished by god and so shipwrecked and left behind on an island. During his time on the island he got a spiritual development and repents himself to a faithful christian and lives a peaceful life’
The writing style is very noticeable. Everything is described in great detail and he tells us, in great detail too, his mind. So, in this book are many thoughts of Robinson and relative less dialogues. The sentences are often long and complicated. It made situations difficult to understand. Another noticeable thing is the way of writing. Defoe used weird spelling and sometimes crazy capitalizations. For example: cover’d -> covered.
The use of English is straightforward and simple. The writer many times describes the thoughts, oten future scenario’s, of the main characte, Crusoe. These are sometimes very spiritually. There is no use of dialect or figurative language. Noticeable is the demoralizing tone. Usually by using this way of use of English, the book sounds boring. But in this book, it makes it more realistic and it is easier to empathize with Robinson Crusoe.
There is use of irony in this book, but just in the way like ‘irony of situation’ represents. During the period on the island, Robinson is very looking for social contact, but when he found tracks of other human existence, he got terrified and interprets the footprint negatively, as the print of the devil. He never thought about the possibility of being rescued by this person.
” To-day we love what to-morrow we hate; to-day we seek what to-morrow we shun; to-day we desire what to-morrow we fear, nay, even tremble at the apprehensions of. ”
Crusoe found a footprint on the beach of the uninhabited island, which indicated that he was not alone! This footprint refers to things that happened in the book and in the real outside world too: It is noticeable that the existence of other humans on the island is displayed by a footprint. This could refer to the literary and figurative ” footprint ” of Robinson Crusoe to the nature of the island, he got stuck on. This ” footprint ” probably is connected with the impact of humans to the untouched nature of the word and, even hidden, cultures’
Pages: 41 / 42 / 43 -> In this passage, Robinson was making a journey at sea, when the ship was encountered by a large storm. Robinson succeed to escape with some others from the ship with a small rowboat and was trying to reach the shore of an island when a big wave toppled his boat. He had to swim in the big ocean, and woke up alone on an uninhabited island’
A negative point is the writer’s use of complicated sentences and hard words. So, it was a difficult book to read. I had to spent a lot of time to read this book. But it is very well written. This refers to the writing style! Everything is described in great detail and so easy to image. Another aspect of the writing style: the thought of Robinson, which are fully described. You can totally empathize with Crusoe and so you can experience the development of his mind. The genre attracted me too. Robinson experienced a great adventure, with plenty of different events. From merchant to slave, and from slave to the last sole survivor’ I really recommend this all-time book!