Daniel Defoe’s most famous novel - Robinson Crusoe - makes for a delightful read, even after several centuries of its publication in 1719. The author was a whig supporter, a champion of freedom, free speech and a firm believer in reason and Christianity.
The Story
The novel - with two rather unknown sequels - is about the life of a young boy whose destiny it seems is to travel and meet cruel fates. He rebels against his parents, and boards a ship to make a fortune for himself while still in his teens. Alone on the island, he comes to repent and becomes a firm believer in Christ.
Living alone, hunting, food gathering and cultivating his own crops, he battles natural and human enemies to survive. Clashes with savage man-eaters, saves one of the victims and makes him a servant - his ‘man Friday.’ Finally, in the company of several ‘conquered’ subjects, he declares himself the ‘king’ of the island, only to ensure his full control.
The final action sees Crusoe traveling through France and fighting with wolves! He comes back to his country, gets married, only to take to seafaring again. This time his visit is to China. There is a third sequel to the story where Crusoe, grown old, settles down to write his reflections on the life he lived.
What the Work Means
The author is quite sure that this was a foolish act of a young mind, and was rightly punished when Crusoe is marooned on an island and spends the major part of his life there. He makes the sinner repent, re-discover Christianity and Christ, and pledge to live a virtuous life. There is therefore a moral to the story, like in another of Defoe’s work - The Moll Flanders. Yet, in both the stories, he seems to play around with the idea that it is somehow human nature that takes the upper hand, like it was in Crusoe’s blood that he was destined to roam around and live that kind of life, or the way Moll Flanders somewhat relished her previous life, though she gave it all up. These remarks are however very minor suggestions in the whole story.
The novel was said by Defoe to be a symbolic representation of his own personal struggle in life. Many of his business initiatives had failed until he turned to writing as a profession. Crusoe too has to face all the challenges - making sure nothing attacks him by surprise - man or animal, Keeping provisions, and ensuring he remains in total control of the island when natives and other nationalities join him.
His Style
The novel runs smoothly from page to page, and the writer is an expert in keeping the flow of language uninterrupted. The interest in the story is kept alive with such devices as Crusoe’s personal diary reproduced date wise.
Defoe is an excellent writer. He writes with deep understanding of the issues and factors. He makes the reader think, gives food for thought, and reading his works is a way of educating oneself in the ways of the world, and how to go about living a life of reason. His novels also teach us how to write well with passion and understanding of the subject matter.
Coming soon - Moll Flanders Review.
The author is a freelance writer. He can be contacted at:
sharma_ameet@hotmail.com
amitontheweb@gmail.com
