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Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe novel story and analysis
Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe novel story and analysis
The Subject matter of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
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Perceptions of exceptionalism are embedded throughout countless works of literature, encouraging readers to take strides against the institutions holding them back and to develop a stronger sense of individualism. Order and rebellion, and the balance between them, play significant roles in molding exceptional individuals apart from the society that shaped them. The ideal “exceptional individual” is depicted through characters such as Robinson Crusoe in Daniel Defoe’s novel, Robinson Crusoe, and Jim Hawkins of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. These characters dare to disobey others, seek greatness, and challenge the suffocating societies they came from. Both Crusoe and Jim manage to defy societal and class expectations and achieve their …show more content…
Individuality is deeply stressed through the character of Jim Hawkins. Though there are moments in which Jim spends time with his family or the pirates and other adults, these moments are punctuated by far more important periods of time when Jim is alone. Jim is alone when he meets Pew who delivers the black spot that sets the story in motion, when he is in the apple barrel and overhears information about the impending mutiny of Long John Silver that allows him to save the rest of the crew, and when he meets Ben Gunn in the woods and learns the directions to the treasure. Because he is alone during these scenes, Jim is forced to take each of the matters into his own hands, fostering his growth into a more mature individual. These scenes are critical to the overall plot, and Jim’s solitude during these times expresses the importance of individuality in the novel as a …show more content…
While Defoe depicts the ideal exceptional individual as one who defies the conventional values of his or her society, Stevenson expands upon that idea by offering it from the perspective of a younger boy. Because he is younger, Jim has a certain level of innocence associated with him. This enables him to stealthily comply with both sides- the said “good guys,” such as Doctor Livesey and the Captain, and the pirates, such as Long John Silver. With this ability, Jim’s youth gives him more freedom that other characters in both novels lack. This freedom allows for Jim to create a wider divide between himself and his elders and create a stronger sense of individualism. Because of this, it is noted that age is not a factor in creating an exceptional individual. Anyone can challenge societal expectations and live life on his/her own terms. Additionally, Jim seems to be using his individualism to benefit not only himself, but to help the others on the ship as well. After hearing Long John Silver’s schemes while in the apple barrel, Jim “understood that the lives of all the honest men aboard depended on him alone” (Stevenson 56). This shows that Stevenson is expanding on Defoe’s ideas by proving that individualism can not only be beneficial to more than just that one specific individual, but also to others associated with that
He risks his freedom to help the doctor save Tom’s life and help Huck successfully escape the Shepherdsons’. Jim shows his appreciation for Huck bringing him on this journey toward freedom by telling him he will never forget him for helping him and lying to protect his hope. On the other hand, Jim can be considered intelligent due to his belief in ghosts. But, he also posses great common sense in situations where he must protect others such as Huck. Just as Jesus Christ shed light on all things human, Jim put important aspects of his life on the line and when others so that for him, he shows how thankful he is through
However, with the sighting of land, new worries and troubles are in the air. The pirates are not content with their leadership—a doctor, a wealthy man, and a weak captain. With land and mutiny in view, most of the crew heads to shore and lines are drawn for the standoff that is to come; Jim sided with the “leadership” and a few other faithful crew members, and the other side was the rest of the crew led by Long John Silver (an infamous pirate and the antagonist of the novel). With drawn lines and already many deaths, the first days were eventful and full of excitement. On Treasure Island, tensions were high as were the death rate and the number of those wounded.
Jim had run away from his abusive father and enabling small town to find himself traveling down the Mississippi on a raft. His traveling partner was a black slave, Jim. Wondering why Jim was there, Huck discovers that Jim had run away from his slave owner, Ms. Watson. Jim had spoken about his harsh life as a slave, and resented talk of being sold down to Orleans for a “big stack o’ money.” Huck felt that Jim’s escape was wrong, but kept his promise of secrecy, like any good friend would.
A deeper understanding of the book clearly reveals that despite his flaws, Robinson Crusoe was admirable. Three obvious and commendable reasons for this are the facts that he kindled a
In the beginning, Huckleberry Finn hasn?t fully formed opinions on topics such as slavery. He is quite immature and content to just have ?adventures? with his friends. During his journey on the raft, he learns much more about himself through his dealings with others. He establishes his very own standards of right and wrong. Huck?s most important lessons are learned through Jim. He learns to see Jim as a person rather than as a slave: ?I knowed he was white inside? (263). More than any other character in the book, Jim is a catalyst for Huck?s maturity. Through Jim as well as other people he meets along the way, Huck becomes a more defined person who?s more fully himself. His development through the course of the novel proves The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to be a gradual journey toward growth and maturity.
Along the trail of self-discovery, challenges often present themselves as opportunities to grow and change intellectually. Time and again, personal judgments are necessary to overcome these challenges. In the novel The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain ably showcased the hypocrisy of the society by exposing the adventures of Huck as a young boy in searching for freedom with a runaway slave Jim. Twain bared the reality of human society by significantly contrasting Huck and Jim’s life on the river to their dealings with people on shore, and also displaying the compelling difference of the relationship between Huck and Jim at both locations.
Another part of the hero’s journey is known as “Tests”, these are challenges that the main character must overcome throughout his/her journey. One of the biggest tests that Jim Hawkins endured was dealing with Captain Long John’s betrayal, he and his shipmates engaged in war on the ship as well as the island and he could have been killed at any moment. “The ship shot another cannon, this one barely missed Jim as he struggled to climb the hill” (156). Another test he had to overcome was his fear of leaving his ordinary world, but throughout the story he was able to become independent and handle tasks on his own, which is something he had trouble doing during the start. “I made a promise that I would be the one to bring this treasure home to my mother, and I’m not going to let someone like Long John stop me even if I have to fight him myself” (107). Therefore, the fact that Jim is able to pass these tests proves that he is indeed a hero. He is the one who sets out on his own to sabotage Long John’s plans while they are at the island and succeeds, he is the reason the supreme ordeal is
Through the use of protection and sacrifices for one another as well as good morals, these are key points of Huck Finn and Jim’s growing friendship. Mark Twain also uses Huck’s conscience to show his changing attitude towards Jim. Jim would do anything for
...im decides to tell Long John everything he did to try to ruin his plan to find the treasure he spares Jim’s life even though the other pirates want him dead. Long John also decides to stand by Jim even though he has a feeling his crew is going to take him out of his captain position. Jim shows a lot of courage and that he’s a man of his word when he is given the opportunity to run away but instead he decides to stay because he gave Long John his word that he will help him through his trial. Jim is taken to where the treasure is believed to be but when they dig up the area there was no treasure. The treasure is later discovered at site where Ben Gunn has hidden it. The reasons I mentioned earlier steers Jim in the right direction of the treasure because of him not trusting Long John but instead using his smarts and his very high maturity level to find the treasure.
All children and teenagers will discover character traits and qualities that they want to possess from the adults they come into contact with. Jim Hawkins is no different. He uses the attributes he learns from Ben Gunn, Dr. Livesey, and John Silver to help mold him into the man he is becoming. Works Cited Stevenson, Robert. A. A. Treasure Island. City: Publisher, Year of Pub.
Daniel Defoe wrote his fictional novel Robinson Crusoe during the 18th century, a time of colonization, and the British agricultural revolution. In the novel Robinson Crusoe desires civilization and comforts during his years on the island, so much that he alters the ecology of the fictional “island” in order to fulfill his craving. Consequently, Robinson Crusoe changes the ecology of the island, with the introduction of invasive species, European crops, and enclosures. Crusoe uses the practices of the British agricultural revolution to colonize the island, and to better his life during his stay.
This paper is an attempt to examine the seeming opposition of religion vs. self-interest with respect to the character of Robinson Crusoe. I will venture to demonstrate that in the novel, Defoe illustrates the contradictions with which Crusoe must contend as he strives to please God while ensuring his own survival in the world. In part, I will endeavor to show that a distorted sense of Puritanism as well as the existing colonial mindset exacerbated this opposition, and resulted in what I propose to be Defoe's (possibly retroactive) imposition of a religious justification for Crusoe's actions.
"Daniel Defoe achieved literary immortality when, in April 1719, he published Robinson Crusoe" (Stockton 2321). It dared to challenge the political, social, and economic status quo of his time. By depicting the utopian environment in which was created in the absence of society, Defoe criticizes the political and economic aspect of England's society, but is also able to show the narrator's relationship with nature in a vivid account of the personal growth and development that took place while stranded in solitude. Crusoe becomes "the universal representative, the person, for whom every reader could substitute himself" (Coleridge 2318). "Thus, Defoe persuades us to see remote islands and the solitude of the human soul. By believing fixedly in the solidity of the plot and its earthiness, he has subdued every other element to his design and has roped a whole universe into harmony" (Woolf 2303).
As boys grow into men they go through a series of changes, leaving them doubting both themselves and their beliefs. One specific author who explores this is Daniel Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe. In this publication, Defoe writes about a man who emerges from a series of catastrophes as a symbol of man’s ability to survive the tests of nature. Because of the many hardships that Defoe encountered throughout his life, writing about a man whose thoughts and internal struggles mirrored his own helps to give the publication a sense of realism. Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe is a fictional narrative that introduces prose fiction and proposes multiple themes that dabbles on various serious topics, such as religion.
Daniel Defoe has frequently been considered the father of realism in regards to his novel, Robinson Crusoe. In the preface of the novel, the events are described as being “just history of fact” (Defoe and Richetti ). This sets the tone for the story to be presented as factual, while it is in of itself truly fiction. This is the first time that a narrative fictional novel has been written in a way that the story is represented as the truth. Realistic elements and precise details are presented unprecedented; the events that unfold in the novel resonate with readers of the middle-class in such a way that it seems as if the stories could be written about themselves. Defoe did not write his novel for the learned, he wrote it for the large public of tradesmen, apprentices and shopkeepers (Häusermann 439-456).