Robinson Crusoe
I was thunking today morning as i was driving to work about how I miss the sea-shores here in this mid-west and how it will be cool to sit on the sand and watch the waves and the boats and the ships in a distance and watch all the nice babes and read a book, probably Robinson crusoe , read it long time back and what a book except for the ending? I always felt that the life of Robinson Crusoe was the life of most of the adventurous men.
In this book, Defoe depicts the life of a middle class irreligious man ,Robinson Crusoe, whose dad tells him to play it safe and not take any risks and live an almost tasteless life and that adventures are only for the rich or for the poor. (so true of all confrontations between a son and a Dad).
Defoe says that one has to choose between adventure and security and its impossible to have both. ( Bungee jumping anyone) . Defoe has compared sea voyage to the risks one takes in life and the failures and travails one encounters by undertaking such a journey.
But Robinson crusoe gets restless of his dull life and decides to take up sea-travel without telling his parents. As soon as he gets on his voyage he regrets leaving the happy life, but still doesnt want to go back, showing that he lacks confidence as well as clarity of thought. After a tough storm he is dumped by the captain at a seaport. He somehow makes to London and then convinces another captain to take him on seavoyage again. This time he is captured by pirates and sold as a slave. He somehow escapes along with another boyslave and in this voyage, he gets stronger and more decisive.
Finally he is rescued by a ship.
Crusoe shows his hypocrisy by selling the boyslave to the captain but later regrets it. He is taken to Brazil where he works hard and now owns huge plantations of tobacco and has gotten far richer than the other planters .But again he becomes restless for a sea-voyage and undertakes it. This time his ship crashes and he is alone in a cast-away island. I guess this is where the story of ‘Cast Away’ starring Tom Hanks comes from. The story is more or less like the movie , a story of survival,a will to survive.
A few notable points . First, he promises to himself that he wont be materialistic but still goes to the wrecked ship and gets all the riches.(so true, most people wants to be less materialistic but still pursue materialism with a zeal) Second, on this desolate island he finds religion. He finds solace in God, sort of a physchological crutch. (Is this how man found God ? ).Third, he seems to identify with his father ( I remember a famous quote, When a man understands that his dad was right , he already has a son who thinks he is wrong). Fourth, he pets some animals to keep company and be subservient to him(is this why man pets animals ?).Fifth, he starts to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.(Every man does that late in his life). One very moot point was he now has lot of money but all he craves for is a pipe and he cant get it .(oh how true of everyones life?)
He finds some foot-prints of humans and although he should be happy , he is scared . May be rightfully he thinks that they might be savages. He rescues one of the victims of savages ,enslaves him , teaches him religion and English . A very funny point during one of the conversations is raised by the slave ‘Why cant devil be beaten if God is stronger ?’(I still cant understand this) .
After this the story becomes all cloogy and there is nothing philosophical that Defoe has to say. A good read to follow this might be Gulliver Travels.
One can read Robinson crusoe on the web at
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/DefCru1.html
