|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe By Heather Watt  |
| |
 Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe details the journey of a 17th century Englishman in search of adventure and purpose for his life. Against the warnings of his father, Crusoe sets out to voyage on a merchant ship. This ship is seized by pirates, and Crusoe is enslaved in Africa for two years. He eventually escapes and sails to Brazil to become a successful plantation owner. While on a voyage to Africa for slaves, his ship crashes on the coast of a desert island near Trinidad. He is the sole survivor and inhabits the island for 28 years.
Crusoe is initially hopeless, for he feels that there is no chance of rescue nor survival. But he eventually comes to thank God that he survived the shipwreck and that some resources were still available to him on the ship. Much of the book details Crusoe's survival on the island, including the construction of his home, his farm, and livestock. Fate takes a twist when cannibals visit the island, and Crusoe is horrified, but their existence ultimately leads to his release from the island he calls his "prison."
The novel is unique in its psychological depiction of life in solitude. Crusoe becomes ruler of his own land and eventually the people that visit it. One interpretation of Defoe's work is that it promotes colonialism and justifies the role of Christianity within it.
Interest in the novel comes from advertisement for a 13-part TV series that will premiere October 17th on NBC. Entitled simply Crusoe, the series will star Philip Winchester as the protagonist. You may remember seeing Pierce Brosnan in a film adaptation of Robinson Crusoe. The TV series may not make it past the second episode, but the story is one that has captivated readers around the world. It is easier to identify with Crusoe as a character than the strange and confusing relationships of the characters on Lost, but I can already tell from the previews that there will be some drastic differences between the book and the show.
If you love Pirates of the Caribbean or Moby Dick, but want a slightly less confusing narrative, Robinson Crusoe will captivate your fantasy of being stranded on a desert island and leave you wondering what you would do to survive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|