English Literature, Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" - Existentialism and Religion.




Everyone knows "Robinson Crusoe"novel, each child, each adult it is a perfect fairy tale of all children and a serious book for those who want to find out what Protestantism really means. 

Namely, this is a book which shows the principles of Protestantism. Describes Puritans and refers to religion which hasn't had its onset in England at all. 

Robinson Crusoe during his time on an island refers to God almost all the time, however, the apostrophe to God and Evil Robinson believes as well, are reasons of his survival. 

Evil and God, or Evil and Good, are omnipresent,  are his destiny; 

"... he was cast upon a horrible, desolate Island ..."

He became a separated man from all the world he loved, from all the world to become miserable. Even though he survived the wreckage, he is a lost man, he know that, yet he praises God; 

"... but I am alive, and not drowned, as all my ship's company was ..."

He experienced the act of salvation, he was saved from an almost certain death; 

"...but I am singled out too from all the ship's crew to be spared from death..."

Crusoe utterly believes his life is in the hands of God's. His faith is his food, for that reason he prays perpetually otherwise his life becomes useless. 

"...I have no clothes to cover me..."

"... I am in hot climate where if I had clothes I could hardly wear them ..."

In his situation clothes are not important, no one cares  about profit, money an a desert island, all wealth became irrelevant, vain, useless, meaningless. 

The books refers to colonialism, to British Empire its strength and overwhelming power. British politics towards Africa and other countries.  

"...but God wonderfully sent the ships  in near enough to the shore, that I  have gotten out so many things as it either supply  myself even as long as I live..."

To win an eternal life, Crusoe has to prove he is worth is, he works hard, he contemplates, he shows obedience toward God. He thanks God for every prays he hunts, when he caught a chicken he said; 

"...I had shook a bag of chicken's meat, out in that place, and the wonder bag to cease, and I must confess my religious thankfulness to God's Providence ..."

He often has got bad days, days of doubt, anger, hatred and helplessness. Nonetheless he keeps prying and referring to God; 

"...Lord be my help, for I am in great distress..."

After wreckage, Robinson survived the Bible, but he doesn't read the bible constantly, yet, only in case of trouble, great uncertainty, when he feels very miserable; 

"...Call on me in a day of trouble, and I will deliver, and thou shalt glorify me..."

He find in God cease, some kind of business partnership, as well. The relation is submitted to economic categories. 
When Crusoe is happy he doesn't refer to God, cos he finds something which completes him. The novel is full of balance, order, and hierarchy, there is a Lord in the presence of God and there is a vassal in the presence of Robinson Crusoe. 

The most important  is reason for human Reason, there is a reflection to empiricism, and the philosophy of John Locke. Robinson's mind must be fulfilled once again, it is now like "tabula rasa". 

We may admire Robinson Crusoe, he is self efficient, he leads diary, he tries to keep his individuality, he is deeply involved in his individual personality. He is a perfect example of homoeconomicus

We may endlessly enumerate Robinson's features, he is smart, educated, he became marooned, shipwrecked on the island, though, he reminded reasonable man, using his common sense, and taught himself how to be self efficient.

He didn't turned to his father's advises, he hasn't become a lawyer, showed disobedience, he rebelled due to his adventurous soul. He wanted to experience adventure, to seek unknown, the adventure he was seeking for became his punishment. 

Robinson is a colonizer of the Island, he gradually started conquering the island and using its nature and wealth to his private needs. Submission, there's nothing but the system Crusoe experienced in Britain, capitalism. 

Robinson created Mr. Friday, who serves him, and keeps a company with.

Robinson was always a man of Reason, he grew in an epoch of right thinking, and usage of common-sense. He is too independent to be submitted, to be changed, to be bred, to be told. 

He dealt with industrialization, he became an entrepreneur, prudence made him alive, without prudence he wouldn't have survived, moreover, he has to be cunning, he careful counts his expenses, he used to be a book keeper, and above all, has got a business partnership with God. He is a Protestant and opens Bible constantly in days of trouble and doubt. 

Good/ God and Evil completes in a novel; presents hidden features of Crusoe; Evil is when Crusoe is hopeless, lonely, has no one to build his enterprise with, solitaire man. God is present in his survival, his deep trust in God, salvation,  and being egoist this one more time pays for. 

Robinson is blessed, he changed, he understood that he doesn't need goods, he doesn't have clothes, but it is unnecessary extravagance ... he lived in tropics, no need to have any clothes. He supplies himself, he hunts, builds thing on his own, so money are worthless. He has knowledge, he as experience, all his process of thinking and acquisition is derived from experience.  His life is based on ideology of Empiricism, his world is an Utopia. Partially unreal, truly, extraordinary.

He memorizes things, recalls how to do certain useful tools, for example an umbrella, which has been made from hunted animals' fur. The sight is crucial, I see - I touch - I experience - I make. 

Robinson Crusoe is simply a brilliant example of how to thrive. 













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