What is Robinson Crusoe's weak side. Daniel Defoe "Robinson Crusoe": description, characters, analysis of the work
I started reading books early. Sometimes they took too much free time from me, but they gave incomparably more in return. The world around me, the secrets of nature, I learn from books. Several times I re-read the wonderful pages of the English writer's novel...
Robinson Crusoe is a sailor who, as a result of a shipwreck, found himself on a desert island in the West Indies near the island of Trinidad and managed to live on it for twenty-eight years, first all alone, and then with the savage Friday, to master this island ...
I looked at the ship we had abandoned and was surprised to see that it was no longer in its original place. Now he was washed closer to the shore. He found himself not far from the very rock, on which I was almost knocked out by a wave. The tide must have lifted it during the night...
Everyone knows this novel. Even those who have not read it (which is hard to imagine) remember: a young sailor sets off on a long voyage and, after a shipwreck, ends up on a desert island. He spends there about twenty-eight years. That's basically all the "content"...
The ship, on which Robinson Crusoe set off on a journey, crashed during a storm: ran aground. The entire crew was killed, except for one sailor. This was Robinson Crusoe, who was thrown by a wave onto a desert island. On behalf of the protagonist...
Friday - an Indian from a tribe of cannibals, met by Robinson Crusoe in the twenty-fourth year of his stay on a desert island and became an assistant and servant. P. is depicted in the novel through the eyes of Robinson, who finds in him a light and cheerful person ...
The main characters are Robinson Crusoe, a sailor from York and a savage Friday. The main idea of the book is that a person can achieve well-being even on a desert island, if he works and tries.
The main characters of "Robinson Crusoe"
- Robinson Crusoe - sailor from York
- Savage Friday
- Xuri
- Portuguese ship captain
- Hispanic
Robinson Crusoe was born in 1632 to a wealthy family in the city York. The father saw his son in the future lawyer. But Robinson thought only of sea voyages.
September 1, 1651 Robinson Crusoe, without asking permission from his parents, went on a trip. The first voyage was unsuccessful because the ship sank during a storm. Having escaped and survived the shock, Robinson again went to sea. This time, pirates attacked the ship, which sailed to the shores of Guinea, and the young man was captured. Only through 2 years. Robinson managed to escape. Over time, Crusoe found himself in Brazil, and became the owner sugar plantation. On September 1, 1659, the restless young man again went to Guinea to buy slaves. But the ship during the storm was impossible to save. Robinson was the only one who managed to survive.
When Robinson was on the island, he first of all moved everything he needed from the ship and built housing. He tried to leave the island and even built a boat. But he could not launch the boat himself.
Robinson learned a lot on the island, such as making and maintaining a fire, making candles from goat fat. Crusoe was also able to feed himself, for example, by making cheese and butter from goat's milk. The hero tries to make dishes from clay, furniture, improves his house. He learned on the island to process skins, weave baskets, cultivate the land, grow grain, bake bread.
“Before that, I had never picked up any tool,”
"... the carpenter of me was bad, and the tailor was even worse." Over time, "improved in all crafts." “... Time and need soon made me a jack of all trades. So it would be with everyone in my place, "- said Robinson Crusoe
Robinson adheres to all civilized habits, strives to bring a certain aesthetics to his life, which he is used to at home.
Robinson even begins a new chronology on the island, for he is cut off from the world.
Robinson Crusoe not only managed to defeat himself, his fear, despair, he was reborn: he managed to rethink and reevaluate his life. The uninhabited island became the place of his spiritual rebirth, realizing himself as a Man with a capital letter, unique and priceless.
The book about the adventures of Robinson Crusoe can rightly be considered one of the most famous works in European literature. Even those of our compatriots who are not particularly inclined to spend time reading, will surely be able to tell what they once read about the amazing adventures of a sailor who lived alone on a desert island for almost thirty years. However, far fewer readers will remember who wrote Robinson Crusoe. In order not to return to the book again, but to plunge back into the atmosphere of a carefree childhood, re-read this article and remember what the author wrote about, thanks to which the amazing adventures of a sailor saw the light of day.
Robinson Crusoe and Munchausen
The events in the life of a sailor, described by Daniel Defoe, is one of the books of the 17-18th century, which has taken a special place among the works of children's literature, along with the adventures of Baron Munchausen. But if the story of the famous eccentric, who claimed that he pulled himself out of the swamp by the hair, is reread by adults only during a period of nostalgia for childhood, then the novel that Daniel Defoe created is a completely different matter. It should be noted that the name of the author who wrote about the amazing adventures of the baron is known only to specialist bibliographers.
Robinson Crusoe. Theme of the work
We will try to answer the question of what is the main task of this work. Those who remember the story that Robinson Crusoe got into, the content of this work, will understand why the author created it. The main theme of the novel is the problem of a person from a civilized society who finds himself alone with nature.
About creating a work
The works are quite characteristic of the realistic novels of England of that time.
The prototype of the protagonist is the sailor Selkirk and, of course, Daniel Defoe himself. The author endowed Robinson with his love of life and perseverance. However, Robinson is almost 30 years older than the writer: when a middle-aged sailor lands on his native shore, full of energy, the educated Defoe is already operating in London.
Unlike Selkirk, Robinson spends not four and a half years on a desert island, but a long 28 years. The author deliberately puts his hero in such conditions. After staying on Robinson remains a civilized man.
Daniel Defoe was able to write amazingly accurately about the climate, flora and fauna of the island on which Robinson landed. The coordinates of this place coincide with the coordinates of the island of Tobago. This is due to the fact that the author carefully studied the information described in such books as "The Discovery of Guiana", "Travels around the World" and others.
Roman saw the light
When you read this work, you understand that the one who wrote "Robinson Crusoe" experienced great pleasure from working on his brainchild. The work done by Daniel Defoe was appreciated by contemporaries. The book was published on April 25, 1719. Readers liked the novel so much that in the same year the work was reprinted 4 times, and in total during the life of the author - 17 times.
The writer's skill was appreciated: readers believed in the incredible adventures of the protagonist, who spent almost 30 years on a desert island after a shipwreck.
Robinson Crusoe is the third son of a wealthy man. From childhood, the boy dreams of sea voyages. One of his brothers died, the other went missing, so his father is against him going to sea.
In 1651 he went to London. The ship he is on is wrecked.
From London, he decides to sail to Guinea, now the ship is captured by a Turkish corsair. Robinson is enslaved. For two years, he has no hope of escaping, but when surveillance weakens, Robinson finds an opportunity to escape. He, the Moor, and Xuri are sent out to fish. Throwing the Moor overboard, he persuades Xuri to run away together.
A Portuguese ship picks them up at sea and takes them to Brazil. Robinson sells Xuri to the captain of the ship.
In Brazil, the main character settles down thoroughly, buys land, works, in a word, comes to the “golden mean”, which his father so dreamed of.
However, the thirst for adventurism pushes him to travel to the shores of Guinea for labor. Neighbors-planters promise to run the household in his absence and hand over the slaves to him on an equal basis with everyone else. His ship is wrecked. He alone remains alive.
With difficulty reaching the shore, Robinson spends the first night on a tree. From the ship he takes tools, gunpowder, weapons, food. Robinson realizes that he subsequently visits the ship 12 times and finds a "heap of gold" there, philosophically noting its uselessness.
Robinson arranges for himself a secure home. He hunts goats, and then domesticates them, establishes agriculture, builds a calendar (notches on a pillar). After 10 months of staying on the island, he has his own “cottage”, which the main character has in a hut in that part of the island where hares, foxes, turtles are found, melons and grapes grow.
Robinson has a cherished dream - to build a boat and swim to the mainland, but what he built can only allow him to travel near the island.
One day, the main character discovers a footprint on the island: for two years he has been terrified of being eaten by savages.
Robinson hopes to save the savage, who is destined "to be slaughtered" in order to find a comrade, helper or servant.
By the end of his stay on the island, Friday appears in his life, whom he teaches three words: "yes", "no", "sir". Together they free the Spaniard and Friday's father, captives of the savages. Shortly thereafter, the crew of an English ship arrives on the island, which has captured its captain, his assistant and the passenger of the ship. Robinson frees the captives. The captain takes him to England.
In June 1686, Robinson returns from his journey. His parents are long dead. All proceeds from the Brazilian plantation are returned to him. He takes care of two nephews, marries (at 61), he has two sons and a daughter.
Reasons for the success of the book
The first thing that contributed to the success of the novel is the high skill of the one who wrote Robinson Crusoe. Daniel Defoe did an enormous amount of work on the study of geographical sources. This helped him to describe in detail the features of the flora and fauna of the uninhabited island. The author's obsession with his work, the creative upsurge that he experienced - all this made his work unusually reliable, the reader sincerely believed in Defoe's intention.
The second reason for success is, of course, the fascination of the plot. This is an adventurous adventure novel.
The dynamics of the development of the personality of the protagonist
It is easy to imagine that at first, having got to the island, Robinson felt the deepest despair. He is just a weak man left alone with the sea. Robinson Crusoe is out of touch with what he is used to. Civilization makes us weak.
However, later he realizes how lucky he is, because he survived. Realizing his position, the main character begins to settle on the island.
In twenty-eight years of life on a desert island, Robinson learned a lot that helped him survive. Remoteness from civilization forced him to master the skills of making fire, making candles, dishes, oil. This man made his own house, furniture, learned to bake bread, weave baskets, and cultivate the land.
Perhaps the most valuable skill that Robinson Crusoe has received over the years is the ability to live, and not exist in any conditions. He did not grumble at fate, but only did everything to make him better, diligence helped him in this.
The psychological nature of the novel
A work about Robinson Crusoe can rightfully be considered the first psychological novel. The author tells us about the character of the protagonist, the trials that he endures. The one who wrote Robinson Crusoe, unusually accurately tells about the experiences of a man on a desert island. The writer reveals the recipe, thanks to which the main character finds the strength not to lose courage. Robinson survived because he managed to pull himself together and work hard without succumbing to despair.
In addition, Defoe endowed the protagonist with the ability to analyze his behavior. Robinson kept a diary, which for a long time was his only interlocutor. The main character learned to see the good in everything that happened to him. He acted, realizing that things could be much worse. A difficult life demanded from him the ability to be an optimist.
About the character of the protagonist
Robinson Crusoe, the chapters of Defoe's work tell us a lot about this hero - a very realistic character. Like any other person, this sailor has good and bad qualities.
In Xuri's case, he manifests himself as a traitor unable to empathize with others. It is characteristic, for example, that Friday calls him master, and not friend. Robinson himself speaks of himself as the owner of the island or even as the king of this land.
However, the author endows the main character with many positive qualities. He understands that only he can be responsible for all the misfortunes in his life. Robinson is a strong personality who constantly acts and achieves improvements in his destiny.
about the author
The life of Daniel Defoe himself is also full of adventure and controversy. After graduating from the theological academy, he, however, throughout his rather long life was engaged in commercial enterprises associated with great risks. It is known that he was one of the participants in the uprising against the royal power, after which he hid for a long time.
All his activities were connected with a dream that is clear to many: he wanted to get rich.
Already by the age of 20, he took place as a successful businessman, but subsequently suffered bankruptcy, after which, escaping from a debtor's prison, he lived in a shelter for criminals under an assumed name.
Later he was engaged in journalism and became an influential political figure.
Defoe hid from creditors until the end of his days and died all alone.
(Based on Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe)
"Robinson Crusoe" is a book known throughout the world. It very quickly became popular with readers of all countries, was translated into almost all languages of the world. Many years have passed since Daniel Defoe wrote this work, but even now it is read with great interest and excites the imagination of readers. Thousands of people learn about the story of Robinson Crusoe for the first time, millions of readers re-read this book over and over again, and everyone finds something of their own in it, everyone sympathizes with the hero. Children play Robinson Crusoe, they use his name in everyday life, no longer meaning the work itself. The story of Robinson Crusoe has ceased to be the story of a specific individual, it has become a symbol.
Robinson Crusoe was probably an ordinary person, with his joys and sorrows. He may not have had any special talents. This is what makes him so close to us, his actions are clear to everyone, and his thoughts and life principles cause sympathy and a good attitude towards the hero. Moreover, Robinson is in a difficult position, the future scares him. Isolation from civilization seems to him worse than death. He is overcome with despair. This is how the author portrays Robinson in the first days of his life on a deserted island.
However, over time, Robinson is forced to think about how to survive in the new conditions, and despair is replaced by hope. Only during the illness does the sadness return again, intensified by the fact that he feels very lonely.
When Robinson got to the island, he had only what was on it. The tools that were salvaged from the ship helped to survive, and hard work made it possible. Robinson builds a house for himself, grows bread from the grains he finds. The goats that lived on the island become his livestock and provide him with milk and cheese. It took several years of hard work to grow plenty of bread from a few grains. For Robinson, these grains meant not only the opportunity to eat bread. It was his victory over evil fate.
Improving his living conditions, Robinson decides to build a boat.
There are a lot of examples in the work of what a person can do with an unshakable will and determination. Not a single test could break the character of Robinson. He defied circumstances and conquered them.
The indestructible character of Robinson embodies the best features of all mankind. A person should not be afraid of difficulties. It is this thought that is the conclusion of the work "Robinson Crusoe". And that is why the story of an ordinary sailor who, thanks to persistent work and indestructible character, managed to survive and rise above adverse circumstances, will excite the readers of this wonderful book for a long time to come. Since the example of Robinson is appropriate not only on a deserted island, but also in everyday life.
Robinson Crusoe- a sailor who, as a result of a shipwreck, found himself on a desert island in the West Indies near the island of Trinidad and managed to live on it for twenty-eight years, first all alone, and then with the savage Friday, master this island and start a household on it, in which there was everything necessary for life.
Telling the story of his stay on the island, R. tells in detail how his life settled down: what things and main tools he managed to save from the crashed ship, how he set up a canvas tent for himself and how he surrounded his dwelling with a palisade; how he hunted wild goats and how later he decided to tame them, built a corral for them, learned how to milk them and make butter and cheese; how a few grains of barley and rice were discovered, and how laborious it was to dig a field with a wooden shovel and sow it with these grains, how they had to protect their crops from goats and birds, how one crop died due to the onset of drought, and how he began to watch the change dry and rainy seasons to sow at the right time; how he learned to make pottery and fire it; how he made clothes from goat skins, how he dried and stored wild grapes, how he caught a parrot, tamed it and taught him to pronounce his name, etc. Due to the unusual situation, all these prosaic everyday activities acquire the interest of exciting adventures and even a kind of poetry. In an effort to provide himself with everything necessary for life, R. works tirelessly, and the work gradually dispels the despair that seized him after the shipwreck. Seeing that he can survive on the island, he calms down, begins to reflect on his former life, finds the finger of providence in many turns of his fate and turns to reading the Bible that he saved from the ship. Now he believes that his “imprisonment” on the island is a divine punishment for all his many sins, the main of which is his disobedience to the will of his parents, who did not let him sail, and flight from his home; at the same time, he is imbued with deep gratitude to the divine providence, which saved him from death and sent him the means to maintain life. At the same time, his beliefs are distinguished by the concreteness and efficiency characteristic of his class. Once on the island, he reflects on his situation, divides a sheet of paper in half and paints its pluses and minuses in two columns: "good" and "evil", strongly reminiscent of the "income" and "expenditure" columns in a merchant's ledger. In his worldview, R. turns out to be a typical representative of the "middle class" and reveals all its advantages and disadvantages.