鲁滨逊漂流记英语论文

Analysis of Major Characters

Robinson Crusoe

《鲁滨逊漂流记》的人物性格分析

Abstract

Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe who is a great English novelist in the

18 century as his masterpiece, is either a pioneering English adventure fiction or a

typical colonial literature. The novel describes that Robinson went away to the sea

regardless of his parents’ wish. Robinson doesn’t want to be a businessman like his

father, in the contrary, he wants to go to the sea, and create his own life. Although he

encounters many difficulties, he never changes his determination, which finally makes

him drift to an island. And lives there for 28 years with Friday he saved. Luckily he

finally goes away from that place, and has his new life.

Robinson is ambitious, hard-working, wise, persistent, etc. He also is a man of

determination, individualism and kindness. Friday is a simple man who is loyal to

Robinson, a brave man with wisdom, and dutiful son. He help Robinson with

gratitude. He is loyal to Robinson, and adapt to Robinson’ life quickly.

Key words：Robinson, Friday, character, fate

1. Introduction

“Robinson Crusoe” is a famous novel which British novelist Daniel Defoe wrote

in his old age. This novel was pressed in 1719 at the first time. Actually “Robinson”

had his archetypes in real life. In 1704, Alexander Purcell Koch who was a sailor had

quarrel with his captain, and deserted to a desert island. After four years, he was taken

to England, but he became a savage. Of course, the man didn’t do any wonderful

thing on the island, however, his experience became the source of Defoe’s writing.

After Defoe’s think, “Robinson” came up in Defoe’s head. With his effort, the novel

was accomplished. Defoe used his abundant imagination to do literary processing,

which made “Robinson” be the hero in the mind of petty bourgeoisie. “Robinson” was

a perfect emerging bourgeoisie. The novel gives an expression that is the aggressive

spirit and lightness awareness. This novel was written like a biography with humor

tone, so it was liked by people in any stage of age. Defoe was called “the Father of

English Novel”.

Daniel Defoe was born in a Puritan family. He was rich in rebellious spirit. He

opposed autocracy and advocated democracy. He had been detained and fined for

writing satirical work. Thus, he wrote “Hymn to the Pillory” to express his feelings.

Daniel Defoe was also born in a commercial family in London. He was once a

businessman, who ran the enterprise of underclothes, cigarettes and wine trade. He

concerned with bourgeois industry and commerce, especially trade. Daniel Defoe was

a representative of bourgeoisie, what he advocated was to expand Britain’s colony and

against autocracy.

“Robinson Crusoe” was Daniel Defoe’s most effective novel. This novel was

translated in many languages and pressed in many countries. People knew the mind of

bourgeoisie at that time. We can also know the spirits of them. At that time, people

liked this novel very much, so there was a phenomenon that people talked about a

man called” Robinson “ and his experiences.

2. Robinson’s characters and the activities which reflect his

characters

Robinson Crusoe was translated in many languages and pressed in many

countries. People knew the mind of bourgeoisie at that time. We can also know the

spirits of them. At that time, people liked this novel very much, so there was a

phenomenon that people talked about a man called ”Robinson” and his experiences.

Robinson Crusoe can survive on the island, because of his positive personalities.

He holds so many positive personalities, let’ study them together

2.1 He dares to challenge the current situation and persists in

pursuing his dream.

Robinson Crusoe was born in a middle-class family. His father was a wise and

grave man and always gave him serious and excellent counsels(忠告). His father

instilled the fact into him that the people in the middle station are the happiest person.

Here are some words of his father’s：

“that mine was the middle state, or what might be called the upper station of iow

life, which he had found by long experience was the best state in the world, the most

suited to human happiness, not exposed to the miseries and hardships, the labor and

sufferings of the mechanic part of mankind and not embarrassed with the pride, luxury,

ambition, and envy of the upper part of mankind.”

His father tried to persuade Robinson that he should be content with the currant

happy life and not to go abroad upon adventures. However, Robinson insisted on

determining to leave home. Crusoe dreams of going on sea voyages. Here are some

words of Robinson which indicated his determination:

“……and told her that my thoughts were so entirely bent upon seeing the world

that I should never settle to anything with resolution enough to go through with it, and

my father had better give me his content than force me to go without it; that I now

eighteen years old, which …..;that I was true, if I did, I should never sever out my

time, and I should certainly run away from my master before my time was out and go

to sea;……” Eventually, Robinson was unwilling to life an ordinary life. His dream

drove him to adventure and challenge the oversea life. So he gave up the comfortable

and happy life. And he sailed away from home, started hard and unfortunate sea

journey.

2.2 He showed his ability and wisdom, and also the quality of

hard working.

We were impressed deeply by his spirit of relentless pursuit and innovations.

During the fourth time he went to the sea, accident happened. His companions were

all died only he was survived. However, he was reduced to a deserted island. But

there were no signs of human habitation and even no the basic conditions for a human

to survive on the island. So the terrible situation forced Robison to use his wisdom to

survive. He was not scared by the huge difficulties. On the contrary, he spared no

effort to change everything on the deserted island. He built a house for himself. He

tried to hunting, grain, goat, bask in raisins to satisfy his own food requirements. In

order to dress, he learned to use animal fur to tailored clothes. In order to travel and

observe the geography around, he Build his own canoe. He still explored the tables

and chairs, made pots, bread, umbrella, etc. etc. to meet the needs of his own survival.

Here are some quotations from the novel: "It was in vain to sit still and wish for

what was not to be had, and this extremity roused my application. “ This sentence

indicated his optimistic attitude to the bad situation.

“After I had been there about ten or twelve days, it came into my thoughts that I

should lose my reckoning of time for want of books and pen and ink and should even

forget the Sabbath days from the working days; prevent this I cut it with my knife

upon a large post in capital letters, and making it into a great cross…….”

“And now I began to apply myself to make such necessary things as I found I

most wanted, as particularly a chair and a table, for without these I was not able to

enjoy the few comforts I had in the world, I could not write, or eat, or do several

things with so much pleasure without a table.” From these examples, we know

Robinson’s innovation and his wisdom.

2.3 He was always optimistic and hopeful even in face of setbacks.

Robinson’s life was full of setbacks. However, he would never be defeated by

them. On the contrary, he would comfort himself and took co-urage to overcome them

. Some quotations from the novel:

Upon the whole, here was an undoubted testimony that there was scarce any

condition in the world so miserable but there was something negative or something

positive to be thankful for in it; and let this stand ass a direction from the experience

of the most miserable of all conditions in this world, that we may always find in it

something to comfort ourselves from and to set in the description of good and evil on

the credit side of the account.”

2.4 He had a thankful heart.

Robinson also retained a thankful heart. When he was on the deserted island, he

read the preserved bible. He believed in God's grace sincerely to make him have

spiritual pursuit. And whenever he had difficulties, he would thank god's protection in

the heart piously. He would also be grateful that he still can live in the world. Crusoe

was thankful to those people who helped him, too. Some quotations from the novel:

“I forgot not to lift up my heart in thankfulness to Heaven; and what heart could

forbear to bless him, who had not only in a miraculous manner provided for one in

such a wilderness and in such a desolate condition, but from whom every deliverance

must always be acknowledged to proceed.” “ The first thing I did was to recompense

my original benefactor, my good old captain, who had been first charitable to me in

my distress, kind to me in my beginning, and honest to me at the end. I showed him

all that was sent me; I told him that next to the Providence of Heaven, which disposes

all things, it was owing to him; and that it now lay on me to reward him, which I

would do a hundredfold.”

Here was an example of Robinson’s thankfulness to the old captain who always

helped him and made a great influence on him. Through many tests, he became the

development of all aspects of "talent".

3. The Weak Aspect of the Character of Robinson Crusoe

Just like the old saying goes, “to err is human”. Robinson Crusoe’s admirable

qualities must be weighed against the flaws in his character.

3.1 Robinson Crusoe as a man of lacking care to the family

Robinson seemed incapable of deep feelings, as shown by his cold account of

leaving his family- - - he was even worried about the religious consequences of

disobeying his father, but not considering much about the feelings of the family. As he

told us, “I would be satisfied with nothing but go to sea, and my inclination to this led

me strongly against the will, nay the commands of my father, and against all the

entreaties and persuasion of my mother and other friends.” In the end he went out to

sea without saying goodbye to his bourgeoisie. For example, he supported slavery and

thought it was a profitable trade. Once he had got a chance, if he liked, he could be a

rich and thriving man in his new plantation in Brazil, but for pursuing a rash and

immoderate desire of rising faster than the nature of the thing admitted, he went out to

sea again to buying Negroes.

He was ridiculous on this point, that is, he who believed that man was born free

and equal was even eager to own some slaves and direct them at his will. After many

years of living on the island, he set to get one of those savages into his hand, if

possible. As the novel tells, “in a word, I was not at first so careful to shun the sight of

these savages, and avoid being seen by them, as I was now eager to be upon them.”

Besides, he planned to make the savages he managed entirely slaves to him, and to do

whatever he directed them and to prevent their being able at any time to do him any

harm. Later he got an opportunity to fulfill his desire—— — he saved a savage one

day when those barbarians held their inhuman feasting on the island again. He named

him “Friday” to memorize the time, without asking whether he had got a name before.

He then taught Friday to say ‘master’ even before teaching him the words as‘yes’ and

‘no’ , and let he know that was to be his name, as if he needed to hear the ego-

boosting word spoken as soon as possible. In the following days, he saved a Spanish

man and Friday’s father, and then his island was peopled. He took it for granted to be

the ‘lord’ of them. He was so satisfied that when he “surveying it with a secret kind of

pleasure, to think that this was all my own, that I was king and lord of all this country

indefeasibly…”

He saved Friday, to his original wish, he got a slave to direct. Although he was

generous and a kind lord, he did not put Friday in the same rank as himself. He made

Friday do many things, even made him find and bring back the parrot he shot down,

which was done by his dog before.

4. Conclusion

All in all, while not boasting of heroism, Robinson was nonetheless very

interested in possessions, power and prestige. After the island was peopled, he thought

he was “very rich in subjects”, and he thought it was a “merry reflection” that “how

like a king I looked. First of all, the whole country was my own mere property; so that

I had an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were perfectly subjected:

I was absolute lord and law giver; they allowed their lives to me, and every ready to

lay down their lives…I was absolute ever ready to lay down their lives…”By bringing

both sides together into one complex character, Defoe gave us a fascinating glimpse

in to the successes, failures, and contradictions of a modern man. Robinson thought

himself as a civilized man while he had a savage complex in the bottom of his heart;

while not boasting of heroism, he was also interested in possessions, power and

prestige, though he was modest most of time; though he agreed that everyman was

born free and equal, his superiority complex also made him set up his rule on the

island.

In a word, Robinson Crusoe is not a flashy hero or grand epic adventurer but an

ordinary sensible man, while his character traits have won him the approval of

generations of readers.

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