Robinson_Crusoe

In Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, a tale of a man who was shipwrecked and stranded on what seems to be an uninhabited island. To Robinson Crusoe’s surprise “I was exceedingly surprised with the print of a man's naked foot on the shore, which was very plain to be seen on the sand”(Defoe 112), we learn that he is not entirely alone on this island and there are more mysteries to be unfolded. In one of the most iconic moments in Robinson Crusoe’s adventure, the single footprint that he shockingly finds symbolizes Crusoe’s confused emotions and fear towards human companionship. Crusoe’s desperate need for human communication is confessed earlier when he states that “I thought I lived very happily in all things, except that of society.”(104). However, even with that much desired need for human contact, the proof of another individual existing leaves Crusoe shattered with fear. In fact, Crusoe begins to reposition his home, goats, defenses, and is keeping watch whenever possible (117). The irony of deeply craving human contact and then frightened deeply when it arrives leaves us with many questions regarding Crusoe’s psychological state. Has Crusoe lost faith in the existence of mankind' Is he actually so comfortable alone on the island that he refuses to be part of a society' Does he believe that being alone is his ideal state' It would appear so. For the average shipwrecked survivor, the footprint would be interpreted as an angel, a rescuer, a savior, a way off the island, a symbol of hope, freedom, a person to talk to. Inversely, Crusoe sees the footprint as that of the devil, the enemy, the aggressor, the end. To further evaluate our hero’s conflict, Crusoe rescues a man from a gang of cannibals that were to be the inhabitants of this island. He takes the man in and names him Friday “which was the Day I sav’d his Life” (149). The sweetness of Friday, who is a cannibal, leads us to reassess Crusoe’s previous anxiety. Crusoe lived in fear barely leaving his cave due to other peoples existence but there he goes, in mere minutes, connecting with Friday. We can interpret this as Crusoe not actually having been afraid of the savages themselves but in reality, afraid of his own perception of what they might be, which we learn was an exaggeration of the truth. Robinson Crusoe’s character is maturing and becoming more understanding of who he is. He now understands his fears and grows out of them making him feel happier in his own skin. Crusoe begins to lose his fears and actually feels somewhat superior to both Friday and the cannibals. This interesting study of how Crusoe went from being the pawn of terror to being the superior majestic conqueror and king of the Island is by itself fascinating. At this stage of the story, we are left wondering what is going to happen and what other changes will we be seeing of Crusoe. All will soon be revealed with our hero’s adventurous spirit. Resources: Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe (1719). Norton Critical Edition. Second Edition. Edited by Michael Shinagel.