The Discursive Disabuse of Daniel Defoe

Through The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe . . . , his greatest known work, Daniel Defoe demonstrates his brilliance through the use of subtle symbolism and punctuation, through addressing the influence of fear, the humanistic need for companionship, and the age old struggle between man and religion. That is if the novel is actually an original Defoe work.

Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe is about a man who does not want to live the life society has destined him to live. Born in York ,his whole life was centered around preparing him for a career in law. Which his father thought would be perfect for him and provide him with a comfortable life. To get away from the future that is inevitable if he remains in England he endeavors to set out to sea for an adventure that will set him free from the life his father wants him to live. Thought the idea does not sit well with his father Crusoe goes anyway. He soon regrets the decision when the ship he is on is over taken and he is sold into slavery. Being a cunning man Crusoe is able to escape from slavery in a small boat, with the help of a boy named Xury. Crusoe eventually makes it back to England and parts ways with Xury. When he discovers his family to be no more he takes up residence in England and tries to live a normal life, not knowing what else to do. Eventually he is asked to go back to sea. Before he goes he leaves his possessions with a woman he knows in England and tells her he will keep an exact journal of events so she can read about his adventures. He ,under the assumption that, statistically, nothing else bad could happen to him at sea, was willing to go.

Oh, how wrong he was! His ship wrecks and all the men but himself perish leaving him all alone on an island that is said to be off the coast of America. He is stranded on the island for twenty-eight years. Thankfully he was able to salvage nearly everything from the ship. If he had not been able to there is a very good chance he would not have survived the drastic change in environment and daily way of life. No longer being able to buy the things we consider necessities can be a cause of death for a person who has not had any preparation as to how to acquire those things for themselves. Soon after establishing himself he discovers religion. He thanks God for allowing him to live and helping him continue on every day. Even though there are days when he looses all faith in God and complains to him about how wretched his life is. Those feelings never last long he always sees the wrong in what he has said and immediately asks for forgiveness and thanks God for all he has given him. After Crusoe has been on the island a great many years, living prosperously, he comes across a foot print made in the sands along the shore line. The sight of which sends him into an immediate panic. He runs and hides and it takes him a while but he gathers the courage to venture back out and continue on with life. A while later he discovers who made the footprint; cannibals. They visit the island Crusoe lives on ever great once in a while to devour the flesh of a victim. On one such occasion Crusoe decides to free a captive thus gaining a companion named Friday. Whom he teaches the ways of civilized men; he teaches him to speak English and introduces religion to him, most importantly he educates him in ways of construction and behavior... often Friday becomes upset with Crusoe and his efforts to change him. This is the beginning of an established a societal unit on the island , to which Friday's father is later added. On Crusoe's island there is not a structured religion but rather freedom of religion is allowed, yet some forms are suppressed (such as cannibalism). Eventually the Spanish come to the island and Crusoe and Friday take all the crew members captive and Crusoe is able to negotiate with them and gain passage back to civilization. However, some of the ships crew stays behind to inhabit the island with specific instructions from Crusoe on the structure of society on the island and what practices are to be prohibited. He tells the men that one day he plans to make his way back to the island and when he does he wishes to see a thriving society built on what he began. Hidden beneath all of the context of this thrilling adventure novel are deeper messages that a keen reader can spot, if only one takes their time.

Robinson Crusoe is considered by many to potentially be “. . . an allegorical presentation of the growth of the British empire” and “an allegorical attack on economic individualism . . .” (enotes). Others see it as a symbol. James Joyce stated : “ The true symbol of the British conquest is Robinson Crusoe.” Still yet others regard it as a “meditation on the human condition” (10-1) However, the most common opinion asserted is that of the average readers ; who see the novel as nothing more than “the title character's spiritual autobiography” (shmoop). The greatest problem facing us regarding Robinson Crusoe is “how best to interpret it … , on whether or not -or to what degree- it is allegorical, whether its chief focus should be on its adventure or Puritan themes, and what Defoe's exact message is on moral values, economics, and security” (enotes). The average reader, upon a deeper level of reading, can easily detect the presence of all the topics of discussion found above. Yet, the true meaning of the work is still under dispute among many experts and casual scholars. For example Karl Marx, calls Robinson Crusoe nothing more than “capitalist propaganda” in his work Das Kapital.

A large part of the deeper meaning of Robinson Crusoe relies upon Defoe's use of symbolism and the number of ways he uses each of the symbols. The most important and influential of those symbols being : the cross, calender, ocean, the footprint, and Friday (the cannibal he rescued). The cross plays the role of multiple representation. It has the literal meaning associated with its shape- struggle, sacrifice, forgiveness, and all around religion, yet it also symbolizes a cross road in Crusoe's life. Which alludes to a significant change in his character; even if it is an internal one. The calender Crusoe constructs soon after landing has representation in its shape, word, and metaphor. The metaphor being : the difference between man and animal meaning the need for order and civilization. The ocean in which Crusoe is thrown due to the ship wreak plays the role of an underlying baptism- not necessarily strictly in the religious sense even though that is there. It simply marks the beginning of something new. The footprint in the sand is without a doubt the most well known symbol in the entire novel. Crusoe thought the footprint belonged to Satan himself; who had come to take him to Hell. This is a representation of the internal fear we all have about ending up in Hell when we die, about angering God, about being wrong in our faith. Even if we do not talk about it the fear and doubt created from the fear is always there on some level. We all question it ; it makes us human. Lastly, Friday (the cannibal whom Crusoe rescues) is nothing more than a symbol of the need for companionship and control over something/ someone. The way Defoe imbeds the meaningful symbolism causes it to be easily over looked. However, if the reader does miss the symbolism not all is lost ; they still get to read an engrossing, entertaining novel about a man stranded on an island and what he goes through in order to survive. They would only miss the religious allusions and messages associated with Robinson Crusoe's adventure.

His use of punctuation is remarkable and revealing when it comes to detecting the underlying topics within the novel, yet, is not something the average reader would catch on to. In order to appreciate Defoe's mastery of punctuation you yourself must develop an eye and personal interest of the subject. People like Coleridge, a perceptive critic, appreciated Defoe's artistry and found his punctuation nothing short of masterful (academic). However, not everyone felt as if Defoe was remarkable in the least. In fact it is said that “Jonathan Swift regarded [Defoe] with contempt” (academic).

Defoe also brings several humanistic tendencies to life. One that he demonstrates profoundly is his ability to create fear where there is not any and to let that fear grow to the point that it spawns other fears related to the original. While being on the island Crusoe repeatedly expressed his fear of dieing on the island all alone. This fear amplifies upon his coming across a lone footprint in the sand. Crusoe runs back to his island home and barricades himself with in its walls in terror. He convinces himself that the footprint belongs to none other than Satan himself – who has come to take Robinson back to hell with him. This thought process begs the question of whether he has finally gone mad from being alone or if he feels some great guilt over disobeying his father, who believed the trip to be a bad endeavor, and running off to sea. After convincing himself that there is absolutely zero basis for such a chain of thought, Crusoe gathers all his courage and ventures out of his island habitation to more closely inspect the foot print in the sand. He later discovers that the foot prints owner is either a cannibal or one of the victims they brought to shore. They come to Crusoe’s island to conduct the event; never leaving the shore line and swiftly leaving after the deed has been done.

Defoe also addresses the humanistic need for companionship and power through the introduction of a secondary character , Friday. Who is a member of the cannibal tribe, that lives on an island neighboring Crusoe's, whom Crusoe frees from a gruesome fate at the hands of his fellow cannibals, who brought him to the island. Crusoe , after debating on the matter for several minutes, rushes in to free the captives and in the process kills several of the cannibals. This action, even though fictional- has caused many critics to feel as if any author writing such a novel with a deep religious basis would not write a scene which places a greater value on the life of a single man over the life of several others. A man who claims to be a man of God was assumed to value the life of others. However , many critics disqualify this objection to character due to the time period and the fact that the said characters who Crusoe murders are not white- disqualifying them from the entitlement to equality. On the other hand, one must consider the fact that Defoe does identify with both sides of the issue of equality in Robinson Crusoe. In several passages throughout the novel Crusoe angrily questions God, as to why he would hold the savages accountable for their sins when they had never been given the opportunity to know either God him self or even his story (ncsu). He felt as if it was utterly unfair to them as people. Also, Robinson is both a slave and a slave owner at different points in the novel (shmoop).

Although, the rescue of the helpless Friday inadvertently morphs into something much more. Crusoe takes it upon himself to convert Friday to a Christian and to change his entire mannerism and way of life. Friday hates Crusoe's forceful means to change the only way of life he has ever known. In the end Crusoe admits he did fail in his goal ultimately . However, he did succeed in changing Friday- but only in areas Friday was willing to change.

Many critics look at this novel as a lengthy explanation as to how a religious journey is specific to the individual and is a great adventure. Others claim it is merely an adventure novel with undertones of Christian morals and lessons like many other stories during the time period. The fact remains that throughout the novel Defoe alludes to the fact that no body can help you find your faith. You are all alone, just as Crusoe was alone on his island, on the journey that defines who you are willing to be and what you are willing to do.

However, Defoe also uses Robinson Crusoe to “ attack the institution of priesthood in the Catholic Church ” (Dr. Morillo). It was no secret that Defoe did not agree with everything the Church had to say and often spoke out about it. He even suffered persecution for outwardly opposing the state religion of the time; Anglicanism (enotes). In this novel he uses Crusoe's personal thoughts about religion to take masked stabs at the Catholic Church. Although, he does not only criticize the Catholics but he is questioning the structures of all Christian religions in some way throughout the novel. The main issue he addresses is “whether or not [Christianity’s] hold on truth is real or illusory” (Dr.Morillo).

The main criticism revolving around Daniel Defoe's, Robinson Crusoe is that many critics out there believe that Daniel Defoe stole at lest the main plot line of his best selling work! They believe that this novel is at lest “partly inspired by the true adventures of an ill-disciplined sailor,” by the name of Alexander Selkirk who would have lived fairly close to Defoe around the time the novel was began. Selkirk was the unfortunate victim of circumstances uncannily similar to those in Defoe's novel. The parallels between the Robinson Crusoe and the life of Alexander Selkirk are so inconceivably similar many critics propose that there is absolutely no chance that Defoe's work is an original but instead was stolen from the true life of Selkirk. This claim possesses sturdy grounds on which it was based. Because Selkirk did live in the same area as Defoe there is little chance that Defoe did not know who he was and therefore wold have had the potential of conversing with him; or in the very lest would have heard details of his adventure. This would have been tempting to a man in Defoe's position.

As a man who “was haunted throughout his life by unsatisfied debt collectors” (enotes) and often found himself imprisoned due to his great debts. This paints the picture of a desperate man that could have stolen the story and tweaked it to make the story have a Biblical undertone that resembled Jonah or Job, which were extremely popular among readers at the time (shmoop). So the big question that remains is : did Defoe indeed make it all up and the similarities happened to be coincidence, or was he a man in desperate need of money who destroyed the only rule authors uphold – never plagiarize ? That may also explain why Defoe pushed the subject of Robinson Crusoe so intensely and repetitively. He wrote essays, sequels, short stories, and tried to write others that contained similar themes and religious under tones. None of which gained the same responses from the public that Robinson Crusoe gained.

We do know that Defoe had a rather sketchy past in which he participated in a number of rather questionable and often illegal activities that landed himself in jail on more than one occasion. We also know that he was a government instrument who wrote propaganda and acted as a spy for the Tories ; who were essentially a political group in Britain in the 1700s. “The Tory position, taken by colonial officials, was colonial governments were simply convenient instruments of royal prerogative, serving at the king's pleasure. (Out of Many) Is it possible that lies became habit? His morals became clouded? Certainly, anything is possible.

On the other hand, according to How to Read Literature like a Professor written by Thomas C. Foster , there are no original stories. Everything is based off of something or someone. So if Daniel Defoe is accused of stealing and adding to a story does that not mean that all authors are guilty of the same thing in some fashion or another? Where do you draw the line that differentiates between what is original and what is not? It is a debate that will never end because everyone holds their own opinion.

We may never know if Daniel Defoe did actually make up the entire story. However, the fact remains that this novel is an adventure beloved by generations due to Defoe's masterful literary skill, yet there are incredible parallels between Robinson Crusoe and the life of Alexander Selkirk.

However, many experts on works of Defoe – such as Katherine Frank- are completely convinced that the work is indeed an original (that may have found inspiration in stories like that of Alexander Selkirk). Ultimately it is a matter of opinion that rests in the opinion of the reader- just as with the Shakespeare case.

Working Works Cited

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“Daniel Defoe.” Daniel Defoe. N.p., n.d. Web 04 Feb. 2013

Frank, Katherine. Crusoe: Daniel Defoe, Robert Knox, and the Creation of a Myth. New York: Pegasus, 2012. Print.

Marshall, David. “Autobiographical Acts in Robinson Crusoe.” ELH 71.4 (Winter 2004):899-920. Rpt. In Children's Literature Review. Ed. Dana Ferguson. Vol. 164. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. Rothman, Irving N.

“Robinson Crusoe: An Evolution.” Robinson Crusoe: An Evolution. N.p. n.d. Web 04 Feb.2013.

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“Robinson Crusoe.” Novels for Students. Ed. Deborah A. Stanley and Ira Mark Milne. Vol.9. Detroit: Gale,2000. 228-250. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.

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