The book about the adventures of Robinson Crusoe can rightfully be considered one of the most famous works in European literature. Even those of our compatriots who are not particularly disposed to spend time reading, will surely be able to tell that they once read about the amazing adventures of a sailor who lived alone on a desert island for almost thirty years. However, a much smaller number of readers will recall who wrote Robinson Crusoe. In order not to return again to the book, 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 were released.
Robinson Crusoe and Munchausen
Events in the life of a sailor, described by Daniel Defoe, is one of the books of the 17-18th century, which took 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 re-read by adults only during the period of nostalgia for childhood, then the novel created by Daniel Defoe 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 found himself alone with nature.
About creating a work
The novel describes a contemporary era for the author, a time of geographical discoveries, when sailors could be at sea for many years.
The adventurous adventure genre of the work is 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 vitality and perseverance. However, Robinson is almost 30 years older than the writer: when a middle-aged sailor lands on his hometown, full of energy, the educated Defoe already operates in London.
Unlike Selkirk, Robinson spends on the desert island not four and a half years, but long 28 years. The author deliberately puts his hero in such conditions. After staying on a desert island, Robinson remains a civilized man.
Daniel Defoe was able to amazingly accurately write about the climate, flora and fauna of the island Robinson came to. The coordinates of this place coincide with the coordinates of the island of Tobago. This is because the author carefully studied the information described in books such 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 released on April 25, 1719. The readers liked the novel so much that in the same year the work was reprinted 4 times, and only 17 times during the author's lifetime.
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.
Summary
Robinson Crusoe is the third son of a wealthy man. Since 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 on which he is sailing is wrecked.
From London, he decides to sail to Guinea, now the ship captures the Turkish corsair. Robinson is enslaved. For two years, he has no hope of escape, but when supervision is weakened, Robinson finds an opportunity to escape. He, the Moors and Ksuri are sent to fish. Throwing the Moor overboard, he persuades Ksuri to run together.
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”, about which his father so dreamed.
However, the thirst for adventurism pushes him on a trip to the shores of Guinea for labor. Planting neighbors promise to farm in his absence and give him slaves along with everyone. His ship is wrecked. He alone remains alive.
Having hardly reached the coast, Robinson spends the first night on a tree. From the ship he picks up tools, gunpowder, weapons, products. Robinson realizes that the island is uninhabited. Subsequently, he visits the ship 12 times and finds there a "bunch of gold", philosophically noting its worthlessness.
Robinson arranges reliable housing. He hunts goats, and then domesticates them, establishes agriculture, constructs a calendar (nicks on a post). After 10 months of staying on the island, he has his own "cottage", which the main character has in the hut of 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.
Once the main character discovers a footprint on the island: for two years he has been horrified by being eaten by savages.
Robinson hopes to save a savage who is destined "for slaughter" in order to find a comrade, assistant or servant.
Towards the end of his stay on the island, Friday appears in his life, whom he teaches three words: “yes,” “no,” “master.” Together they release the Spaniard and the father of Friday, captives of the savages. Soon after, the crew of the English ship arrived on the island, which captured its captain, his assistant and passenger of the ship. Robinson frees the captives. The captain takes him to England.
In June 1686, Robinson returned from his journey. His parents are long dead. All income from a Brazilian plantation is 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 was the high skill of the person who wrote Robinson Crusoe. Colossal work on the study of geographical sources was carried out by Daniel Defoe. This helped him to describe in detail the features of the flora and fauna of an uninhabited island. The author’s obsession with his work, the creative enthusiasm that he experienced, all this made his work unusually reliable, the reader sincerely believed in Defoe’s plan.
The second reason for success is, of course, the fascination of the plot. This is an adventure novel of an adventurous character.
The author of the work "Robinson Crusoe", whose heroes are known to all of us, made the main character an ordinary ordinary person who, however, was distinguished by his courage and energy.
The dynamics of the personality of the protagonist
It is easy to imagine that at first, having arrived on the island, Robinson felt the deepest despair. He is only a weak man, left alone with the sea. Robinson Crusoe is divorced from what he is used to. Civilization makes us weak.
However, later he realizes how lucky he is, because he survived. Having realized his position, the main character begins to settle down 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, and oil. This man independently made himself a house, furniture, learned to bake bread, weave baskets, cultivate the land.
Perhaps the most valuable skill that Robinson Crusoe has gained over many years is the ability to live, and not to exist in any conditions. He did not grumble at fate, but only did everything so that his life on the island was better, hard work helped him in this.
The psychological nature of the novel
The 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 man on a desert island. The writer reveals the recipe, thanks to which the main character finds the strength in himself not to lose courage. Robinson survived because he managed to pull himself together and work hard, not succumbing to despair.
In addition, Defoe endowed the main character 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 everything could be much worse. A difficult life required him to be an optimist.
On 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 the case of Ksuri, 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 speaks of himself as the owner of the island or even as the king of this land.
However, the author endows the protagonist 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 seeks improvement in his destiny.
about the author
The life of Daniel Defoe himself is also replete with adventure and full of contradictions. After graduating from the theological academy, he, however, was engaged in commercial enterprises that were associated with great risks throughout his rather long life. It is known that he was one of the participants in the uprising against royal authority, after which he hid for a long time.
All his activities were connected with a dream that many understood: he wanted to get rich.
By the age of 20, he had become a successful businessman, but subsequently went bankrupt, after which, fleeing a debt prison, he lived in a criminal shelter under an assumed name.
He later studied journalism and became an influential political figure.
Defoe hid from creditors until the end of his days and died in complete solitude.