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 Robinso n, 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. Ro binson’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 u pon 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 sho uld 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 sent ence 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 b e 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 u pon 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’ a nd ‘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 t he ‘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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