Robinson Crusoe

Daniel Defoe's novel is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is a great story about one man's struggle to survive, trapped on an island. I initially picked this book off of the summer reading list because of its story. I knew only the most basic details about this book. One man, one island, survival: a harrowing tale. However, the novel's reach is not limited to Crusoe's reaching, surviving on, and escape from the island.
What makes the story more interesting is the irony Defoe pushes into the story. The beginning, Crusoe argues with his father, his father saying that Robinson's desire to adventure by sailing is foolish while Robinson dismisses these warnings. Crusoe's regret upon reaching the island and his dealing with the regret do not push the story forward necessarily, but they keep hold of our questioning Crusoe's mental state. Will he snap from guilt or regret? Or, will he move forward, dealing with his situation the best he can? Further strength in the book comes from the interesting post-island adventure Crusoe has with his faithful friend and companion, Friday. Crusoe's final adventure in the novel is dangerous, arguably more so than many of his adventures on the island save his battles--they are attacked by a bear who has already injured their guide. Defoe keeps you interested in Crusoe's life even though he has escaped from his famed island.
While Crusoe's story is brilliant, the manner in which Defoe tells it keeps the reader from sympathizing with him. He was trapped on an island for twenty-eight years; however, not once, did I really feel that Crusoe was having a hard time. It was hard to feel bad for a man who ends up with a herd of goats, multiple firearms, a field of corn, and a "house" he is comfortable in. Moreover, due to the books first-person narrative, it is revealed early on that Crusoe escaped the island. Even though the emotions Crusoe felt on the island should have been strong and dramatic, the retrospective view the narration takes keeps the reader from really feeling the pain Crusoe must have felt. The many times that Crusoe describes his regret, sorrow, and thankfulness for his life, the tone is very impersonal and simple. Because of this, it seems as though the speaker is talking to the reader as if the reader knows what kind of man Crusoe is like, when really, his actions do not speak to us well enough to understand his psyche completely. It is because of this that the strongest character in the novel is not introduced until Crusoe has already been on the island for twenty-four years.
Friday, a man whose psyche the reader does not understand is arguably the most noble character in the novel. His simple loyalty, intelligence, and abilities are what make him so. His abilities are best seen when he toys with the bear that Crusoe's party encounter at the end of the novel--he plays with the bear by climbing a tree and shaking the branch the bear is on. Friday never questions what Crusoe is doing or why; he just simply understands that Crusoe saved his life and he owes him his loyalty. He quickly converts to Christianity and learns English, abandoning his own way of life to serve as a companion and worker. He displays innocence that can be found in a child admiring a father figure. Friday is by far the most noble and ultimately-good character in the novel.
While I was slightly disappointed with the fact that the book seemed to lack "survival" as a theme, I did enjoy the innovative thoughts and actions that Crusoe took to cultivate his island as a theme much more. It was not so much fear and acting for each moment that drove the story as inventiveness and patience. Overall, I did enjoy the book but not for the expectations I had before I began. I went in thinking "Crusoe, survival, fear, danger," but came out thinking "Friday, inventiveness, patience." It was a great story told by a not-so-great speaker, but it did not suffer catastrophically because of it.