Personal Response to Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe Essay -- Robinso

Defoes novel, Robinson Crusoe relates one mans spiritual journey in search of self and his goal of setting things right and making amends. decision the self may take a life age. It took twenty-eight age on the island for Robinson Crusoe to discover more about himself, and, of course, he had to wait that number of years before he could make up for past mistakes. However, we do non have an ocean preventing us from making amends, and if only readers were to open themselves to this book, for only its clumsiness, flat style and Eurocentricity, it can, by illustrating one mans life, illuminate ours. To begin crack ourselves we must begin to identify with Crusoe. This is non as easy as it might seem. For one thing, in my case, he is a man, and I am a woman. He lived two hundred years ago so had very different values. He was white. I am non. It is, however, necessary to take these things aside and go to the text. Look especially at instances when Crusoe is not the most(pr enominal) politically correct of heros- -when he seems most at odds with our thinking. calculate Crusoes treatment of Friday. Friday has no name of his own, and he, the savage, automatically becomes a servant. Here, Crusoe is condescending and racist. Yet, when I look at my own actions towards others, I have to admit that m some(prenominal)(prenominal) an(prenominal) times they fall short of being good or just. permit us be honest, dont we all shun or dislike those not like ourselves in color, age, social standing, or religion, at some time or other? One other important flaw--some might not call it a flaw at all--is Crusoes bond of utility alternatively than bond of mutual respect that forms the basis of his friendships. Crusoe is a man that, archaean in the novel, is a friend when the other person c... ...eight years on a desert island. We have that what really keeps us down is our gentle self absorption and that we have to rise above this terrible selfishness. We l earn that finding the self is ac receiptledging our frailty and working, in spite of it, towards making our spiritual side strong. If I realize what is important in life, I know I have learnt from Crusoes experiences and will never have to cry Oh had at that place been but one .... The one book that heares all that books can teach Rousseau I shall pass through this world but once any good thing therefore I can do, or any kindness I can show to any human being let me do it now, let me not defer it or omit it, for I shall not pass this way again. Stephen Grellet Works CitedDefoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Ed. Thomas Keymer. Oxford Oxford UP, 2008. Print. Oxford Worlds Classics.