Robinson Crusoe | a Review
originally published on 04/08/2023;
Hello everyone, I am the not-stuck-on-an-uninhabited-island G.E.M.Simov, a goon that feels as though it is stuck on an uninhabited island as most people around appear to not be acting the part (and being proper people). I have come to you today to tell you about Daniel Dafoe's "Robinson Crusoe", the version of which I possess being entitled: "The life and the adventures of Robinson Crusoe".
Simple review details - I rank books on an out of 10 basis, granting up to 3 points in 3 categories, as well as a last, single point from my own self, depending on my experience with it.
It is important to point out that the edition I read was a translation and was not in English, so there might be a slight difference in the process of reading and understanding.
Content
This book is oftentimes presented as a children's book. It gets presented to kids to read, yet it isn't really a kids book.
Now, sure, it is clear that this book holds great appeal for adults and children. The idea of getting shipwrecked, but everything ultimately working out, the idea of building your own home, the idea of living the way you want to and having no one to tell you anything - that has a great draw. It is incredibly interesting, especially when paired with the exploration of a brave new world.
Of course, it is not an explicitly unique land, but for the Euro-centrist way things have been considered, it is very different. Tropical forests and jungles, lush beaches - that's definitely new and unknown, and when the author is some random Englishman, writing this story for Englishmen and people in Europe, presumably, it is clearly something different. Europe and the USA don't get tropical forests and things of that nature. Not only that, but they don't get savages.
Thus, it is all incredibly new and intriguing, whilst also presenting a relatively educational account of those fantastical things - as educational as the writings of an Englishman from the early eighteenth century can be. The reason it is a children's book, then, is because that's a very good way of learning about the world.
It is such a good way, because it tickled the fancies of those who were in power. It explores the concept of finding God, of repenting. Of being an atheist, an unbeliever, only to find faith and coming to believe in the creator. When children read this at a young age, they want to be like Robinson Crusoe, because he's cool and interesting, and God worms his way into their subconscious as a thing that is inalienably part of the world, part of life.
Then there's the fact that it presents some interesting, almost rationalist perspectives - there's a section that has Robinson stating that "reason is the substance and origin of the mathematics…" That's a viewpoint that seems to express agreement with the concept of a priori knowledge, which is very curious to observe in a storybook that gets presented to children! Not only that, it almost appears as though Robinson Crusoe gives up on that notion and turns to God, as if implying that rational thought and rational action is pointless, meaningless, even thoroughly in vain without the consideration of God.
It is claimed that Robinson Crusoe has committed a great many sins, and that he is a nigh unrepentant sinner, yet the sins he has committed do not appear to be sins at all. They might be minor transgressions, but those are not sins! The idea that not listening to your father and following your dreams is a sin, rather than abiding by the wishes of one's parents, and sticking to the rules… It's absolutely incredible.
Though that almost makes sense. After all, the novel presents a character that knows a set of rules, that knows what is right, who constantly goes on to do what is wrong, and winds up punished for it. He sees the folly of his ways, he does what is right and life smiles at him, only for him to once again do what is wrong, to follow his dreams, and this he is punished horribly.
There seems to be a bit of an underlying message that implies to the reader that these rules should be followed. That one should not try to change their fate - take the hand you were given and play the game out.
Then there's the… Well, I'd say the casual racism of the whole novel, but it is surprisingly tame. Sure, the way non-white folks are portrayed emphasizes their strangeness and oddness, their savagery and lack of knowledge or understanding, but then there is nothing explicit, ever. The trope of the white savior maybe shows up, in the form of Friday, but, still, the relationship is between him and Robinson is quite nuanced.
I say that, even though there is a moment where Robinson Crusoe counts down all the things that have occurred, and there is a conscious separation between humans and savages - which implies that they are not the same. In a sense, the savages could be considered different, due to the fact that the ones in question are cannibals, but are they not still humans?
Well, maybe, but maybe not. That nuanced relationship between Robinson Crusoe and Friday is also fraught with oddness. Very rarely in the text does Robinson refer to Friday as a human, if at all - instead, it is more likely for him to use the word savage, slave or even creature. And even though Friday adopts Christianity and becomes a better Christian than anyone Robinson knows, he still is a creature.
Even though Robinson contemplates that these wild Americans seem to have an affinity for a far more prolific use of God's gifts, such as the ability to be thankful, or the means of being honest and devoted, they are still hardly considered to be humans by him. They are just savages, cannibals or wild creatures.
Now, of course, this book is written three hundred years ago, and the general sentiment back then was, evidently, way more different than what we have currently. However, it seems very backwards to go at it from a point of view that praises reason and rationality, in conjunction with God (who warrants equality among all human beings, but then those humans aren't humans according to some European dumbass, so not for them) and still maintain this racist approach. It diminishes the quality of the book, especially the final stretch.
In relation to that, this books once again contradicts itself. Robinson expressed great remorse over having to kill a baby goat, because he shot its mother without know she had a baby, but later on he wholeheartedly laughs as Friday performs animal cruelty for his entertainment. The scene with the bear is absolutely unnecessary - for a plethora of reasons - but the fact that Robinson explicitly describes how the bear is not actually going to bother anyone and so on and so forth, and then Friday goes and bothers it so that he can put on a show and then kill the animal, was in very poor taste. Didn't like it one bit, and it was not an exploration of the idea - it was just a funky description of animal cruelty with no great thought out into it.
Anyway, the concept of the golden mean is, interestingly enough, present and explored very well, at least in regards to one's social standing. While the golden mean is applicable to all aspects of life, its application to social classes is very interesting, especially when one considers the means of application in this novel. It's almost as though there need to be a lower and a higher class for the middle class to exist, which is somewhat cruel - one's existence requiring the suffering of many others…
Though that's almost not an issue. It is only vaguely implied, or so interpreted by me. What this book actually puts effort into examining and considering is solitude, loneliness, as well as John Locke's philosophy of the natural state and property.
Robinson Crusoe essentially reached an understanding of property that is purely identical to that of John Locke - what is yours is that, which you have worked to gain, and what should be yours is what you can make use of before it goes bad.
Robinson has the option to build entire ships out of the wood he has access to, he has access to bountiful amounts of food, yet he can not use it all before it goes bad, so he does not claim ownership of it by working with his hands to gain it. However, interestingly enough, Daniel Dafoe seems to argue against Locke, that money is not an imperishable good - as the gold and silver that Robinson Crusoe has is useless and only gathers moss - and that, ultimately, there is no great use for it.
He, Daniel Dafoe, appears to be more inclined towards bartering, as he goes into great detail to describe how Robinson Crusoe trades with a bunch of African natives, or how he trades with others overall. This could just be an error in interpretation, again, but it appears as though there is something along those lines that's present.
What is present is a strange examination of solitude. On the one hand, human company is described as the most wonderful thing in the world. On the other, Robinson Crusoe apparently has managed to overcome the need for human company through his thoughts and any exclamations directed towards God. Then again, though, that is not something that's consistent, or at least it does not seem be such.
Truly, Robinson Crusoe often recalls that he is over one with great sadness and weeps, losing hours of his day, but the way those sections are presented appears to be in passing. There was no great emphasis that I felt put upon those, and the reasons they were so weighty were attributed to his unfortunate circumstances, not to the lack of a human companion. Even so, he does, multiple times, mention how greatly he misses human company.
Still, it feels very odd, very strange and uncanny that Robinson Crusoe comes to the conclusion that what he has is enough, even if what he has is so thoroughly lacking - explicitly in his humanity. For there is a claim - that a man who lives alone, without other humans, is either an animal or god. And Robinson somehow claims to maintain his humanity, without regressing into animalhood or progressing into godhood.
That concept is one related to ancient Greece, whereas the concept of the Christian god involves other things. Perhaps Robinson maintains his humanity thanks to his discovery of God's goodness, thanks to his humility and great gratitude? Thanks to his knowledge of the absolute nature of God, there is no possibility for him to mislead himself into thinking that he can reach godhood.
Though that is only the conscious aspect of it. What if Robinson has achieved godhood? He is self-sufficient; completely self-sufficient. Is that not an aspect of God? Even more than that - Robinson creates things and he ruled over the island. Can it not be said that he is its master, its ruler, its lord? And that it is only through his will that there is a lord over him, one of his own making? But that's just consideration, though with the appearance of Friday, things become even more interesting in regards to that consideration.
Either way, if that were a problem, it is solved through the fact that he is content. In fact, almost the entire point of the book seems to be to introduce the idea of contentedness, and to present it as a solution to every single word that may afflict humanity. In fact, I am impressed by just how great a focus being content with what you are given is. I suppose it makes sense, because Christianity really likes that sort of thing.
The interesting part of the book might be rooted in the dialectical contradiction between fear and faith. Whenever Robinson Crusoe is overtaken with fear, he fails to maintain his faith. He loses his contentedness, he becomes so overwhelmed that it is the only thing that drives him. Now, I say it is a dialectical contradiction, in the Hegelian sense - because the whole point of the story is the overcoming of that contradiction and becoming able to maintain faith in God even through unbearable fear.
Naturally, it being Hegelian dialectics is an interpretation - Daniel Dafoe had no means of knowing that, because Hegel was not going st it until at least half a century after this book was written. Still, it is an interesting connection to make.
Even more interesting is the fact that this rendition of Christianity is countless times better than what is being spouted and espoused by the more vocal Christian entities in contemporary times. There is no value attributed to wanting to fight evildoers, not is there value attributed to wanting to be a bringer of justice - God is the only one who gets to do that.
So when Robinson considers vengefully killing the cannibal savages, he stops himself and considers that this is beyond his jurisdiction. He should only defend himself - he should not assail these cannibals, for they are innocent towards him. If only more of the openly Christian people in contemporary times adopted such a stance, we would not have a large number of the issues currently plaguing our societies.
Lastly, Robinson Crusoe takes a stance on the matter of the different Christianities. He claims that Catholicism is not agreeable for him, and that he would be burned by the Spanish Inquisition if he were to live in Brazil. Why he would be burned, we can not tell - due to the fact that he has not committed any great crime that he has spoken of in the text of the book's entirety.
It appears as though this is just some moral, or rather not moral, but virtue signaling, as required by the age. One must sing the good church - our church - praises, and the other folks' church must be smeared. This Spanish Inquisition will mess you up for petty sins, so Catholicism is worse than what the Anglican church offers.
Alas, it is just silly stuff. Overall, though, the content of this book is stellar. With the exception of period pieces - ala racism - and a great inclination towards leaning on God, it is very interesting and thought provocative, though the thoughts it provokes are: "What if I were to wind up on an island like that?" or "I wish I could rip myself away from the dreadful life provided by late-stage capitalism, and the oppressive atmosphere of the city, and go live on a deserted island."
It also perhaps asks the question of solitude and fear, but they are so tightly knit with God as a solution to them, that it is barely a question. Still, I'd say there's more good than bad. 2/3
Richness of Expression
This book will expand your lexicon tenfold. All the sailing-related terms that are no longer in use, thanks to the rapid advancement of technology, or the names and terms used for working utensils and other tools are so various and almost completely alien to the common contemporary person, who does not live in the countryside, that it's, frankly, astonishing just how MANY words there are.
Additionally, the archaic nature of the language utilized brings with it some intriguing sentences and means of wording statements. However, I'm afraid I can't say it is all rainbows and sunshine.
There were many moments when I found myself catching the use of a word that had been used previously, or a combination of words that had been used previously, more than once. Again and again. It was as if an eerie repetition was being performed, and it felt off to me.
Perhaps this also stems from the oldness of the work, and from the oddness of the language used, rather than the skill of the author. Or, maybe, it is purposefully so weirdly simple? Alas, it is not that good, and there are sections of the book that drag on, that are somewhat clunky to read and lose the reader's attention. The retelling of things in almost minute detail really helps with conveying certain things, but it needs to be approached properly… The golden mean needs to be found.
Even so, it is still a very pleasant read, and the way it is presented is easily digestible. Not only that, but the way it is written makes it feel as though someone is telling the reader a story, which adds an implication that it ought to be read out loud, or perhaps read to a child, which only further improved the experience. Reading as though someone is saying everything that is being read works wonders for understanding and enjoyment, and this novel is written in a manner that just demands to be spoken out loud.
One other thing, which is exclusively related to the translated version that I read. In the English version, Friday is called Friday, because he is found by Robinson on Friday. However, in the version I read, he is called something that, essentially, translates to: "He who is of Friday", or something along those lines, maybe: "He who is Friday-ish", or: "He, who possesses the quality of being related to Friday", which I think is far more impactful and far better at being a name that denotes someone met or found on Friday. That's just a slight level of superiority of non-English languages when squared up against English, and I find it more according to my fancy, though it can not affect the score. 2/3
Story
This story makes gratuitous use of the trope Deus ex Machina, which means that God, literally, comes and saves the day to solve any great, or minor, conflict.
No water? God will save you by making you meet friendly Africans. Shipwreck? God will save you by making it so you are the only survivor, winding up on land. Stranded on a desert island? God will save you by making the ship wash up within swimming distance of the shore, allowing you to get everything that's on it. Hungry? God will save you by making wheat and rice grow in a place where they don't usually grow, out of scales and not-much-else. Sick with a violent fever? God will save you by way of rum and tobacco leaves, as well as the discovery of Him.
The uninhabited island is used as a site for ritual cannibalism by a number of tribes? God will save you by making it so you wind up on the end of the island that does not get used, as well as giving you insane luck so that you never get spotted. Lonely? God will save you, and then he will again save you by giving you a prophetic dream of a savage fleeing from the cannibals and becoming your slave and companion, which dream turns out to become reality.
Planning on escaping the island? God will save you by sending a whole English ship to your island, with mutineers bringing the ex captain to the island to dispose of him. Dangerous mutineers on your island? God will save you by making their resolve very weak and allowing the captain to take over once the key figures in the mutiny are taken care of.
Back in Europe and poor? God will save you, by making your SLAVE PLANTATION incredibly successful and rendering you a millionaire(?). Chased by a pack of 300 wolves? God will save you by making the wolves scared enough of a burning log, six volleys of bullets and shouting.
Those are the most exemplary examples I can think of off the top of my head. As can be seen, it appears as though there are quite a lot of situations in which blind luck appears to be the solution - or Divine intervention. For one of the first novels there were, I'd say it can be forgiven, but I won't be totally forgiving. Especially not when one considers the fact that some of the situations aren't just resolved through unbelievable means, the situations themselves are monstrously implausible.
I mean - a pack of 300 wolves? What?
But enough of that. Robinson Crusoe is a story that features character development, which character development is potentially tied to a person just aging and turning fifty, it features an incredibly interesting premise and a very underwhelming ending. Well, maybe the ending is not underwhelming, but it is definitely anticlimactic in a very real sense.
I would like to believe people have read Robinson Crusoe. If not, here's the gist of it.
Robinson is the third son of a middle class man. Robinson wants to become a sailor, but his father gives him good advice on why he should not. Still, Robinson goes off and sets off on a trip to London. The ship crashes, but be survives. He is advised by the captain to never set foot on a ship again, but Robinson does not listen.
He reaches London and gets on a ship to Africa. All's well. Robinson goes on another ride to Africa, only then they get attacked by pirates, beaten, and he gets enslaved by the pirate captain and taken to Morocco (if I remember correctly). He spends a while there, perhaps three years, and then manages to escape by commandeering one of the pirate's boats and sailing by the coast. Trepidations ensue, but generally minor ones, and he is rescued by a Portuguese ship. The captain of that ship is very good to Robinson and they become friends.
The ship reaches Brazil, Robinson winds up having money to buy a plantation, and he starts one. He spends three years being a plantation owner, complete with two slaves and raking in profits, when, some fellow plantation dudes show up and inquire about his dealings in Africa. Then they ask him to lead an expedition to trade and get slaves from there.
He agrees, they set off, storm. The ship is badly damaged and will not make it to Africa. They try to reach port - storm number 2. Everyone dies. The ship crashes. Robinson is stranded on an uninhabited island for 28 years.
He manages to strip the ship of almost everything there was on it, since he's gotten lucky with how it was dragged in by the waves. He then builds himself a shack, expands a cave behind that shack, builds himself walls. Goes on a little trip, finds grapes and lemons, and builds a summer house.
Robinson experiences an earthquake which almost kills him. Survives, though. Starts feeling inclined to thank God. Gets sick with a fever, survives, earnestly starts worshiping God.
Builds a boat. Too big. Builds a second boat - smaller - and goes on a trip. Almost dies because of currents, get spooked.
Makes himself traps, catches baby goats, makes himself an enclosure and, off of captured goats, he makes himself a herd of goats. He's got a parrot named Paul.
Years down the line, Robinson finds a human footprint. Spooky. He then finds a place where cannibals eat people. Spookier. So spooky, he almost stops believing in God. But then he recovers and gets angry, starts planning how to kill the cannibals. Then he has a big think and concludes spilling blood is bad.
So he spends a while not looking for a fight. Finds a funky cave, makes himself a pseudo-base in there. Then, he dreams of a savage running from the other savages and becoming his slave.
Then that happens on a Friday, and he names the savage Friday. He teacher Friday English, teaches him about God and makes him a Christian. He teaches him everything he knows and they live in the island for a bit together, and Robinson is very happy.
Then more cannibals appear, to eat some captives, and one of them is white. Robinson gets angered - because he is racist and a Christian - and decides that spilling blood is okay, so him and Friday kill like 19 people and save the white man, as well as one of the savages who was going to get eaten. It turns out to be Friday's dad!
The two stay on the island for half a year, with the white man and Robinson planning an escape. They prepare, and the 14 other white men on the mainland are going to get brought by the white man on the island, then they're going to use a big boat they made over those 6 months spent on the island to find a colony somewhere and get home.
Then, after Friday's dad and the white man leave, an English ship shows up. Mutineers have brought three dudes - ex captain, ex first mate and a loyal sailor, to do things to. Robinson steps in and they save the day. The captain is thankful, but would like to get his ship back, so through trickery, Robinson and co. manage to lure half the sailors off the ship and onto the island, they best them, make them join the reclamation front and assail the ship, winning with only one death - that of the mutineer leader.
Then Robinson leaves three of the mutineer goons on the island, takes his stuff and hitches a ride with the English captain.
Back in England, everyone's dead, except a certain widow who has helped Robinson in the past. He visits his sisters and then goes to Portugal, to see if that good captain is still alive. He is, and since Robinson's will contained instructions on how his plantation was to be managed, it turns out that it has been managed quite well. He sends some letters and then gets a boatload of stuff - he is now very rich.
He sells the plantation and goes on a trip back to England, but on foot, because he has a bad feeling about sailing at the moment. Him and Friday have some adventures on the road - winter, bears and wolves - but they make it.
In England, Robinson gets married, has three children and then says he goes on another adventure about which he will tell us another time.
Overall? It is not a tremendous tale. It's a very localized, personal thing, which is not bad at all. In fact, I think that might be what makes it so unique. The fact that Robinson tells the reader of some impressively minute things that he does is very appealing, and it also helps with amplifying the wonder derived from the story.
Now, as a story, it does not seem to actually feature much in the way of expected and normalized things we see in stories. There is a semblance of character development - Robinson starts off as a reckless, free spirited youth that doesn't really consider his actions in full, and grows into a very considerate, wise individual, though it appears as though at the end of the story he points out that he goes on to do more reckless, and perhaps inconsiderate, things in the future, I dictating that he has not grown.
Friday is a character that gets introduced, goes through some development, but he does not actually change. He is the same entity at the start of his existence in the book as he is at the end, with the exception of the fact that he now kinda speaks English and is no longer prone to eating human meat.
What is more important is the development, or the reversal thereof, of the relationship between Friday and Robinson. At first, Robinson seems to treat Friday as his dearest friend and almost as an equal. But with his return to Europe, his demeanor towards Friday appears to have shifted greatly. He calls him "dog", refers to him as "creature" and overall seems to be less friendly and good spirited. It felt so wrong to read these last few parts of the book, especially the passages relating to Friday, because it seemed so unlike what had been depicted before.
Alas, Friday isn't a human, according to the writer of this book and Robinson, as well as the society at that time, and so it's perfectly reasonable for him not to be treated as such. It's nasty, but it is what it is, I suppose.
Even so, the story definitely has more good than bad in it. The sheer concept carries it hard, and brings it into being more pleasant than unpleasant, and it is completely possible to just ignore the trip to England through Spain and France, maintaining good taste - as there would be no animal cruelty and less racism than there would have been by reading it.
Still, it fails in some regards. Thus, 2/3
Legendary Point
Does this book get the legendary point, so craved and wanted by all and none at the same time?
In short, I will deliver a resounding yes. I have read this book in my childhood and I remembered a number of things from it, but the idea of winding up alone with enough land to work and thrive off of, which to call my own, was fascinating back then, and is even more magnificently fantastical right now. What I would not give to be able to claim land as my own and for it to truly be my own, for there to be no need to bow my head down to a stupid government that will demand I give it money for just existing, that will hold the right to arbitrarily deprived me of my property, because I do not actually own the land, I own the right to work and live upon this land. It's so stupid, so bothersome that I can not even begin to comprehend just how immense my desire for Robinson's situation is.
It is almost self explanatory. Why are so many things depicting survival as their main drive popular? Castaway with Tom Hanks (right? It was Tom Hanks, right?), the countless survival games that feature the ability to build a base and develop it, the plethora of stories depicting such perilous undertakings - it's something that is commonly desired by humanity, this freedom that comes with such circumstances.
Now, if only we could bring that freedom to society, rather than having it be separate from the latter… 1/1
Conclusion
7/10. A splendid novel that I would only let a child read in a redacted variant, as it presents racism as a totally normal and rational thing and also is a monstrously powerful means of indoctrinating children, and maybe even adults, into Christianity. However, for adults, I'd say it is almost a must read, if it has not been read by them in their childhood. If it has, well, read it again!
In any case, it is a piece of fiction that really serves as a means of showcasing how things were three hundred years ago, in relation to mindsets. In addition to that, it's a fantastic adventure novel.
I tuck it under my belt, another shining achievement that I proudly display.