Inga Slutu Literary Analysis “Robinson’s Family – His Elopement from His Parents”
Daniel Daniel Defoe was an English English writer, journalist journalist and pamphleteer . Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and is even referred to by some as among the founders of the English novel. novel. A prolific and versatile writer, he wrote more than 500 books, pamphlets and journals on various topics, including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural. Daniel Daniel Defoe Defoe achiev achieved ed liter literary ary immort immortali ality ty when, when, in April April 1719, 1719, he publish published ed Robinson Crusoe. It dared to challenge the political, social, and economic status quo of his time. By depicting the utopian environment in which was created in the absence of society, Defoe criticizes the political and economic aspect of England’s society. Crusoe becomes “the universal representative, the person, for whom every reader could substitute himself” Coleridge affirms. The first chapter chapter of the novel “Robi “Robinso nson n Crusoe” Crusoe” provid provides es some some detail detailss of his family. Crusoe grows up with two brothers, one of which has been a Lieutenant Colonel to an English Regiment of Foot in Flanders, and what has become of his second brother nobody knows. Crusoe is the third son in the family. His father put great pressure and his concern of his son’s life being successful in what he wants, and not what Crusoe wants. Many family arguments have taken place under the Crusoe roof. Crusoe despite his parents’ wishes wants to set out to sea. Being attracted by the idea of becoming a sailor, he goes ashore with his friend whose father owns a ship. The title “Robinson’s “Robinson’s Family – His Elopement Elopement from His Parents” reveals reveals a natural escape of the son; it creates the impression that the son gets away from childhood in order to be himself, to feel the adventures’ waves and to fall into the grown-up life. The text under consideration is a novel where the author uses the first person narrative in order to tell of the things that only he saw, thought or felt. The tone and point of view, which Defoe uses, enables the reader to experience first-hand the changes that take place within Crusoe’s life. This gives validity to every word and quote in the novel because it is actually the narrator’s words. This point of view clearly shows criticism and feeling. It also has the effect of “making the narrative itself seems to claim possession of qualities that we associate with concrete matter rather than with fiction or the abstract effect in our minds of a certain arrangement of words”. To establish immediate contact with the reader, the author includes a thoughtful mood due to the fact that Robinson Crusoe ponders about going off-shore. The setting of the text emphasize that the actions take place in 1650’s, many years ago in a world with a differ different ent cultur culture, e, diffe differen rentt laws, laws, differ different ent custom customs, s, differ different ent princi principle ples, s, and even even different relationships. Talking about the main character, it is a boy of eighteen years-old. He is a selfish person and a self-sufficient Englishman who thinks of going to sea to see the world with withou outt list listen enin ing g to his his moth mother er’s ’s and and fath father’ er’ss entr entrea eati ties es.. He has has his his eyes eyes boun bound d because does not want to look around to draw the conclusion what is the best for him. His father, an old but a wise man, has given him House-Education in order to achieve
the status of being a great man. His mother, a very calm woman, tries to persuade her son of not leaving. To involve the reader in the story, the author begins the exposition with the following sentence: “I was born in the Year of 1632, in the City of York, of a good family...”. Then continues the rising actions telling some information about the two elder brothers of Robinson Crusoe, about his great inclination for leaving father’s house and his native country just for going upon adventures, how his father explains him what life he can be exposed to if he leaves, Crusoe begs his mother to convince his father to consent his leaving. Here, the highest point of rising actions, the climax, comes with the allurement of being a sailor, his friend persuades him to go by sea to London. The title of the text reveals the theme: elopement. Crusoe’s escape illustrates the idea that his yearning for leaving, for being a sailor is superior to his parents’ pleas. The main idea leads to the message of the text suggesting that the parents are those persons who want the best for their children, though the children are those persons who think firstly to fulfil their desires, their passions, their happiness and do not take into account parents’ tears or entreaties. Reading the text, we observe perfect harmony between the content and style. Using the colloquial vocabulary, the author attentively chooses the words to disclose the inner world of Crusoe’s parents and perfect sentences to illustrate Crusoe’s thoughts. Due to the fact that this novel has been written in 1600’s, it is used the English of the seventeenth century which differs from present English: “tho’ not of that Country”, “wish’d they had been”, “nay”, “perswasions”. It is used mostly the Past Simple Tense: “bred”, “led”, “commanded”, “told”, “knew”, and Past Perfect Tense: “had married”, “had given”, “had found”. To create the atmosphere of secrecy, the author makes use of some stylistic devices and expressive means: interjection “But alas!” which is used to throw light on the uncertainty of Crusoe because it has seemed his father has managed to persuade him to not set out to sea, but after a couple of days, he changes his mind. Question-in-thenarrative “I was sincerely affected with this Discourse, as indeed who could be otherwise?” illustrates Crusoe’s honesty, openness, sincerity. Epithets: “tender Expressions” underlines the kindness and concern of his father; “miserable wretch” suggests that Crusoe could become an unhelpful person without the consent of his parents. Daniel Defoe is a master of realistic details. He finds the perfect way of creating a vivid portrait of the things happening. Reading this text, I have had the feeling of being present at those discourses between Crusoe and his father or Crusoe and his mother. He speaks openly and intimately. In acknowledging his inner struggle about obeying his father or following his desire to go to sea, Crusoe addresses us as if we are his close and trusted friends. It is this writing that has caused its unrivalled popularity. Once Seidel stated “No single book in the history of Western literature has spawned more editions, translations, imitations, continuations, and sequels than Crusoe”.
