Saturday, October 25, 2014

For Monday: Robinson Crusoe, pp.100-150 (approx.)


For Monday: Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, approx.pp.100-150

Answer TWO of the following...

1. How does Crusoe talk himself out of murdering all the “savages” shortly after first encountering them?  Why might this reflect some of the larger themes of colonialism/first contact going on in the Americas at this time?  How firm does Crusoe remain in these convictions? 

2. Robert Louis Stevenson (author of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Treasure Island, etc.) considered the following passage one of the 4 greatest scenes in English literature: “I was exceedingly surpriz’d with the Print of a Man’s naked Foot on the Shore, which was very plain to be seen in the Sand: I stood like one Thunderstruck, or as if I had seen an Apparition; I listn’d, I look’d round me, I could hear nothing, nor see any Thing” (Norton, 112).  What makes this a dramatic and pivotal scene in the book?  Why do you think it occurs so relatively late in Crusoe’s story? 

3. Why does Crusoe risk his life in the canoe (remember what happened last time!) to examine the foundered ship?  What might this episode reveal about Crusoe’s character twenty-plus years after shipwreck?  What forces/desires still drive him, and how might this reveal him as a more human, rather than allegorical, figure? 

4. In an odd passage on page 127 (Norton edition), Crusoe remarks on “Intimations of Providence,” which he claims “are a Proof of the Converse of Spirits, and the secret Communication between those embody’d, and those unembody’d.”  What do you think he’s talking about here, and how does this square with his spiritual beliefs?  Does this resemble, at all, the old concept of wyrd that we once read about in Beowulf—or is this another way of talking about God’s will?   

21 comments:

  1. Ashley Bean
    2. It occurs late to relax the reader. After a hundred pages + of nothing really going on, the reader doesn't suspect for Crusoe to come so close to contact with other people, especially dangerous ones that would kill him without a second thought. The first part of the book is establishing the setting and Crusoe's newfound lifestyle, since after all he is on "Mars." It is a huge pivotal moment because Crusoe was so sure that no one would ever come near his island, and after he developed his own routine he is intruded. He is terrified that they will destroy everything he has built up: his crops, cattle, and his multiple homes. He fears of perishing that way and of course by them killing him after he sees their camp filled with bones.
    3. Crusoe is desperate to find other human life besides the "Savages." He didn't realize how lonely he was until the possibility of finding another person in a shipwreck came about. He still craves human interaction, despite being alone for 20 years. It is surprising that he wants to be around humans any more, I would have thought he would have turned more animalistic after so long alone with other animals. He is a being of survival, but his human side has remained intact.

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    1. Great points: it WOULD be like a traveler stranded on Mars suddenly finding a human footprint. Who else could be here--and for how long? Were they watching him the entire time? A great dramatic moment, and Crusoe's response is the stuff of great literature: here we see the European colonial debacle in miniature. His first impulse is to kill all intruders, all who would make a claim on his land. Despite all his human qualities, he still remains a merchant first and foremost--one for whom every man, animal, and island is a tool for profit.

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  2. 1. He convinces himself that he does not have the right to decide who should live and who should die. It is a little too much like "playing God" and it is not his decision. He is not an authority, and although they have sinned, so has he, and the decision should ultimately be left to God. Most people who came to America did so for religious freedom. Persecuting others for not following the same religious system would be kind of counterproductive, even though that does eventually happen. Crusoe means well, but eventually does come at them with a gun, even though they manage to escape.

    2. It is supposed to be surprising. Nothing really has happened since he was shipwrecked, or throughout the novel, really. The reader is not expected something quite so dramatic. Not only is the reader lured into a sense of safety, but so is Crusoe. He has been marooned there for years, and does not expect to ever see another human again. As much as he longs for human companionship, he also fears it. He is terrified of the footprint even before he discovers that it belonged to a "savage". If this even had occurred earlier in the story, Crusoe would not have hidden, but gone to investigate and quite possibly have died.

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    1. Yes, as you suggest, Crusoe always means well, but his morals are always overriden by his need to survive and profit at all costs. The natives represent his greatest threat: people who can rob him of his legitimacy and render his 20+ years of labor worthless. He's invested too much into the island to see this happen. They can only die.

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  3. Aimee Elmore

    2. Crusoe thought he was alone and that he was never going to be found. But when he saw the footprint it meant that there was someone else on the island. He was no longer alone. After so many years by himself on that island, the thought of other people froze him. One reason is because he doesn’t know how to act around people anymore. He has spent so much time away from them. Another reason is he doesn’t want them to take all that he has gained. He lives in fear for years because he doesn’t want them to take his homes, his animal, or anything he has worked for.

    3. Crusoe still wants to be around other people. I think he loves what he has gained by living on that island, but he knows it’s not enough. He has no one to have an actual conversation with. Sometimes I don’t think he wants to get off that island, but at other times I think he does. Like this time it shows that he is willing to risk his life again to find other people.

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    1. Yes, he's a conflicted soul, but one thing remains consistent, as you suggest: he wants his island intact to pass on to his descendants (or simply to sell to someone!). The footprint, which should become a symbol of hope, becomes one of fear and avarice. Instead of seeing deliverance, he sees competition. He wants a monopoly on his island.

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  4. Elyse Marquardt

    Question 1: Crusoe talks himself out of killing all the savages by realizing that he is just as bad as they are. We all sin in different ways, but while Crusoe would be sinning consciously, the savages probably don't know that what they are doing is wrong. I think this is different from what pioneers of the New World believed about the natives; they thought they were all dreadful heathens who had to be either converted or killed. Crusoe doesn't remain very firm in these convictions, since he eventually ends up killing most of the savages anyway. Robinson is a fickle, self-infatuated jerk in my opinion.

    Question 2: This is one of the most important scenes by far. Here we have Crusoe, who has lived alone for several years and really come to enjoy it, discovering that he is NOT the only person on this island. The idea of his solitude being broken is terrifying to him. First of all, he'd rather not be killed by a savage; but second of all, he doesn't want his precious, carefully built empire to be destroyed by other people's presence. In a way, this scene is the beginning of the end of his story, which might be why it comes relatively late in the narrative.

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    1. These are great points, and I think most readers feel as you do. The question is, is he a "hero" to Defoe, or does Defoe want us to read him as a jerk and a fellow of distinctly wishy-washy values? Is it worse to see the humanity of someone and then kill them...or not to see it at all? As he suggests, a sin is worse when you recognize the sin and do it anyway. The natives, for all he knows, are following the law.

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  5. Anna Talkington

    1. Crusoe considers killing the savages because thier culture is different i.e. cannibalism and also because they might take his property. This relates to the idea of European cultures conquering the new world and killing the natives because they aren't "Christian". This leads Crusoe to conclude that they have no idea that they are sinning and thus that he would be the murderer for killing people who didn't know they were "in the wrong".

    2. The footprint completely disrupts Robinson's way of life. This naked footprint symbolizes the savages which he fears greatly. He fears they will kill him, or possibly worse take his property. I think this happens so late in the story so we can see how Robinson operates solo in isolation before the possibility of human contact.

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    1. Crusoe's greatest epiphany, to me, isn't religious at all: it's this one, where he realizes that the heirarchy of race and religious is a hollow doctrine. Murder is murder, and to kill a dozen savages hardly equates to eating a few (considering, too, that he doesn't understand why they do this). I like his idea that he knew he would commit a sin by killing them, but perhaps to them, this isn't a sin but a law? Nevertheless, he still kills 21 "savages" along with Friday. Perhaps Defoe's judgment on Crusoe?

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  6. 1. Crusoe realizes that if he kills these savages, he would be committing a great sin. A greater sin he believes than these savages are committing. At first, he believes that he must kill them because they are murdering other humans and even worse, eating them. How inhumane is this? He thought. Then he realizes that he doesn't truly understand these people and how they live, just because they live differently than him, this doesn't justify murder.

    2. I think it is pivotal because he has spent so much time on this island by himself with no sign of other human life. It shows us his fear of this creature because he knows that it is a savage. He fears that they may kill him or take his property that he has worked so hard to build for himself. I believe it happens rather late in the text because we get to see him spend so much time with himself and build a little village of his own that he fears may now be destroyed.

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    1. Great response...he realizes, surprisingly, that he has no right to judge the customs of an alien land, when his own customs and inclinations are pretty murderous, too. What IS the difference between cannibalism and full-scale murder? Yet, for all his moral qualms, he still kills 21 "savages." What does this say about the European/English soul? And is this Defoe's ultimate point in writing the book?

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  7. 2.
    This scene changed the way I was interacting with the text. I like Crusoe had grown so comfortable and fond of this UNINHABITED island. I enjoyed reading victory after victory amongst such dismal circumstances. The Island had become its own world. The foot print was almost like some extra terrestrial invading Crusoe’s space. Now the worry, fear, and panic that Crusoe feels upsets the reader. I think Crusoe has this take place late because it increases the shock value. It has been over a decade and you are thoroughly convinced that no one is around. Once the foot print is discovered it changes all the possibilities.


    3. By his own admission the prospect of human life is the irresistible driving force. After twenty years of solitude I think Crusoe would much rather be in a trashed ship with a fellow human, than on a large and lavish island in solitude. He doesn’t really need any supplies. His food source is unlimited as long as the crops do well, and the goats keep breeding. He often seems uniquely different form the average human. The things he accomplishes are mind blowing. You almost start to believe this is the ultimate survivor who live perfectly fine abandoned on an island. This passage reveals he is still very human. Crusoe is able to manipulate his story in a self respecting way as the only source of information concerning his marooned life on the island. The account of him risking it all to go to this shipwreck give us a glimpse that he doesn’t have it all together, and even brings his mental stability into question.

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    1. Yes, it's a dramatic moment because it occurs after we've been lulled into the expectation of NOTHING happening. When it appears, it leads to any number of possibilities, though Crusoe's reaction is perhaps the most important point: everyone immediately becomes his enemy, even God for a time. He can only enjoy solitude if he can own it, perhaps.

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  8. 1. Crusoe seems to see that he has no divine right to kill these men. Actually, he realizes he would be committing a far greater sin than theirs, because he knew it was wrong. He says, “How do I know what God himself judges in this particular Case” (Defoe 124). He acknowledges the fact that they don’t know his God; therefore, they don’t know they are sinners. This was a very enlightened view from a writers standpoint, because at this time Europeans justified killing people native to countries they were conquering on the basis that they were a form of Satan. Unfortunately, Crusoe goes against this fleeing thought and kills a group of the “savages” anyways.

    2. This moment in the book stood out to me because FINALLY we may have another human character. I feel like that is part of the reason critics find it to be a pivotal scene. It seems to be the hinge of the story at this point in our reading. Crusoe went so many years without human contact and then stumbled upon this mysterious sign in the sand. From a readers stand point you start to put together ideas of where it came from, and what it means for the book. I don’t necessarily think Defoe wanted this book to be about Crusoe getting off the island, but rather his time in solitude on the island; I think that may be the reason we see this dramatic change so late in the book.

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    1. Yes, the book is definitely a study of one European/Englishman in utter solitude. Who IS a man when there is no one around to emulate, envy, or boss around? It's a close examination of the human soul at a specific historical moment, when the idea of profit was overcoming all moral and spiritual bounds. Will Crusoe's conversion take...or will the lure of foreign markets lead him headlong into folly once more?

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  9. Shelby Pletcher

    1) This passage was hard to read, because I saw the struggle in Crusoe and I so longed for him to make the right decision. But I can see a lot of hope for his sanctification here and I hope Defoe doesn't let me down! (: This is the point where I kind of saw Defoe's driving force in writing this book come up full speed. It was so unlike the culture back then to even question killing somebody who one could deem a threat. To see Crusoe talk himself out of this by his own personal convictions proves he's not a completely narcissistic man. But he ended up killing them anyway, so maybe he does. I love the point this passage makes though about thinking twice before judging somebody who sins differently than you. There's some rich theology to be found there. It was disappointing to see Crusoe fall under the weight of his flesh anyway, but I can hope only there's some redemptive matter to it at the end.

    4) Well, I know providence is the means of which God faithfully provides for His people, physically, emotionally, and spiritually from birth into eternity. So following on that definition, I read this passage as Crusoe reflecting on all the ways in which God continuously provided for him, even in the depths of his sin. Crusoe is basically saying that while he was so easily contented by such little knowledge of God before his life on this seemingly unhappy island, now is never too late to acknowledge the grace behind that which he can't always understand or enjoy. It brings me back to Beowulf and all it's talk of fleeting things and happiness. Happiness is fleeting, but joy is eternal when it comes from God, and I think this is the point Crusoe is trying to make. That even while maybe God did not provide what he wanted, he provided what he needed, and it's in this place that his joy is full.

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    1. Great points, and I think you are responding to the story Crusoe wants to tell--though maybe it's not the Defoe is writing. To me, the richest aspect of this book is the dissonance between the two storytellers. Defoe is always behind Crusoe, making sure we see the conflicted personality and the man who wants to be in control at all times, but his humanity (or frailty) does him in.

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  10. 1.)Crusoe is faced with the decision of how to keep himself safe in the same area of the savage cannibals. He decides not to attempt to murder them claiming that he is not comfortable with taking human life. Which contradicts his previous encounters with such human life. I believe he comes up with this reason not to attack because he understands he would putting himself at more of a risk by being the aggressor than simply remaining on his part of the island and staying to himself. He had survived there this long, why do anything to attract attention that may lead to his demise? He is terrified of these savages and has no desire to confront them. I think he tells himself not to pursue because is he trying to do the right thing and not play god, but in reality he knows that would be suicide.

    Devin Martinez

    2.) As Crusoe realizes he is not alone anymore a sudden sense of fear overcomes him which is ironic since it is his human contact he has been longing for.It pauses him, "I stood like one thunderstruck, or as if I had seen an apparition." (112) Crusoe is fearful of whomever or whatever and even at one point thinks it is the devil's footprint which could be a realization of the frightening dream he had previously but decides that it must be something worse. "Abundance of such things as these assisted to argue me out of all that it must be some more dangerous creature."(113) I enjoyed this moment in the reading as it insights feelings of anxiety and adrenaline in Crusoe and he becomes more aware of his surroundings.

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  11. As you suggest, part of his reluctance is fear and self-survival. And yet, his fear is motivated by ownership more than anything. He's horrified that all this time, other people could be on HIS island, able to steal HIS stuff. He immediately wants to kill them all, as if affronted by the fact that they could have a claim on his property. Later, he cools down, realizing the moral implications...and yet he still kills 21 natives with Friday's help!

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  12. Kelsey Tiger

    1. He believes they “exist” just like he does. He has morals and decides that it isn’t right to kill them. If he were to kill the majority of the savages, then he would be just as bad as them. I don’t think Crusoe remains in these convictions as he goes on to kill the savages anyways. I think he let the fear of maybe losing his “empire” and property get in the way of thinking with total morals.

    2. This scene is so dramatic because he has been on this island for so long and this is the first sign that someone else exists. How eerie to all of a sudden see a footprint, only one footprint. It adds some interest for the reader to figure out who and where these people came from. I think it occurs so late in Crusoe’s story because I think he was mostly concerned with building his “empire” that he had no concern for anything else that could go on in the world. He was on his own little island and therefore imagined no one else exists.

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