Robinson Crusoe

            Robinson Crusoe was written by Daniel Defoe. It tells the story of a young explorer who becomes marooned on a deserted island. His experiences of the island change his outlook on life. .
             The story takes place in the 1700's on a deserted island somewhere off the coast of Brazil. The island is fairly large in size and has a small shore. The interior of the island has many trees, wild pigs and other small animals and a small cave in which Crusoe stores food. "I walked about the shore lifting up my hands. Look around, I see nothing but water, a forest, and the remains of my ship. At first, I was afraid of wild animals but after some exploration of the land, the only animals I had seen were wild pigs, squirrels, and some small birds." (Ch. VI) The only possessions that Crusoe retrieved from the remains of his ship were a small knife, a box of tobacco, a pipe, and a small book that would later become his journal. .
             Robinson Crusoe was a young and stubborn explorer. He was extremely tall and strong. His stay on the island changed him from a mean, stubborn man to an open-minded person. "Standing at six feet, two inches and having my long, thick brown hair back in a ponytail, I felt as if I was eight feet tall. Without the permission of my parents, I was still sailing away from the misery. I held the cargo box is my strong arms, waiting to board my beautiful ship." (Ch. I) Crusoe became a skilled craftsman and was an extremely religious man due to his stay on the island. Being the only man on the entire island, he established a faith in God.
             Overall, his stay on the island changed his life greatly. As the story begins, Robinson Crusoe defies his parents and sets out to sea. Crusoe encounters a series of violent storms at sea and ends up in Africa. He sets out on another voyage and is captured by the "Sallee", a group of pirates. Luckily, he manages to escape and board a Portuguese ship and sail to Brazil.