Daniel Defoe incorporated many different themes into his magnificent novel, Robinson Crusoe. The purpose of this paper is to analyze other critic's interpretations on the different themes throughout this novel and reflect upon them with my own opinions.
To get a better understanding on the critic's interpretations and analysis, a synopsis discussing the major characters, themes, and general plot are provided. .
Robinson Crusoe, as the title may foreshadow, is the main character. He is a young man who has a dream of becoming a sailor. His adventures lead him all over the world. Friday is also a main character during the ending of the book. He is a savage rescued by Crusoe, who civilizes him into a gentleman Christian.
There is a significant amount of minor characters that Robinson Crusoe comes into contact with. Only a few will be discussed as important to the plot and themes. There is Crusoe's father, who refuses permission for Crusoe to be a sailor or go to sea. Another important character, or group of characters rather, is Crusoe's friends from Brazil. They are the ones that persuade Crusoe to go on almost his last voyage. A pirate captain is also involved after capturing Crusoe and making him a slave. These are just some of the characters Robinson Crusoe encounters throughout his adventures. .
There are three main themes that were perceived from this novel. They will all be discussed in further detail when analyzing the criticisms pertaining to this novel. However, they are: sin has its retribution, glorification of the imperialist dream, and individualism in the economic world.
These themes are reiterated throughout the context of this novel. To learn examples of these themes a plot summary is given. Robinson Crusoe starts out in the English city of York, where Crusoe and his father are discussing Crusoe's future. Crusoe's father wants him to stay home and live life at a mundane pace.