Robinson Crusoe was written by Daniel Defoe. The novel was first published in
1719. 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. Daniel Defoe
was a short story writer that came from an poor family. Defoe was poor for most
of his life and made his living as a butcher and a writer. Defoe mostly wrote
short stories and political essays. Robinson Crusoe was a combination of two
short stories. Many believe Defoe used Robinson Crusoe to portray himself in a
certain ways. The description was almost identical to his own and after his wife
left him, he felt as if he was marooned on a deserted island. The story takes
place in the 1700s 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.
The only possessions that Crusoe retrieved from the remains of his ship
were a small knife, a box of tabacco, 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 protestant. 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. 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. He also became more articulate from writing in a
journal daily. Overall, his stay on the island changed Crusoe's 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. While in
Brazil, Crusoe purchases a large sugar plantation. After leaving Brazil, he
encounters another storm in which his ship is destroyed and he is marooned on an
island as the only survivor. On the island, Crusoe gathers food and builds a
small shelter. He writes in a journal to keep account of his stay. Crusoe
becomes a skilled craftsman and begins to feel a spiritual connection with God.
He also builds a small boat that he uses to sail around the island. After living
on the island for fifteen years, Crusoe discovers that savages had landed on the
island and that they perform human sacrifices. Crusoe helps a prisoner escape
from these savages. He names the prisoner Friday and teaches him english.
Together, they build a new boat and attempt to leave the island.
