Robinson Crusoe Essays (509 words) - English-language Films

Robinson Crusoe Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe, is a story about a man and his extraordinary travels throughout the world. In the beginning, Robinson Crusoe travels out to sea against the will of his father. He learns to regret this, though, as he becomes enslaved, and later shipwrecked. He became shipwrecked on an island where was the sole survivor. As a shipwrecked man, he had few possessions and had to use his surroundings to survive. He painstakingly constructed his needs and wants until, after twenty-six years he was finally able to leave the island. Although very exciting and adventurous, Robinson Crusoe is more than just a story about a man's adventure and struggle to survive, it depicts one man's quest for spiritual salvation. In the beginning of the book, Robinson Crusoe is not a devout Christian. He disobeyed his parents when he ran away to sea. He called upon God only in times of trouble. He rarely used God's name unless to swear, and in turn blasphemed it. Although he coped with the hardships of slavery and suffered its wickedness, he took a slave of his own after he escaped from his master. This behavior does not represent a devout Christian nor does it represent a person with high moral standards. Later in the book Crusoe described his attitude when he said, "I had no more sense of God or His judgments ....... than if I had been in the most prosperous condition of life." This shows the reader that Crusoe was virtually unaware of God's presence. Later in the book he becomes aware, and after becoming shipwrecked on the island, Robinson Crusoe asked God for his survival. He later realized that he should have actually thanked God for helping him survive the wreck and for helping him survive on the island. This action marks Crusoe's change from a person who is unaware of God into a person who believed that God has control of the Earth and that God directly affects every man's life. After living on the island a few years Crusoe craved something to read. He decided to read the bible because it was the only book on the Island. He found that the Bible had answers for many of his problems. He mentions the quote, "I will deliver thee" and viewed it applicable to his life. Although the previously mentioned events are examples of Crusoe's growing faith towards God, there is one event that marks his true spiritual salvation. When Crusoe cried, "Jesus, Thou Son of David, Jesus, Though exalted Prince and Saviour. Give me repentance!" the reader is informed that Crusoe has become a Christian and has accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. Throughout the rest of the book there are many exciting adventures and battles, and even though Crusoe finds his way off the island he never lost touch with God and his teachings. He became wealthy and remained spiritually sound as he spread his wealth not only to the church, but also to the people that helped him throughout life. The book ended on a good note as he gave tools and provisions to the people left on the island to help them survive. This event marked the end of Robinson Crusoe's quest for spiritual salvation.