Robinson Crusoe as an Unchanging Character

Robinson Crusoe is a character we get to know extremely well, thanks

to Daniel Defoe and his informative descriptions. Because of this we

can see how Robinson's attitudes and beliefs may or may not change

throughout the book. In this essay I will look at how they do or do

not change, and decide on whether Robinson is a changing or unchanging

character.

"I was born in the year 1623, in the city of York, of a good family,

though not of that country, my father being a foreigner.

Robinson narrates the book, and because of this speech is rare. The

reason for the style of writing, with the main character narrating, is

due to the popular writing of the time. Most published works were all

diaries and journals that told of real life events. Defoe's was

fictional though, and to help his book be accepted by the readers he

cloaked it as a diary. The detailed descriptions, as shown in the

quote above, are useful when analysing the book though, as it is

simple to find how Robinson is feeling. This is why we know at the

beginning of the book that Robinson does not want to stay as a

ordinary middle class working man, despite his fathers wishes, and

would instead prefer something more adventurous,

"But I would be satisfied with nothing but going to sea.

So Robinson leaves homes and gets aboard a ship. His attitude here and

in the next few chapters represents his attitude at the beginning of

the book. The ship takes him to London, and although they do have a

storm Robinson and the crew are fine. Robinson prays to God for

deliverance, and he is saved. This shows one of his main beliefs in

the opening chapters. Although he may have considered himself

religious he only used God as a solution to the problems he got

himself into,

"If it would please God here to spare my life to this one voyage.

Robinson now starts trying to make himself some money.