Analysis Of Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe

In Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe writes under the guise of a shipwrecked man who establishes his own empire while alone on an island. In fact, the novel was originally published without Defoe 's name attached. Instead, it was presented as a true story as written by Crusoe to tell the world of his adventures. Robinson Crusoe is also known to have some very close parallels with John Locke 's Second Treatise of Government. In fact, some interpret it as a simply Locke 's ideas repackaged into a work of fiction. However, Defoe is also using the novel to point out some potential problems with what Locke wrote, instead of strictly adhering to them. Since Defoe labeled his novel as a true story, he intended his use of the ideas of Locke to be interpreted

A key assumption that Locke makes is that all individuals in a state of nature are on equal grounds and thus have equal access to resources. Locke asserts that, in regard to use of resources, “every man should have as much as he could make use of” (23). Over the course of more than twenty years, Crusoe establishes himself on the island. He creates an easily defended stronghold for him to live in and cultivates a herd of goats to sustain himself. Crusoe is not being greedy with his resources, he is simply doing his best to use the land. However, by the time other people arrive on the island, Crusoe is well established with much more resources than anyone else. He is thus powerful enough to convince all newcomers to be his subjects and makes himself a king. Defoe makes sure to show how much like a king Crusoe has become, with Crusoe remarking “my people were perfectly subjected: I was absolute lord and law-giver; they all ow 'd their lives to me, and were ready to lay down their lives, if there had been occasion of it, for me” (190). Defoe is very careful to ensure that the reader views Crusoe as being a king. It is not that Crusoe was particularly greedy, but rather the enormous head start he was given leads to him down the path to becoming a king. Crusoe also believes that God has given him the island and all of his resources (including guns and gunpowder). He goes as far as to thank God in his list of goods and evils: “But God wonderfully sent the ship in near enough to the shore, that I have gotten out so many necessary things as will either supply my wants, or enable me to supply my self even as long as I live” (54). Crusoe has more resources than anyone else on the island and also believes that God is supporting him in his endeavors. These two ideas combined both give Crusoe the ability to become a king and the