Robinson Crusoe is a sailor who found himself stranded on an island with no humanity or culture around him except the natural surroundings and vast miles of ocean (Defoe). Rather than waiting to see any vessel that would help him along the beach, Crusoe ventured inwards to the islands to look for ways to survive (Defoe). The experience garnered on the island was useful for Crusoe’s enlightenment. This paper hypothesizes that breaking the chains of culture and starting new, Defoe discovered such values as awareness of his individuality, self-confidence and self-reliance necessary to survive on an uninhabited island.
The book suggests that to find one’s worth, a person often has to distance himself or herself from toxic environments and go to new settings that will provide new challenges and opportunities. Thus, having found himself on an uninhabited island, Crusoe learnt to do things he has never done before and, indeed, has never believed himself capable of. Thus, he managed to build a shelter and find ways to provide himself with food and water during his stay on the island.
Secondly, the book shows that, in the society, the way of life is often predetermined by the class a person is born in, by education he or she has and by a person’s social role. People cannot live as they wish, considering that there is a prearranged cultural setting for them to follow. In this sense, uninhabited island serves as a place where a person is able to achieve his or her full potential disregarding social determinants. Thus, the experience on the island pushed Crusoe to become more creative and better understand what a person is capable of in dire circumstances. self-aware
Work Cited
Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. RP Books & Audio, 2010.