pp. 182-190 Everyone recognizes that Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe as a religious tract. In the early pages Defoe tells of Crusoe's turning to God from a life of carelessness about spiritual things and occupation with the affairs of life. Only as he is shipwrecked alone on an island does he become introspective and begin to think about what life is about. But by the point I am in the story - twenty-seven years into his isolation - he has come to trust that God allowed all this for his good.
In the pages I read today, Crusoe is a well confirmed believer. But now he has a companion, an Indian he calls Friday. He has been trying to understand what Friday knows about God and to explain what he has come to believe. In the process he has to think through what he does believe. Those thoughts are, of course, Defoe's message. And that message is particularly inspiring.
Friday, who has become a believer in God also, now is thinking about going back to his people on the mainland about forty miles away. Crusoe is concerned that Friday will return to his pagan beliefs, but Friday is quite confident in his new faith. But if Friday does return, will he face danger from his own people?
Friday's answer is no; they will be interested in what he has learned. And what about Crusoe. So far he has been afraid of the Indians on the mainland. But now it is beginning to sound as if Crusoe will go with Friday to the mainland. Maybe there is hope that he could contact other Europeans and find rescue. We will see in the next few pages.
No comments:
Post a Comment