ThemeRobinson Crusoe is an exciting novel of adventure written by Daniel Defoe.
The story is of a man named Robinson Crusoe who disobeys his father, and goes out to sea against the will of his family. Consequently, he encounters numerous misfortunes the climax of which, he lands stranded on a deserted island. Through all his trials he never seems to be satisfied with his “station in life,” and continues to risk comfort for adventure; which unfailingly places him in a lower position. Throughout life, one should be satisfied with his comfortable “station in life,” rather than risk loosing everything to seek adventure. Crusoe did not learn this hard lesson of life until it was far too late.
In the beginning, his first mistake was to deliberately disobey the advice and commands of his father. His father tells him not to leave, explaining that Crusoe belonged to “the middle state, orthe upper station of low life, whichis the best state in the world, the most suited to human happiness, not exposed to miseries and hardships. ” Crusoe however, does not wish to take the easy route in life, but to seek out adventure on the ocean. Shortly after Robinson leaves home, he realizes he has made a bad choice.
He feels it is too late to return home, and pursues his imprudent journey. After several more adventures Crusoe ends up in Brazil where he become a wealthy planter. He is isolated from other people, but has everything he needs. After much hard work he acknowledges he is “coming into the very middle stationwhich my father advised me to before. ” He realizes that if he stayed at home to begin with, he would not have had to go through so much diligent work, and life-threatening adventures to reach comfort.
Even though his life is satisfactory as it is, he risks everything trying to better his life by buying slaves. Once again Crusoe is punished for going against his father’s original teachings, and is marooned on a deserted island. Once he is on the island, Crusoe make due with what he has. He keeps pets and finds plenty of food to eat, but never returns to that “stationmost suited for human happiness.
” After Crusoe has spent most of his natural life stranded on his island, he looks back on his life and realized what a fool he has been.
