robinson crusoe

TheCharactersoftheEmergingbourgeoisierevealedinRobinsonCrusoe

Abstract:RobinsonCrusoe,badonarealfact,successfullycreatesahero,

anempirebuilder,horDefoe,becauofthisbook,becomes

liketotalkaboutRobinsonCrusoe,

withhisadventureandeverythinghehaddonewhenhewasfacingtheobstacles.

Tosomepeople,Robinsonisahero,agiant,

someotherpeoplethinkthatRobinsonistheonewhostrugglesonlyforproperty.

way,allhisbehavior

emsmorereasonable.

Keywords:adventure,property,materialcivilization

novel,thespiritof

onCrusoe,born

asanemergingbourgeoisie,refusingtoinheritpropertyfromhisfather,decides

toleavehismiddlestationfamilyandbeginshisnewadventurouslife.

Themotiveofhisadventure,ashefirsttellshermother“thatmythoughtswere

soentirelybentuponeingtheworld”(DanielDefoe,RobinsonCrusoe,5)[1]

r,there

areneitheranydescriptionsofhisappreciationofthescenerynorany

ly,inthe18thcentury,theword“adventure”

doesnotrefertotheimpulofromancetoalargeextent,butitreferstoa

fanaticalpursuitofprofit.[2]SothedesireofRobinson’sadventureclearly

bythispowerfulforce,

heleaveshisfamilyalthoughhisfathergiveshimriousandcounlagainst

whatheforeesisRobison’onisnotarealadventurer;heleaves

hisfamilyjustbecauheisnotsatisfiedwiththecurrentsituationofhis

otwillingtosticktotheolddoctrinesandlives

sitthatcaushimtogoouttoathree

timestodobusiness,evenafterhehastablishedhisplantationinBrazil.

“Thatevilinfluencewhichcarriedmefirstawayfrommyfather’shou,that

hurriedmeintothewildandindigestednotionofraisingmyfortune,andthat

impresdthoconceitssoforciblyuponmeasmakemedeaftoallgoodadvice

andtotheentreatiesandevencommandofmyfather”(DanielDefoe,Robinson

Crusoe,18).Afterthefirstaccident,evenRobinsonisthrilledandfeels

regretfulforawhile,butthis“evilinfluence”stillsupportshimandmakes

onlyfromoneaspect,andinhislaterexperience,

,hemeetsacaptainandtreatshimashisgood

friendbecaufromthecaptainhecanlearnalotand“increadvery

considerably”aswellasbecome“bothasailorandamerchant”(DanielDefoe,

RobinsonCrusoe,20).Laterinanothervoyage,“Ididnotcarryquite￡100of

mynew-gainedwealth,sothatIhad￡200left,andwhichIlodgedwithmy

friend’swidow,whowasveryjusttome”.Robinson’sprincipleofjudging

personistotallydifferentfrommostofthepeople,hisneverchangedprinciple

is“pursuingproperty”.Itissuitableforthefriendshipbetweenthecaptain

andhimanditgoesthesamewiththerelationshipbetweenhimandanybodyel.

Besides,nall

thelinesofthebook,hetalksalittleabouthisparentsandhisfamilyinthe

tho28yearslivingaloneontheisolatedisland,he

neverthinksofhisoldfriendsorhisparents(ifhisldomthinkingofhis

father’sgoodcounlisnotincludedwhenheisfrustrated).Whathementions

sonhis

fightingforabetterlifeandthethingshewantstoposss.

WhatimpressthereadersmostisRobinson’

firstfewyears,ever

d,hetrieshisbesttostruggle

y,hegetnoughnecessitiesincludingfood

andtoolsfromthewreckoftheship.“howwellIwasfurnishedformysubsistence

andwhatwouldhavebeenmycaifithadnotbeenhappened,whichwasahundred

thousandtoone,thattheshipfloatedfromtheplacewhereshefirststruckand

wasdrivensoneartotheshorethatIhadtimetogetallthethingsoutof

her”(DanielDefoe,RobinsonCrusoe,78)ThissuggeststhatRobinsondoesnot

n’e

aidofthetools,hebuildsuphislivingplaces,plantnoughfoodforhimlf,

huntswildanimalsordomesticatesthem,manufacturestoolsandwingclothes.

Afterariesofstruggle,everythingonhisislandbecomesingoodorderand

binson

himlfcan’timagine,eontheisolatedisland

ard

onhadshownhismarvelouscapacityforwork,hisboundless

veranceinspending

monthsmakingacanoe,andinpracticingpotterymakinguntilhegotitright,

onally,hisresourcefulnessinbuildingashelter,dairy,

grapearbor,countryhou,ggledhardagainst

,

althoughheleftthesociety,hisbehaviorsreflectalotofcharactersofemerging

bourgeoisie.

Atlast,Robinsonisnonethelessveryinterestedinposssions,powerand

heislandwaspeopled,hethinksheis“veryrichinsubjects”,

andhethinks“fall,thewholecountrywas

myownmereproperty;ly,

mypeoplewereperfectlysubjected:Iwasabsolutelordandlawgiver;theyall

owedtheirlivestome,andeveryreadytolaydowntheirlives…”(DanielDefoe,

RobinsonCrusoe,320)Meanwhile,heiscoldanddetachedwhenitcomestohis

familyandmarriage.“forfirstofallImarried,andthatnoteithertomy

disadvantageordissatisfaction,andhadthreechildren,twosonsandonedaughter.

Butmywifedying…”Hestatesallthefactsinabriefandcoldway,andit

makesagreatcomparisonwithhisdetailedproceduresofmakingtoolsontheisland.

Soaconclusioncanbedrawn,itisalwaystruetoRobinsonthatthepowerand

nevergetridofmaterial

nalattachmentisnotanecessityinhislife.

Inaword,RobinsonreprentsthebourgeoisieintherisingstageinEnglish

piritofadventure,ortobemorespecific,thepursuitof

property,hisperverancewhenfacedobstacles,andhiscoldattitudetoward

relationshipsbetweenpeopleinevitablyrevealthecharactersoftheEmerging

novel,Defoesuccessfullygivesusafascinating

glimpintothecomplicatedmodernsocietyinEnglandofthe18thcentury.

References:

[1]DanielDefoe,RobinsonCrusoe,外语教学与研究出版社，2007.2

[2]黄梅，推敲“自我”：小说在十八世纪的英国，生活﹒读书﹒新知三联书店，2003.5