How Does Daniel Defoe View the Glory of Human Labor in Robinson Crusoe短片小论文

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How Does Daniel Defoe View the Glory of Human Labor in Robinson

Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe, written by English author Daniel Defoe, has been regarded as one of the most influential 80 literary works among Chinese young students and ranked the most classical literary works since its coming out. This novel depicted a rebellious young man Robinson who encountered a serious storm at sea and eventually survived on an isolated island and established his own “kingdom”. Defoe, by showing how Crusoe constructed for himself a habitable and even prosperous settlement by his persistent effort and ingenuity lightened generations of readers. The Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau applauds Crusoe’s do-it-yourself independence1 and he recommends that children be taught to imitate Crusoe’s hands-on approach to life.2 Robinson is acclaimed as a hero for his grand epic adventures and the miracles he created. All of his achievements should be attributed to human labor. In this novel, human labor showed its great significance and glory for Robinson’s survival in adversity, gaining safety and his achievement of well-being. (158)

Human labor plays an important role in the process of evolution all the time. In ancient time of the world’s history, especially in the primitive society, men was exposed to the disastrous nature and was any time in danger of being attacked by wild beasts and frightened by numerous uncertainties. What they can mere do is to took advantage of the labor, the God-given gift, using their hands to create what they want to survived in the world.3 When Robinson was deserted to the isolated island, he was, on effect, flopped into a primitive state from his capitalist society. His labor should begin with nothing. It’s the human labor that supports Robinson live through 27 years on a deserted island alone. The novel embodies the glory of human labor in three aspects: labor for survival, labor for security and labor for wellbeing. One would make a great effort to survive when confronted with danger. It is the instinct of human being even the animals in the world. One would struggle to make sure his or her life saved at first and survival without doubt is the prerequisite of all the activities of life. To ensure human maintain alive on a bare island, the essential problem should be solved is the basic demand of food, housing and clothing. Robinson’s labor for survival met his fundamental demands and made him survived in this island. Robinson’s labor for security lies in his using his hands, making weapons to fight back animals, building habitation to prevent them from being attacked by dangerous animals. 4(259)

The glory of human labor can be seen in the efforts Robinson made to maintain his life to survive on the island. When he took the remained things from the ship which had not sunk into the sea, he said: “…having considered well what I most wanted, I first got three of the seamen’s chests, which I had broken open and emptied, and lowered them down upon my raft…”5 He at first loaded provision such as some bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses, five pieces of dried goats flash, which he would live

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much upon. He then found some clothes for they might keep him out of cold. His another care was for some ammunition and arms, because they could prevent themselves from being attacked by dangerous animals. Secondly, during his struggling for survival, Robinson formed a new perspective on money and intended to be more practical. When he was at the sight of the money, he said loudly, “O drug! what art thou good for?” 6Actually, Robinson brought away all the sails first and last, cutting them into pieces and brought as much at a time as he could, “for they were no more useful to be sails, but as merely canvass only.”7 Thirdly, human’s labor for survival always turns to be dangerous and tedious. Robinson got on the ship for necessity for eleven times, and after every transportation he “was very weary and heavy” for the night before he had slept little, and had labored very hard all day, as well to fetch all those things from the ship, as to get them on shore.8 (266)

The glory of human labor also lies in Robinson’s labor for his measures to guarantee his own safety on the island. After Robinson had survived the island, he began to consider the security of himself. The power of the nature is unavoidable and unpredictable, but Robinson was wise enough to deal with these problems to save his life in the attack of dangerous animals. The description of Robinson’s mood showed his great desire for safety. “…neither did I see any prospect before me, but that of perishing with hunger, or being devoured by wild beasts; and that which was particularly afflicting to me, was, that I had no weapon either to hunt and dill any creature for my sustenance, or to defend my self against any other creature that might desire to dill me for theirs…”9 Robinson got up into a thick bushy tree, and he resolved to sat all night. He cut a short stick for his defense before he got to sleep. He was engaged in building fence and doors gardening himself from dangerous animals. Just as Nikolay said in the novel The Making of A Hero “the thing one prizes most is life, life comes to us but once…”10 As for his properties, Robinson seek a proper place where his goods were stored to secure them from whatever might happen. “I lay with all my wealth very secure”11 and after he discovered the footprints he’d like to armed to teeth to do his preparation of fighting against the invaders. Robinson sheltered his habitation and household that belonged to him and had everything arranged in case of the savage’s arrival. (272)

The glory of human labor also finds its expression in Robinson’s labor for a higher level of well-being. In the previous years, Robinson’s life on the island was actually a primitive state when he tried to maintain his livelihood by simply activities like gathering, hunting and fishing by which he accumulate his property and become rich.12 Shortly after Robinson’s collection and hunting, he began to change his producing form. Collecting wild fruits and hunting no longer makes Robinson satisfied. He changed into taming animals and growing crops himself. The tamed goats provided him a large amount of food. He also caught some parrots and taught one of them to speak. Although it was not for the purpose of providing him food, it enriched Robinson’s life on the isolated island and what’s more, it was a reflection of the development of animal husbandry on this island.13 He decorated his habitation and enlarged the space to make sure he lived comfortable and safe. The fatal drawback of his t process was his shortage of tools which he spent much time and

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energy to make. It took him much time and energy to fall a tree and then to cut it into the shape of plank to make a table or a chair which was shapeless at first, he gained much pleasure during his tedious work.14 He also observed the change of the season and acquired the law. He divided the dry season and the rainy season. Though he failed to enjoy his harvest, he tried another attempt and by this experiment he was made master of his business, and knew exactly when the proper season was and enjoyed the harvest. (278)

Robinson Crusoe is a representative literary work of Enlightenment and the hero Robinson mirrored the glory of human labor. Robinson Crusoe, himself is also an outstanding representative who created a kingdom of his own after he was separated from the secular society as long as 27 years. The novel vividly displays to people that the human labor makes a tough man out of a desperate person. Robinson’s successful survival in adversity showed labor is the most essential quality for personal development. His indomitable spirit of adventurism, persistence and fearlessness of fight, conviction of pursuing survival and development of himself by his continuance of hands have its positive significance in every period of human history.15 (114)

Introduction and Conclusion:158+114=272 Body：259+266+272+278=1075 Total：1347

1

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile ou de l'e?ducation (Paris : Firmin Didot, 1844),28. 2

SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Robinson Crusoe.” SparkNotes LLC. 2003. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crusoe/ (accessed February 14, 2012). 3

Doreen Roberts, introduction to Wordsworth Editions Limited ed., Robinson Crusoe(University of Kent at Canterbury,2000),Ⅸ. 4

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe (London: Wayne State University Press, 1960),98. 5

Ibid, 57-61. 6

Ibid,103. 7

Robert H. Fletcher, A History of English Literature (London: Bantam Dell,1918) 116. 8

Cynthia Mcgowan, Cliffs Notes on Robinson Crusoe（New York: Bantam Books,1997）12. 9

Defoe，Robinson Crusoe，112. 10

Nikolay Ostrovsky, The Making of A Hero,trans. Alec Brown(New York: Dutton,1937),165. 11

Mcgowan, Cliffs Notes,66.

12 Daniel Defoe \

2010 .http://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Cite&page=Robinson_Crusoe&id=3612311 13

Muddy Kennedy, To Crack a Smile in Adversity (Beijing: Sea Tide Press, 2005),125. 14

Ibid,161. 15

Lv Shuchun, Grow in Adversity(Bei Jing: Jin Chen Press,2003),87.

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Bibliography

1.Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. London: Wayne State University Press,

1960.

2.Defoe, Daniel.\Crusoe.\Accessed February

26,2010.

3.Fletcher, Robert H. A History of English Literature. London: Bantam

Dell,1918

4.Ostrovsky, Nikolay.The Making of A Hero.Ttranslated by Alec

Brown.New York: Dutton,1937.

5.Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Emile ou de l'e?ducation.Paris : Firmin Didot,

1844.

http://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Cite&page=Robinson_Cr

usoe&id=3612311.

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