Robinson Crusoe is based on Alexander Selkirk’s real story, who makes a living as a sailor. Defoe took the form of diary or memoirs to allow the protagonist to state his drifting experiences. Reflected through the measures the leading character takes to resolve adversity or misfortune, Defoe highlights personal striving and social status for the first time in English literature. He is in favor of development of capitalism, and deems trade as a prior choice to spur social evolution and prosperity. Comprehensively analyzing the background of the age, this novel disseminates independent and indomitable spirits embodied by newly emerging bourgeois.
2. Literature Review
Robinson Crusoe is one of the most successful novels of Defoe, which grants him the reputation of “the father of European fiction”. In nearly three centuries, numerous scholars have published their criticism toward this work. Reviews of several interpretations about the masterpiece have been given from different perspectives.
Some critics study Robinson Crusoe from the ecological point of view. Luo Xiangyang and Wang Qiongfang point out that Robinson Crusoe is a crucial target in terms of ecological research, though few relative accomplishments have been made. Through analysis of Crusoe’s transformation in his attitude to nature, namely fear to harmonious accompany, they argue that Crusoe changes his role from an ecologist to a colonist. At the same time, Chu Xumin and Shen Fuying in Display of Anthropocentrism─Analysis of Crusoe’s Image from the Perspective of Ecological Criticism expose the leading character’s ecological cognition by analyzing his conquest of the deserted island and slaughter of animals. So they draw a conclusion of expanding anthropocentrism.
J．P．Hunter also delivers his religious point of view. It seems to him that the work displays a process of how an unoriented rover gains access to God and ends up as a devout puritan. The whole story is “structured based on the pattern of disobedience─ repentance─ deliverance” (Shinagel,1994:342). Eventually, pine providence helps Crusoe escape from unanticipated mishaps in spite of his sinful natural propensity. Therefore, there exists puritan ideology involved throughout the novel. On the contrary, what Chu Fumin wants to demonstrate in Analysis of Daniel Defoe’s Secularized Religious Thoughts from Robinson is that Crusoe’s pursuit of wealth is accompanied with puritan secularism. To some extent, Crusoe’s capitalist spirit is in accordance with Puritanism. Calling and asceticism included in Puritanism regard labor as an approach to God’s grace, which cater to the need of capitalist development.
Colonial and post-colonial theories have been employed in recent studies to reconstruct Robinson Crusoe. As for Yan Aijing and Liu Jianhui’s Robinson Crusoe and Colonialism, they are convinced that the leading character plays the role of colonist in such a colonial myth or fantasy for the new rising bourgeoisie. Actually, the image of colonist is highlighted through Crusoe’s dwelling and survival on the island, his exploitation and utilization of resources on the island, his occupation and control of natives. Similarly, Martin Green regards the Crusoe’s adventure experiences as courses of colonialism. The island he stays signifies a brand-new world, in other words, an unexploited territory. His deeply-rooted wildness to build private empire reveals the duality of western civilization. Changing his identity from a labor to a master of slaves, Crusoe is actually the epitome of colonization.
In the light of perse researches, the analysis of Crusoe’s Puritan belief and economic inpidualism has not been thoroughly discovered and their connection still awaits further digging. Thus, this paper will investigate the puritan factors which contribute to reinforcement of inpidualism. Besides, elaborations will be added to relationship between man and God and manifestations of economic inpidualism. 从清教主义角度解析《鲁滨逊漂流记》中个人主义的强化(2):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_65254.html