Sunday, March 2, 2014

Blog Post #3 By:Thomas Wallman

Robinson Crusoe
Daniel Defoe
Historical Fiction
69% read

I this section of my reading I have learned that there are savages coming to the island because the main character of my novel, Robinson Crusoe, finds a footprint in the sand in a place he doesn’t normally go.  This affects Robinson Crusoe because he gets really paranoid about their being cannibals on the island and he is afraid and build a barrier of trees to protect himself with a wall of guns to protect himself if they come near.  Also, some years later during a bad storm he hears the sound of cannons and he lights a signal fire with all the dry wood he can find.  He hopes that the ship will come and rescue him from the island but in the morning he finds that the ship is wrecked on the rocks.  He hopes he sees a ship in the distance and hopes that there will be a survivor that could be someone to talk to.  He takes his homemade canoe and rows to the wreck to see what he can scavenge and who he might save.  Unfortunately he sees two drowned men and the only living thing is a half-starved dog which he takes on board and saves.  Now, Robinson is feeling sad, desperately lonely and is dissatisfied with life on the island.  One day, Robinson Crusoe sees through his looking glass savages with their canoes unloading their victims, murdering them, cooking them, feasting and dancing. He sees a prisoner escape from the savages and run away towards his habitation.  He decides to help the prisoner escape from the savages and knocks down one of the savages and shoots the other dead.  Together the men kill the pursuers and the prisoner is eternally grateful and vows to serve Robinson all his life. 

I think this story is well-written and very well put together.  I think that because the book put me on the end of my seat when I was reading it.  It was very exciting to read about how the prisoner escaped from the savages and was saved by Robinson Crusoe.  I was surprised that Robinson Crusoe treat the man he saved as a servant.  He called him “Friday” and told him to call him “Master”.  I thought it was mean and unfair.  However, the two become best friends and I think that Friday is going take Robinson to the mainland to see where the Spaniards are so he can return to England and visit his mom and dad. 

“But to return to my new companion:  I was greatly delighted with him and made it my business to teach him everything that was proper to make him useful, handy, and helpful; but especially to make him speak and understand me when I spake; and he was the aptest scholar that eve was, and particularly was so merry, so constantly diligent, and so pleased when he could but understand me or make me understand him that it was very pleasant to me to talk to him. And now my life began to be so easy that I began to say to myself that could I but have been safe from more savages, I cared not if I was never to remove form the place while I lived.” Chapter 24 Page 19 of 38

This passage shows how Robinson is happy with the work that Friday is doing and how well he is excelling with his language and chores and duties.  Robinson finally has a companion he can talk to and socialize with.  He hasn’t heard a human voice for 25 years – only the voice of his parrot.  When I read this passage I could understand the joy it must have brought Robinson Crusoe, after being alone for so many years.  

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