The Religious Dimension of Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe Essay

The Religious Dimension of Robinson Crusoe Robinson Crusoes unc everywhereing of the work ethic on the small island goes pay in hand with a sacred awakening. Robinson Crusoe is not a very profound ghost equal thinker, although religion is part of his education and transformation. He claims he reads the Bible, and he is ready to quote it from time to time. But he doesnt puzzle over it or even get involved in the narrative or character attractions of the stories. The Bible for him appears to be something like a Dale Carnegie handbook of maxims to forbear the work on schedule and to stifle any possible complaints or longings for a different situation. Still, the religious dimension is central to Robinson Crusoe. Robinson Crusoes rendering of his life links the financial achievement directly and repeatedly with his product in religious awareness. This is not an intellectual conversion but, simply put, an awareness that he has, in some ways, received Gods lenience and is und er His care. The growing profitability of his efforts is proof of such a spiritual reward. This awareness fills him with a sense of evil for his former life and a great desire to be protruding of that guilt. The desire to be relieved from that feeling of guilt, in fact, is much stronger than Robinson Crusoes desire to be delivered from the island. at present I looked back upon my past life with such horror, and my sins appeared so dreadful, that my individual sought aught of God but deliverance from the load of guilt that bore down all my comfort. As for my solitary life it was nothing I did not so much as pray to be delivered from it or think of it it was all of no considerations in comparison to this and I added this part here to ... ... The inhabitants of the New World were there to be make outd, like Fridays father, used as servants, like Friday, or killed, like the cannibals. The burning(prenominal) part of the Puritan encounter with the New World was what Robinson Crus oe shows us, the spiritual examen of the solitary Protestant spirit, a life-long ordeal in which he achieved success (or the closest thing to a manifestation of success) by stamping his will on the new land, staking out territory as his property through punishing toil, without any concessions to anyone or anything, least of all to the land or to its authoritative inhabitants. That was the Puritans calling that was the reason God has placed us on this earth to put to our personal uses the material and people available, to ignore what does not fit in with such projects, and to remove quickly and ruthlessly anything that stands in our way.