鲁滨逊漂流记英语详细分析

NARRATOR•RobinsonCrusoeisboththenarratorandmaincharacterofthetale.POINTOFVIEW•Crusoenarratesinboththefirstandthirdperson,presentingwhatheobserves.Crusoeoccasionallydescribeshisfeelings,butonlywhentheyareoverwhelming.Usuallyhefavorsamorefactualnarrativestylefocusedonactionsandevents.TONE•Crusoe’stoneismostlydetached,meticulous,andobjective.Hedisplayslittlerhetoricalgrandeurandfewpoeticorcolorfulturnsofphrase.Hegenerallyavoidsdramaticstorytelling,preferringaninventorylikeapproachtothefactsastheyunfold.Heveryrarelyregistershisownfeelings,orthoseofothercharacters,andonlydoessowhenthosefeelingsaffectasituationdirectly,suchaswhenhedescribesthemutineersastiredandconfused,indicatingthattheirfatigueallowsthemtobedefeated.TENSE•PastSETTING(TIME)•From1659to1694SETTING(PLACE)•York,England;thenLondon;thenSallee,NorthAfrica;thenBrazil;thenadesertedislandoffTrinidad;thenEngland;thenLisbon;thenoverlandfromSpaintowardEngland;thenEngland;andfinallytheislandagainPROTAGONIST•RobinsonCrusoeMAJORCONFLICT•Shipwreckedalone,Crusoestrugglesagainsthardship,privation,loneliness,andcannibalsinhisattempttosurviveonadesertedisland.RISINGACTION•Crusoedisobeyshisfatherandgoesouttosea.Crusoehasaprofitablefirstmerchantvoyage,hasfantasiesofsuccessinBrazil,andpreparesforaslave-gatheringexpedition.CLIMAX•CrusoebecomesshipwreckedonanislandnearTrinidad,forcinghimtofendforhimselfandhisbasicneeds.FALLINGACTION•Crusoeconstructsashelter,securesafoodsupply,andacceptshisstayontheislandastheworkofProvidence.THEMES•Theambivalenceofmastery;thenecessityofrepentance;theimportanceofself-awarenessMOTIFS•Countingandmeasuring;eating;ordealsatseaSYMBOLS•Thefootprint;thecross;Crusoe’sbowerFORESHADOWING•CrusoesuffersastormatseanearYarmouth,foreshadowinghisshipwreckyearslater.Crusoedreamsofcannibalsarriving,andlatertheycometokillFriday.Crusoeinventstheideaofagovernoroftheislandtointimidatethemutineers,foreshadowingtheactualgovernor’slaterarrivalAnalysisofMajorCharactersRobinsonCrusoeWhileheisnoflashyheroorgrandepicadventurer,RobinsonCrusoedisplayscharactertraitsthathavewonhimtheapprovalofgenerationsofreaders.Hisperseveranceinspendingmonthsmakingacanoe,andinpracticingpotterymakinguntilhegetsitright,ispraiseworthy.Additionally,hisresourcefulnessinbuildingahome,dairy,grapearbor,countryhouse,andgoatstablefrompracticallynothingisclearlyremarkable.TheSwissphilosopherJean-JacquesRousseauapplaudedCrusoe’sdo-it-yourselfindependence,andinhisbookoneducation,Emile,herecommendsthatchildrenbetaughttoimitateCrusoe’shands-onapproachtolife.Crusoe’sbusinessinstinctsarejustasconsiderableashissurvivalinstincts:hemanagestomakeafortuneinBrazildespiteatwenty-eight-yearabsenceandevenleaveshisislandwithanicecollectionofgold.Moreover,Crusoeisneverinterestedinportrayinghimselfasaheroinhisownnarration.Hedoesnotboastofhiscourageinquellingthemutiny,andheisalwaysreadytoadmitunheroicfeelingsoffearorpanic,aswhenhefindsthefootprintonthebeach.Crusoepreferstodepicthimselfasanordinarysensibleman,neverasanexceptionalhero.ButCrusoe’sadmirablequalitiesmustbeweighedagainsttheflawsinhischaracter.Crusoeseemsincapableofdeepfeelings,asshownbyhiscoldaccountofleavinghisfamily—heworriesaboutthereligiousconsequencesofdisobeyinghisfather,butneverdisplaysanyemotionaboutleaving.Thoughheisgeneroustowardpeople,aswhenhegivesgiftstohissistersandthecaptain,Crusoerevealsverylittletenderorsincereaffectioninhisdealingswiththem.WhenCrusoetellsusthathehasgottenmarriedandthathiswifehasdiedallwithinthesamesentence,hisindifferencetoherseemsalmostcruel.Moreover,asanindividualpersonality,Crusoeisratherdull.Hispreciseanddeadpanstyleofnarrationworkswellforrecountingtheprocessofcanoebuilding,butittendstodraintheexcitementfromeventsthatshouldbethrilling.Action-packedscenesliketheconquestofthecannibalsbecomequitehumdrumwhenCrusoenarratesthem,givingusadetailedinventoryofthecannibalsinlistform,forexample.Hisinsistenceondatingeventsmakessensetoapoint,butitultimatelyendsupseemingobsessiveandirrelevantwhenhetellsusthedateonwhichhegrindshistoolsbutneglectstotellusthedateofaveryimportanteventlikemeetingFriday.Perhapshisimpulsetorecordfactscarefullyisnotasurvivalskill,butanirritatingsignofhisneurosis.Finally,whilenotboastingofheroism,Crusoeisnonethelessveryinterestedinpossessions,power,andprestige.Whenhefirstcallshimselfkingoftheislanditseemsjocund,butwhenhedescribestheSpaniardashissubjectwemusttakehisroyaldelusionseriously,sinceitseemshereallydoesconsiderhimselfking.HisteachingFridaytocallhim“Master,”evenbeforeteachinghimthewordsfor“yes”or“no,”seemsobnoxiousevenundertheraciststandardsoftheday,asifCrusoeneedstoheartheego-boostingwordspokenassoonaspossible.Overall,Crusoe’svirtuestendtobeprivate:hisindustry,resourcefulness,andsolitarycouragemakehimanexemplaryindividual.Buthisvicesaresocial,andhisurgetosubjugateothersishighlyobjectionable.Inbringingbothsidestogetherintoonecomplexcharacter,Defoegivesusafascinatingglimpseintothesuccesses,failures,andcontradictionsofmodernman.ImportantQuotationsExplained1.“Odrug!”saidIaloud,“whatartthougoodfor?Thoua