final 鲁滨逊漂流记

AnalysisofRobinson’sCharacter(FinalPaper)11301116吴娜RobinsonCrusoe,whosefullnameislifeandstrangeandsurprisingadventuresofRobinsonCrusoe,iswrittenbyDanielDefoe.Jean-JacquesRousseauinEmilerecommendeditasthefirstbookthatshouldbestudiedbyagrowingboy.Inthispaper,Iwanttowritefromtwoparts.ThefirstpartisthebriefintroductionoftheauthorDanielDefoeandAlexanderSelkirk,andthesecondpartistheanalysisofRobinson’scharacter.1.BriefIntroductiontoDanielDefoeandAlexanderSelkirk.Defoehadabundantexperiencesinhiswonderfullife.Hewasborninabusinessman’shome.Athistwenties,hehadbecomeasuccessfulbusinessman.Heengagedinmanyfieldsuchastrading,brick.Healsoexperiencedbankrupt.Whenhedidbusiness,healsotookpartinthepoliticalactivities.Hepressedthepoliticalpamphletsasthedeputyofbourgeoisie.Hewaspoisoned,andgotoutbyother’shelp.Afterthat,healsojoinedinthepoliticalactivities.Whenhewasinhisoldage,hestartedtowritehisnovel.BeforethatDefoeneverwantedtobeawriter.Alexander,theoriginalfigureofRobinson,wasaScotlandsailor.Afteraquarrelwithhiscaptain,hewasthrownontoadesolateislandoffthecoastofChilebycaptain.Afterfouryears,hewastakentoEngland,buthebecameasavage.Ofcourse,themandidn’tdoanywonderfulthingontheisland,buthisexperiencebecamethesourceofDefoe’swriting.2.TheCharacterofRobinson ModernnovelistJamesJoycenotedthat“RobinsonisthetrueprototypeoftheBritishcolonist,independent,unconsciouscruelty,persistent.”However,justastheoldsayinggoes,“Menarenotsaints”.RobinsonCrusoealsohashisshortcomingsinhischaracter.MostpreviousresearchersconcernedmoreaboutRobinson’ssprintwhileignoringhisflaws.Inthefollowingpart,IwillfocusonthebothsidesofRobinson’scharacter.2.1Robinsonisamanofindividualismbutpayslittleattentiontohisfamily.TheidealsofenlightenmentendowedRobinsonsomeprogressivecharacters.Hepursuedafreelifeandvaluedindividual.Whileinthemiddleage,humantooktheGodasthecore.Robinsonwasnotwillingtosticktotheolddoctrinesandlivedalifeofleisureandease.“Myheadbegantobefilledveryearlywithramblingthoughts:myfather,whowasveryancient,hadgivenmecompetentshareoflearning…anddesignedforthelaw,butIwouldbesatisfiedwithnothingbutgotosea…”(Daniel,RobinsonCrusoe,P1)Hisrestlessnaturemadehimalwaysfightforabetterlifeandthethingshewantedtopossess:hewentouttoseathreetimestodobusiness,evenafterhehadestablishedhisplantationinBrazil.However,wecanseethat,inordertorealizehisdream,Robinsonlefthisfamily,notconsideringmuchaboutthefeelingsofthefamily.Ashetoldus,“Iwouldbesatisfiedwithnothingbutgotosea,andmyinclinationtothisledmestronglyagainstthewill,naythecommandsofmyfather,andagainstalltheentreatiesandpersuasionofmymotherandotherfriends.”(Daniel,RobinsonCrusoe,P1)Intheendhewentouttoseawithoutsayinggoodbyetohisfamily.This,tome,isirresponsible, especiallyinmodernsociety.2.2Robinsonisafortitudebutvainman.RobinsonwasbornasasonofanoldEnglishgentleman,whodesignshissonforthelaw.Buttheyoungmanhassethismindonbecomingasailor.Attheageof19,herunsawayfrom,andbeginshiswaytotakeadventuresonasea.Inspiteofmanyperilsandadventuresonthesea,heneverchangeshismindtoseekafterthesea.Robinsonsaysthat,"MytemperamentisnotdropathingwhenIdeterminedtodoit,ifnotsuccessful,"(Daniel,RobinsonCrusoe,P31)Hemakesawoodblockthatneeds42days.Hewastedmuchtimeandthepracticeforceonmanymatters,whenhedoesnotsucceed;heisalwaysnotdiscouragedanddisappointed.Hesummarizestheexperienceoffailureanddoesitagain.Hediscoversrice;thewheatseedandsowsthem,butthatisnotrighttimeandhasnocrop,hehasplantagain.Finallyhasthebreadtoprovidefood,tohavetheplantation,Allthesehastakenverymanyeffortsandovercamemanydifficulties,Hechangeshisownsituationbyfortitude.Ontheotherhand,RobinsonCrusoealsohadasenseofvanityandweakness.Afterthefirstseavoyagefailed,hehadthethoughtofgoinghome,shameopposedtheaction,“itoccurredtomehowIshouldbelaughedatamongtheneighbors,andshouldbeashamedtosee,notmyfatherandmotheronly,buteveneverybodyelse.”(Daniel,RobinsonCrusoe,P11)Onthispoint,Idon’tagreewithRobinson,forhissostrongasenseofvanity.Whatismore,sometimeshewasdullandlackingpredictionoftheresults.Oncehehadanidealplantomakehimselfacanoe,onebigenoughtohavecarriedhimandallhiscargo.Hethoughtitpossibleandeasy,butit interestedinpossessions,powerandprestige.Aftertheislandwaspeopled,itturnedouttobeamadplanandunlikelytobeperformed:hesimplycouldn’tthinkhewas“veryrichinsubjects”,andhethoughtitwasa“merryreflection”that“howlikeakingIlooked.Hethoughtthewholecountrywasmyown.3.ConclusionIn DanielDefoe'smasterpiece,RobinsonCrusoe,Robinsonbeginsasawanderer,aimlessonasea,andendsasapilgrim,crossingafinalmountaintoenterthepromisingland.Robinsonisaheroratherthananeveryman.Heisambitious,hard-working,persistent,etc.Inaword,heisacollectionofvirtues.However,asahuman,healsohashisflaws;heisalittleirresponsible,vain,etc.However,asapeopleinmodernsociety,weallshouldlearnfromhisvirtues,andovercomehisfaults.Bebravetotakeanyadventures,andfaceeverychallengeinourlifefearlessly.References1.DanielDefoe.RobinsonCrusoe.北京：世界图书出版社，2011.072.刁克利.classicalreadingsofEnglishliterature（上）.北京：外语教学与研究出版社，2011.073.唐红敏.英国文学的伦理学批评.湖北：华中师范大学出版社，2007.114.曾莉.英美文学中的环境主题研究.北京：中国社会科学出版社，2012.035.吴伟仁.英国文学史及选读.北京：外语教学与研究出版社，1988.12