Examine Robinson Crusoe as a spiritual autobiography.
Critics
described Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe as a “spiritual journey.” J. Paul Hunter claimed
that Defoe took a spiritual biography approach when crafting Robinson Crusoe by
“tracing a rebellion-punishment-repentance-deliverance sequence” (Hunter, 252).
Daniel Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe using a spiritual biography approach, which
ultimately leads the reader to spiritually follow the adventures of Crusoe. The
first component of a spiritual biography consists of the protagonist experiencing
a situation of rebellion or sin. In Robinson Crusoe, the act of rebellion is
introduced very early in the novel.
Although Crusoe’s parents do not agree, he dreams of living a life
at sea. His father describes, “that if [he] take this foolish step, God would
not bless [him]”. Crusoe, understanding that he is rebelling against
both his parents and God, embarks on his journey in September 1651. It is clear
that Crusoe acknowledges that he is going against his parents and God when he
claims, “without asking God’s blessing, or my father’s, without any
consideration of circumstances or consequences, and in an hour, God knows, on
the first of September 1651 I went on board a ship bound London”.
Although
he knows he is rebelling, he continues to embark on his journey at sea. Defoe
has established the first piece of creating a spiritual biography by introducing
the concept of rebellion. It is not until many years later in Robinson Crusoe
when Defoe introduces the punishment for Crusoe’s actions. Although Crusoe
experiences hardships during his journey, such as encountering wild beasts and
becoming a slave, he is ultimately struck with his punishment when he is the sole
survivor of a shipwreck. Crusoe finds himself stranded on a remote island alone. Crusoe’s
first reaction is negativity and self-pity. Crusoe “consider[s] the next day what
death [he] should die”. Later when Crusoe takes up journaling he writes, “I
poor Robinson Crusoe, being shipwrecked during a dreadful storm, in the offing,
came on shore on this dismal unfortunate island, which I called the Island of Despair”. Crusoe is experiencing a time of self-pity, in which he does not accept his
situation of being stranded. At one point during the novel, Crusoe attempts to understand
why he is stranded.
Crusoe
speaks aloud, asking himself, “Why were not they saved and you lost? Why were
you singled out” ? Although Crusoe is reflecting and pondering on his situation,
he is continuing with his negative attitude and not seeing the positivity in his
given situation. It is clear that Defoe continues to develop a spiritual
biography by forcing Crusoe to be punished and to experience the consequences
of his rebellion. It is not until Crusoe begins to think of God and his
religion when he reaches a sense of positivity.
