Why has “Robinson
Crusoe” been called at once realistic and allegorical?
Outwardly Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe seems to be a story of
travel and adventure but inwardly it is not merely a nursery tale meant only
for children but it has full of realism and allegorical significance which run
side by side in the novel. Travel and adventure is only the surface subject of
the book. If we probe it deeper and examine it closely we get the allegory of
life and religion under the surface of realism. So far as realism of the book
is concerned, the book deals with actual experiences of a real man called
Alexander Selkrik who had spent more than four years alone on the uninhabited
island of Juan Fernandez and Crusoe himself in the book is identifiable with
Alexander Selkrik. This real incident not only prepares the ground of reality
for the book but also contributes to enhance the allegorical significance of
the book as Defoe’s Crusoe like Bunyan’s Christian in The Pilgrim’s progress makes his voyage not only for material
enhancement, as if it seems to be apparently but for spiritual salvation
allegorically. Let us first discuss Defoe’s Robinson
Crusoe on realistic ground to show how far the air of realism is infused
into the work and next to relate the real life passage for material advancement
with allegorical quest of soul for spiritual salvation.
Defoe has used different techniques to bring
realism into the novel. They are as follows:
Circumstantial Method:
One of Crusoe’s most successful
projects which may be defined as the circumstantial method is the raising of
the crops of barley and rice on the island. Another circumstantial method is
that the presence of the wrecked ship near the sea shore which enabled Crusoe
to bring the equipment and the material he needed to survive.
Realism in character- portrayal:
Friday’s gratitude to Crusoe is
perfectly natural. Friday becomes a devoted servent of Crusoe who has saved his
life from the clutches of cannibals and many other characters in the novel seem
to be real such as the English captain, the Portuguese Captain and the black
boy Xury who has helped Crusoe to escape from the Turkish pirates.
