Robinson Crusoe

The rebellious Robinson Crusoe discovers his regret for not taking his father's advice after he runs away on a sea voyage that battles in a storm and is taken over by pirates. Now a slave for the pirates, the ship becomes wrecked in another immense storm on an island and Robinson is the only surviver. His father's words clearer than ever, the boy wishes he listened to his parents' guidance. He identifies his new found potential to survive on limited resources when fortunately, not all the supplies in the ship's cabin had been harmed. By using the supplies he's able to salvage from the ship, Robinson Crusoe is determined not to allow the island's natural damage to cause his death. He eventually builds a kingdom-like fort and builds on what he has by breeding animals, gathering fruit, growing crops and hunting.

Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe is an all-time favourite that can be joyfully read multiple times. It contains themes such as courage and determination, friendship and loyalty, the importance of hard work and humanity. Robinson shows courage and determination when he overcomes the obstacles of surviving on a desert island in solitary. He does this by creating shelter for himself, finding food and water and inventing clothing out of animal skin. Friday and Rosie show great friendship and loyalty towards Robinson and provide the factor that the audience can fall in love with in the novel. Friday is dedicated to Robinson after he risks being captured and eaten by cannibals to save the forgeign man's life. Rosie the pirate captain's dog is an exeptional companion to man when he is lonely. Robinson forms a special bond with these two characters. The importance of hard work is an obvious theme throughout the whole book as Robinson forms a new life on this island from scratch. Hard labour built newer and better things as time passed and set up a life that people in the present day may not be able to experience due to technology. The final theme of humanity demonstrates what a person is capable of in the situation of death or survival. Robinson is placed in a new world where he cannot rely on others for assistance and it is a position of "survival of the fittest". Robinson civilizes Friday into a Christian way of life and the island eventually transforms into Crusoe's colony. Defoe implies the strength of human will and civilization in this novel.

I strongly recommend Robinson Crusoe for people of all ages. It is a novel that can be easily read and followed as the storyline is particularly and constantly engaging. Daniel Defoe has written a timeless classic that readers will fall in love with.