Defoe's Robinson Crusoe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Defoe's Robinson Crusoe - Essay Example However, Robinson Crusoe does not heed these warnings and sets out twice more on the sea. The first of these trips is to Brazil (without incident). The second and fateful trip which ultimately lands him on the desert island is the trade mission he engages upon to Guyana in Chapter 5 (Defoe, 1982). Once shipwrecked, without any shelter, dwelling, friends, comrades, family, amenities of a comfortable life, or supplies to speak of, Crusoe comes down with a high fever during a monsoon. This parallel to hubris and the utter humiliation of mankind’s best efforts is a direct parallel to the Greek writers nearly two thousand years prior to Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. In this way, Crusoe experiences a Job like conversion and understands his hubris; therefore, he confesses his many sins of this life and sets out to read and study the New Testament with a renewed vigor. With the modern connection as it relates to Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, the most obvious connection is to the film Castaway. Although the obvious connection is both works center around individuals who find themselves alone on a desert island, the parallels are far greater. The fact is that the underlying character development of both Castaway and Robinson Crusoe hinges upon the moment immediately following despair, self-loathing, hopelessness, and contemplations of death when the protagonists realize that this is their moment to define what they will do and how they will survive under difficult circumstances. Robinson Crusoe experiences a high fever accompanied by severe weather and a hallucination in which God speaks to him. On the other hand, Chuck Noland’s epiphany only comes after he opens the â€Å"forbidden fruit† of the FedEx packages washed ashore with him and finds useful items that can aid him in his quest for survival. In this way, both characters experi ence