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Robinson Crusoe
Part One
Tilretteleggelse/illustrasjoner:
Øyvind Olsholt/Clipart.com
Filosofiske spørsmål:
Øyvind Olsholt
Sist oppdatert: 20. januar 2004
The
story of Robinson Crusoe was first published in 1719 under the title
"Life and strange surprising adventures of Robinson Crusoe".
It soon became very popular and still today it nurtures the imagination
and sense of adventure of people throughout the world.
The author, Daniel Defoe, was born in
1660 and made his living mostly from writing novels as well as from
journalism. He wrote quite a number of novels, but his two most
famous ones are, "The story of Robinson Crusoe" and "The
story of Moll Flanders" which was published in 1722. Defoe
has been a major influence in the development of the English novel.
These two parts comprise a mini-version of the original novel.
From York to London
I was born in the city of York, in England, in the
year 1632. My father was a man of some wealth,
able to give me a good home and send me to school. It was his wish
that I should become a lawyer
but my head began to be filled very early with thoughts of rambling,
and I would be satisfied
with nothing but going to sea. My father tried to talk me out of
it, but with little effect. One day when I was in Hull, I met a
school-fellow
who was about to sail for London in his father's ship, and he urged
me to go with him, and in an
evil hour, without asking God's blessing
or my father's, I went on board.
On the way to London, a storm arose, the ship was wrecked, and
we barely
escaped with our lives. I went on foot to London, where I met
with the master of a vessel
which traded to the coast of Africa. He took
a fancy to me, and offered me a chance to go with him on his
voyages,
which I gladly accepted.
A great storm came up, and the ship was tossed
about for many days, until we did not know where we were. Suddenly
we struck a bank of sand, and the sea broke over the ship in such
a way that we could not hope to have her hold many moments without
breaking into pieces. In this distress
we launched
a boat. After we had been driven four or five miles, a raging
wave struck us so furiously
that it overset
the boat at once. Though I swam well the waves were so strong
that I was thrown against a rock with such force that it left me
senseless.
But I recovered
a little before the waves returned, and, running forward, got to
the mainland safely.
Then I began to look about to see if any of my comrades had escaped,
but I could see no sign of any of them. The night coming on, I climbed
into a thick, bushy tree to sleep, not knowing but that there might
be wild and dangerous beasts
there. When I awoke, next morning, the sea was calm,
and I could see the ship about a mile from the shore;
and when the tide
ebbed, I swam out to her. I found that all the provisions
were dry, and being very hungry, I filled my pockets with biscuit,
and ate as I went about other things; for I saw that I must lose
no time in getting ashore
all that I could from the ship. I began by making a raft
strong enough to bear a moderate weight. Next I lowered upon it
three seamen's
chests, and filled them with provisions. After a long search
I found the carpenter's
chest, which was a great prize to me. I lowered it upon the raft,
and then secured a supply of guns and gunpowder.
With this cargo I started for the shore, and, with a great deal
of trouble, succeeded in landing it safely.
Alone on an island
My next work was to view the country and seek a proper place to
stow
my goods. I knew not yet where I was, whether on the continent or
an island. There was a hill not over a mile away, very steep and
high; and I climbed to the top of it, and saw that I was on an island,
barren,
and as I saw good reason to believe, uninhabited.
The ship sinks
Every day, for twelve days, I made a trip to the ship, bringing
ashore all that I thought would be useful
to me. The night of the twelfth day there was a violent wind, and
when I awoke in the morning the ship was nowhere to be seen.
Making a home
Then I gave my thoughts to providing myself with a safe habitation.
I found a little plain,
on the side of a hill, whose front towards the plain was very steep,
and had in it a hollow
place like the door of a cave.
Here I resolved
to pitch my tent,
which I made of sails that I had brought from the ship. Around it
I drew a half circle, and drove two rows of piles
into the ground, making a kind of fortress.
I left no entrance, but used a short ladder to go over the top,
and when I was in, lifted it over after me. Then I enlarged the
hollow place I have spoken of until I had made quite a cave, which
served as a cellar for my house, which I called my castle.
Pets
I had found aboard the ship a dog and two cats. I carried the cats
ashore on the raft, but as for the dog he swam ashore himself, and
was a trusty servant to me for many years. Besides the company of
these pets, I had that of a parrot
which I caught, and which I taught to speak; and it often gave me
much amusement.
Hunting and breeding
I went out every day with my gun to hunt for food. I found that
there were goats running wild on the island, and often succeeded
in shooting one. But I saw that my ammunition would in time all
be gone, and that to have a steady supply of goat's flesh, I must
breed them in flocks. So I set a trap to take some alive, and succeeded
in catching several. I enclosed
a piece of ground for them to run in; and in course of time, had
a large flock, which furnished
me with all the meat I needed.
Clothes
I saved the skins of all the creatures I shot, and dried them;
and when my clothes were worn out, replaced them with garments
made of these. Then, at the expense of a great deal of time and
trouble, I made an umbrella, also of skins, which I needed much
to keep off both sun and rain.
The canoe
For
a long time I brooded
over the idea of making a canoe of the trunk
of a tree, as the Indians do, and at last set to work at the task.
I cut a large tree, and spent over three months shaping it into
the form of a boat. Then I found it too large to move to the water.
I afterwards made a smaller one, and succeeded in launching it,
and set out to make a tour around the island in it. But when I had
been out three days, such a storm arose that I was near being lost.
At last I was able to bring my boat to the shore, in a little cove;
and there I left it, and went across the island, on foot, to my
castle, not caring to go to sea again in such an unsafe vessel.
Suggested topics for philosophical discussion
- Robinson's father wanted him to become a lawyer. Robinson
didn't care for that at all, he just wanted to ramble, to wander
here and there and explore the world.
Was it right of him to follow his own will
instead of obeying his father? When is it right to defy
the command of our parents and when would it be wrong to do
that? Are there some commands (from teachers or parents) that
we must always obey? Are there some commands we must never obey
regardless
of who gives them?
- On his way to London the ship was wrecked and he was almost
killed. Nevertheless
the first thing he does when he gets to London is to embark
on a voyage to Africa.
Would you have climbed a giant ladder if you had just fallen
down the stairs? Would you have eaten a snake if you had just
been sick from eating a worm? Do we always learn by experience?
What do we learn? Do some people never learn by experience?
Why not?
- Robinson is alone on a deserted island. Or is he really alone?
He has the company of a dog, two cats and lots of goats. He
also has a parrot to entertain him. Can the company of animals
substitute
the need for the company of other people? If there were no animals
at all on the island, could he still find company in nature,
or in the sun, or the stars at night? What is your idea of loneliness?
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