Robinson Crusoe short summary & analysis

Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe

Robinson Crusoe Analysis

Robinson Crusoe is Daniel Defoe’s most popular book. Original name was “The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Of York, Mariner”. It was published on 25 April 1719. Since then, it was re-published many times, and many film-adaptations were released.

Robinson Crusoe Short Summary

Robinson Crusoe is third and the littlest son of a quite wealthy family. By the virtue of littlest, he is brought up spoiled. Though his father’s all warnings and objections, he gets on board going to London with the dream of sailing and travel the world. However, his voyage is not live up to his expectations because of the storms. The natural result of a violent storm, they have to leave the ship to ride a small boat. With the help of people in the town, they go to London. Actually, he should have taken lesson from the situation, but he gets on board second time.

The ship gets attacked between Canary Islands and African beaches by pirate and they are captured. He gardens the house of captain who he is captured for two years. He runs away from the house with a black friend of him. When the food and water is depleted they have to go ashore. A ship sailing to Brazil boards them. He gets on board going to Africa after he labors a factory during four years in Brazil. The ship is caught in a violent storm and he squeezes in a small boat with the crew. However, a great wave turns down the boat. He starts to swim with his all power and reaches the front. He cannot see anybody around.

He spends the night on a tree. When the water drawdown, he climbs the boat with the help of a rope next day. He gathers food, battens and whatever he can use from the boat. He finds a kitbag. After that, he climbs a peak and views around. This place is an island and there is nobody except for Robinson Crusoe. He makes a cottage with the material that he gathered from the boat for himself. He transports ware during twelve days from the boat but in consequence of storm, the boat gets lost. Due to wild animals, he makes more secure and durable cottage and makes a tent for his food.

While he explores the island, he comes across with chevrotain. Then he finds a way of catching them and starts to feed with it. Also, he domesticates some of them. He makes a garden and starts to grow vegetable and fruit for himself. After that, he takes note what he lives through with notebook and pencil that he finds. He has to use then carefully because he has limited ink. He finds a parrot and teaches talking to it.

After twenty-three years, he sees black persons sitting around the fire on expedition of discovery in the island and he is alarmed during the days. While he walks around the island, he sees a Spanish ship which is sunken, and he gathers the materials that he can use. A morning, six boat and thirty natives come the coast. They have a captive. The captives try to run away from them. Robinson Crusoe saves the captives with his rifle and the black men run away dreading. Then he gives a name as ‘’Cuma’’ to his captive and educates him.

After months, three boat come. Black men have a white captive. Robinson and Cuma save the captive together. Also, they save father of Cuma in the boat. White man and Cuma’s father leave the island for saving other captives and later they get Robinson and Cuma. The days pass but nobody comes.

After eight days, three captives come the island with eight men. Robinson Crusoe talks secretly with a captive and he learns that the captive is the captain of the berthed ship. Then he compromises with him to take himself to his ship. They save the captives with the help of Cuma. He gets on board with Cuma and returns to England after thirty-five years. He stays twenty-eight years in the island.

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