Russell+C

__ Plot Overview: __ Robinson Crusoe is the story of a man who is born into a wealthy family yet dreams of traveling the sea. However, his father wants him to stay at home and study law. Despite what his father wants, Crusoe leaves most of his money with a widow and sets out to sea. His first few trips are very successful despite the dangers they encounter. Crusoe then starts a plantation taking advantage of slave labor, which he finds to be very profitable. He embarks again with a slave ship, yet this time is shipwrecked on an island as the only survivor. From the island he can see the ship caught on a bank and makes several trips to and from land to salvage as many supplies as he can. He makes himself a home, and goes through a long process of learning how to survive by himself on the island. He lives well despite his loneliness, until cannibals come ashore to murder and eat people from their tribe. One of the captives escapes and Crusoe saves his life and names him Friday. He teaches Friday how to speak English and obey him as his master. They become like family and live happily together for many years. Once again people come ashore, but this time they are white men with captives. As Crusoe and Friday watch, they learn that there has been a mutiny on a ship and that one of the captives is the ship captain. As most of the men leave to explore the island Friday and Crusoe free the Captain and his loyal mate. The Captain tells them that the men still onboard the ships are still loyal to him. He says that if they can get rid of just the men in charge of the mutiny that he can retake the ship and they can sail home. Working together Crusoe and his partners take care of the men in charge of the mutiny and put the Captain back in charge of his ship. Crusoe and Friday then sail back to England where Crusoe discovers that his plantation has made a lot of money and that the widow has kept the money he left with her safe.

__ Character List: __ · Robinson Crusoe – Main character of the story who disobeys his father and travels the sea. He ends up shipwrecked alone on an island for many years until he rescues the ship Captain who in return takes him home. · Friday – A former cannibal who is taken to Crusoe’s island to be murdered and eaten. He escapes and is saved by Crusoe. Friday then becomes his loyal servant and stays with him. · Ship Captain – The Captain of a ship which was taken over by mutiny. He is taken to Crusoe’s island as a prisoner but is rescued. As thanks for saving him, he takes Friday and Crusoe back home.

__ Important Quotations: __ · “But then to think that Satan should take human shape upon him in such a place where there could be no manner of occasion for it, but to leave the print of his foot behind him, and that even for no purpose too, for he could be sure I should see it;” – In this quote Crusoe has found a single footprint of a man. Since it has been so long since he’s seen another person the thought of other people being on the island completely terrifies him. He believes it is the Devil trying to fool with him. · “Seeing all these things have not brought thee to repentance, now thou shalt die” – Crusoe falls very ill, and has a dream in which a giant bright being falls from the clouds and says this to him. After awakening from this dream he prays to God and begins to recover from his illness. · “I cast my eyes to the stranded vessel, when the breach and froth of the sea being so big, I could hardly see it, it lay so far off, and considered, Lord! How was it possible I could get on shore?” – This quote takes place right after Crusoe is washed ashore. He is looking out to the ocean and can barely see his ship. He’s wondering to himself how he managed to make it to land.

__ Suggestions for Further Reading: __ If you enjoyed reading this story of Robinson Crusoe, then I suggest that you also read the story Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. It is a much easier read, but it has a very similar story. It is a survival story of a young boy who is in a plane when the pilot has a heart attack and is forced to crash the plane into a lake in the middle of nowhere. The young man must learn how to stay alive and fend for himself much like Crusoe did. Both plots have very similar ideas such as missing common everyday items, regretting the trip they took, and dealing with the loneliness of being stranded.

Another book I suggest you read if you liked this one is My side of the Mountain by Jean C. George. Once again this book is a much easier read then Robinson Crusoe, but it also has a very similar story. In this book a boy learns to live on his own in the wilderness, not by force, but of his own free will. This book touches the inner child in all of us that wants to go live in the forest, while at the same time expresses the hardships of doing so. This is perhaps my all time favorite book, and I guarantee that if you truly enjoyed reading Robinson Crusoe or Hatchet that you will also enjoy this book as well.