Robinson Crusoe as a colonist.docx

Robinson Crusoe as a colonist.docx

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RobinsonCrusoeasacolonist

TableofContents

Chapter1Introduction…………………………………………………1

Chapter2ThebackgroundofcreatingRobinsonCrusoe’simageasacolonist…………………………………………………….1

2.1Socialbackground…………………………………………….…….2

2.2Theauthor—DanielDefoe…………………………………………...2

Chapter3Robinson’stypicalcharacteristicsasacolonizer……….....2

3.1Robinson’scolonizationconditions………………………………......3

3.2Robinson’scolonizationmotivation……………………………….....3

3.3Robinson’sreligiousbelief…………………………………………..4

3.4Robinson’scolonialthoughts………………………………………..5

Chapter4Robinson’scolonialactivities………………………………6

4.1Robinson’sactivitiesineconomiccolonization……………………….6

4.11Landoccupation………………………………………………6

4.12Colonialtrade………………………………………………....7

4.2Robinson’sculturalcolonization…………………………………….7

4.21ThereasonsforRobinson’sculturalreformtoFriday……….…..8

4.22Robinson’sculturalreformtoFriday…………………………..9

Chapter5Conclusion………………………………………………….10

Notes…………………………………………………………………….10

References……………………………………………………………....11

Acknowledgements…………………………………………………….12

Abstract:

RobinsonCrusoe,writtenbyDanielDefoe,isanadventurenovelwiththethemesofthenavigationaladventureandtheexploitationofanisolatedisland.ThisnovelmainlyillustratesRobinsonCrusoe---representingthecolonistswhodevelopedthe“NewWorld”---survivingforaslongas28yearsontheisland,whichfullyshowRobinson’simageasacolonist.InthispapertheauthortriestoanalyzeRobinson’simageasacolonistfromthreeaspects:

thebackgroundofcreatingRobinson’simageasacolonist,Robinson’stypicalcharacteristicsasacolonizerandRobinson’scolonialactivities.

Keywords:

RobinsonCrusoe;colonist;colonialcharacteristic;colonialactivity

摘要：

丹尼尔﹒笛福的《鲁滨逊漂流记》是一部以航海冒险，开发荒岛为主要内容的小说。

这本书主要讲述了鲁滨逊﹒克鲁索---开拓“新世界”的殖民者独自在荒岛上生活了28年的故事。

充分展示了鲁滨逊﹒克鲁索作为殖民者的形象。

在本文中作者试图从三个不同的方面来分析鲁滨逊的这一形象：

构建鲁滨逊殖民者形象的背景，鲁滨逊所具有的殖民者的典型特征和鲁滨逊的殖民活动。

关键词：

《鲁滨逊漂流记》；殖民者；殖民特征；殖民活动

1.Introduction

RobinsonCrusoe,writtenin1719,issometimesconsideredtobethefirstnovelinEnglish.Thisnovel,tosomeextentreflectstherisingbourgeoisieatthattime.ItmainlyrecordsRobinsonCrusoe’slifeontheisolatedislandfor28years.Eversinceitsfirstpublicationithasbecameoneofthemostpopularnovelsintheworld.

Formanyyears,researchershaveanalyzedRobinsonCrusoefromthreeaspects:

thereligiousperspective;aestheticperspectiveandtheperspectiveofRobinsonasabourgeoisieintherisingperiod.1However,ifwereadthisnovelbyvirtueofthepostcolonialtheory,wewillfindthatRobinsonCrusoealsodisplaysacolonialideology.Robinson’sexperiencesaresimilartoearlybourgeoisie’scolonization.Robinson’sdevelopmentprocessisinfactanepitomeofWesterncapitalism’searlypracticeofoverseascolonization.InthispapertheauthortriestoanalyzeRobinsonCrusoe’simageasacolonist.

ThemainbodyofthispaperisadetailedanalysisofRobinsonCrusoe’simageasacolonist.TheanalysisisillustratedstepbystepfromthreeaspectsincludethebackgroundofcreatingRobinsonCrusoe’simageasacolonist,Robinson’stypicalcharacteristicsasacolonistandRobinson’scolonialactivities.Inconclusion,theauthormakesabriefsummaryonthewholethesisandsomeimplicationsandlimitationsarealsodemonstratedforfurtherstudy.

2.ThebackgroundofcreatingRobinsonCrusoe’simageasacolonist

RobinsonCrusoehaswonhighpraisefromreadersformanyreasons.Amongthosereasons,tworeasonsareevident.OneisDefoewrotetheherobasingonsocialbackgroundatthattimeinsteadofwritingbyimagination.TheotheristhenovelisaccordwithDanielDefoe’sexperienceandviewpoints.

2.1Socialbackground

Greatchangeshavetakenplacein17thcenturyand18thcenturyinBritish.Thosechangescanbeseenfromthreeaspects:

politics,economyandculture.

Inpolitics,Britishbourgeoisiewasintherisingperiodinthe17thcenturyanddissatisfiedwithfeudalism.Afteraseriesofrevolutions,advancedpoliticalsystemhadsetupinBritish,whichlaysafoundationforitscolonialactivity.

Ineconomy,Britishstartedindustrialrevolutionin17thand18thcentury.Withthedevelopmentofindustrialrevolution,Britishneedacquiremorematerialandseekwidermarkettosaleproducts.Colonialexpansioncatersfortheneed,whichwecanseefromRobinson’scolonialactivity.

Inculture,theEnlightenmentoccurredinWesternEuropeinthe18thcentury.TheEnglishenlightenerswerebourgeoisdemocraticthinkers.Theythoughtthechiefmeansforbetteringthesocietywas“enlightenment”or“education”forpeople.Theybelievetheirthoughtsareadvancedandtheyhavetherightstoeducateotherrace.PerhapsthisisonereasonforRobinson’sculturalcolonization.

2.2Theauthor---DanielDefoe

DanielDefoewasborninaPuritanfamily.Hewasrichinrebelliousspirit.Heopposedautocracyandadvocateddemocracy.Hehadbeendetainedandfinedforwritingsatiricalwork.Thus,hewrote“HymntothePillory”toexpresshisfeelings.DanielDefoewasalsoborninacommercialfamilyinLondon.Hewasonceabusinessman,whorantheenterpriseofunderclothes,cigarettesandwinetrade.Heconcernedwithbourgeoisindustryandcommerce,especiallytrade.DanielDefoewasarepresentativeofbourgeoisie,whatheadvocatedwastoexpandBritain’scolonyandagainstautocracy..2

Thosethoughtsandexperiencespavedthewayoftheaccomplishmentofhismasterpiece“RobinsonCrusoe”.DanielDefoe’sexperienceshavegreatimpactonRobinson’simageasacolonist.Firstly,Defoe’spuritanthoughtsreflectinRobinson’scolonialactivity.Religiousbelief,ononehand,isthespiritualsupportofacolonist;ontheotherhand,isakindofmeanstocontrolotherracepeople.Secondly,Robinsonisarepresentativeofcolonist,whodiffersfromthecommonbourgeoisies,fullofrebelliousspiritjustasDefoe.Colonistneedsrebelliousspiritandcouragetoconquermanydifficulties.Lastbutnotleast,Defoeconcernedwithtrade,whichsuitedforcolonists’viewpoints.Thefinalgoalofacolonististofindmaterial,findnewmarketanddevelopcommercialeconomy.Allinall,theimageofRobinsonCrusoefitsbourgeoisconditionatthattime.PeopleadoreCrusoe’sadventures.Therefore,thebookispopularsinceit’sfirstpublished.

3.Robinson’stypicalcharacteristicsasacolonist

ThereasonweregardRobinsonasacolonististhatheembodiesthetypicalcharacteristicsofthecolonist.Colonizationconditionsarethenecessaryskillsofeverycolonist.Colonizationmotivationsarethestronginnerdesireofeverycolonist.Colonizationthoughtslegitimizecolonist’sactivitiesinspiritandmakethemthinktheyhavetheobligationtoreformotherraces.Religiousbeliefofferthemspiritualsupportandmakethemregardaseriesofcolonialactivitiesastheirlifelongcareer.ThefouraspectsaretypicalcharacteristicsofRobinsonasacolonist.Then,I’llexplainthemonebyone.

3.1Robinson’scolonizationconditions

Robinson’scolonizationconditionslayfirmfoundationforhiscolonialactivities.Withoutthoseconditions,Robinsoncan’tbecomeatruecolonist.

Firstly,agoodcolonistshouldhavesomenecessaryknowledgeandskills.Colonialactivitiesareadventuresinsomedegree.Colonistshavetoencountermanydifficulties.Soacolonistshouldhavesomenecessaryknowledgeandskills.RobinsonCrusoecan’tbeasuccessfulcolonistunlesshehadthenecessaryshippingknowledge,basiclivingabilitiesandcommunicativeskills.Thoseknowledgeandskillsarevividlypresentedwhenhelivedontheisolatedislandfor28years.RobinsonCrusoe’slifeonisolatedislandwasrecordedingreatdetailincludingbuildinghouse,makingship,mendingclothes,cooking,etc.thedescriptionisinspiringalthoughthesearetrivialities.Thosedescriptionsmakethisnovelchangeintoanencyclopediaoraguidetoadventure..3

Secondly,agoodcolonistshouldbeenterprisingandadventurous.FromYorktoYarmouth,fromGuineatoSallee,fromBrazilstotheisolatedisland,Robinsonhadgonethroughmanyadventuroustrips.Thespiritofadventurehelpedhimaccumulatemuchknowledgeaboutshippingandbroadenhisvisionatthesametime,withtheresultthatheisapttofacemanyseriouschallenges.Robinsonalwayshasoptimisticattitude,nomatterhowdangeroussituationhegotinto.Bymeansofhisefforts,heovercamemanydifficulties.Heneverdespaired,especiallywhenhewasdesertedontheisolatedislandfor28years.Fromfindingfoodsintheshiptoproducegrainbyhimself,frompassingthenightonthetreetobuildhisownhouse,Robinsonmademanymiracles.Hecreatedtheisolatedislandtoafertilelandeventually.

3.2Robinson’scolonizationmotivations

Robinson’smotivationforcolonizationisbynomeansamoment’sfever.Robinsonbecameacolonizerisbynomeansanaccident.Robinson’scolonizationmotivationincludestheprimitivemotivations,colonialexpansionandtradedevelopment,whichisbestembodiedinRobinson’sactivities.

Inthebook,thereareseveralparts,whichdescribedtheirresistiblepower,theprimitivemotivations,inRobinson’sheart.Thispowermadehimhavenottheleastthankfulnessonhisthoughtsandcontinuedadventuresoneafteranother.

Thefirstpartisatthebeginningofthenovel;thewriterwroteRobinson’sfatheradvisedhimtolivethelifeofthemiddlestation,butherefused.“…ButIwouldbesatisfiedwithnothingbutgoingtosea,andmyinclinationtothisledmesostronglyagainstthewill,naythecommandsofmyfather,andagainstalltheentreatiesandpervasionsofmymotherandotherfriends,thatthereseemedtobesomethingfatalinpretensionofnatu