Characteristics of Robinson Crusoe: what was the hero of the famous novel?

Many of us in childhood read the novel by D. Defoe about the adventures of a sailor who was on an uninhabited island. The characteristic of Robinson Crusoe tells us that the hero was a courageous and strong person. Despite all the trials, he was able to maintain his human dignity and will. On the famous character and talk in this article.

Why did the author choose such a plot?

First of all, it should be noted that Robinson had his prototypes. In those times England actively led the colonial conquest of new lands. Many ships were sent from their native harbors to foreign countries, some of them were shipwrecked in the stormy waters of the World Ocean. It happened that some of the sailors survived and found themselves in utter isolation on uninhabited islands scattered in the seas.

Thus, the cases described in the novel were not uncommon. However, the author used this story to tell his readers a very instructive story, in which he devoted a lot of space to such a topic as the characterization of Robinson Crusoe, his personality and life fate. What is this story? Let's try to answer this question briefly.

Protestant ethics and the novel Defoe

In the opinion of literary critics, Defoe's novel is thoroughly permeated with motives connected with Protestant ethics. According to this religious teaching, a man on earth must pass many tests in order to earn his own entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven through his labor. At the same time, he should not grumble at God. After all, what the Almighty does is useful to him. Let's look at the plot of the novel. At the beginning of the narrative we see a young man, very crazy, stubborn. Contrary to the will of his parents, he becomes a sailor and goes on a journey.

And God seems to warn him at first: the characteristic of Robinson Crusoe begins with the fact that the author describes his first shipwreck and miraculous salvation. But the young man did not heed what fate taught him. He again goes on a voyage. The man again falls into a wreck and one of the whole team is saved. The hero finds himself on an uninhabited island, where he is forced to spend more than 28 years of his life.

Transformation of the hero

Brief description of Robinson Crusoe will allow us to see the development of the personality of the protagonist in its dynamics. At first we have a very carefree and wayward young man. However, having got into a difficult life situation, he did not drop his hands, but began to do everything in order to survive. Scrupulously, the author describes the daily work of his hero: Robinson saves things from the ship, which help him survive, he takes animals with him, builds a dwelling. In addition, a man hunts wild goats, starts to tame them, then makes milk and cheese from the milk obtained. Robinson observes the surrounding nature, begins to maintain a kind of diary of changing the season of rains and seasons of relative heat. The hero randomly sows several centimeters of wheat, then fights for the harvest, etc.

The characteristic of Robinson Crusoe will be incomplete if we do not pay attention to one more feature. The most important thing in a novel is not just the character's work, but its inner spiritual transformation. Away from people, the hero begins to reflect on why fate has thrown him to an uninhabited island. He reads the Bible, thinks about the Divine providence, reconciles with his fate. And he does not grumble at the fact that he remained in utter solitude. As a result, the hero finds the peace of mind. He learns to rely on his strength and rely on the mercy of the Most High.

Characteristic of Robinson Crusoe: what kind of man is he before and after the shipwreck?

As a result, after 28 years, the character is completely transformed. It changes internally, acquires life experience. Robinson believes that everything that happened to him is just. Now the hero himself can act as a teacher. He begins to be friends with the local aborigine, whom he calls Friday. And he gives him all the knowledge he owns himself. And only after all this in the life of the former sailor there are Europeans who accidentally stumbled upon the island. They take him to his distant and beloved homeland.

The novel itself is built in a confessional form. The author from the first person tells the readers that he experienced the character for many years of loneliness and labor. Many experienced for his life on the island of Robinson Crusoe. Characteristics of the hero, given us in the article, fully confirms the fact that he returned home a completely different person.