İNGİLİZ/AMERİKAN EDEBİYATI I

What makes Robinson realistic as a character is his presenting himself as man with fears, repentance and misfortunes. Although, he creates a whole new land from almost nothing, he does not talk about this as an exceedingly heroic deed, but rather as a sign of survival instinct.

First of all, Robinson is incapable of any human intimacy. He does not feel any close ties to his family.  Being a materialistic man, Robinson tries to show his gratitude with money. These might show that Robinson has his personal flaws.

Robinson is naturally a slave trader, which was common in the 17th and 18h centuries in England. Also, Robinson is obviously a colonist as understood from the way he inhabits the island he has left at the end of the novel. Moreover, he is a racist who thinks low of especially the African and eastern nations.

Although he is originally a cannibal, his affectionate personality is juxtaposed with Robinson’s cold attitude in human affairs. For instance, he immediately shows his gratitude to Robinson for saving his life and refuses to leave him for a lifetime. Friday, who is a very hardworking man, cannot help checking his father every other second so as not to lose him once again. He proves to be a loyal servant and son.

The Portuguese Captain is a representation of innate goodness of humans. He does not consider his service as a matter of material exchange and does this only out of his good intentions. Therefore, he serves as one of the few good Europeans in the novel.

Slavery and escape are the themes that are explored from the beginning to the end of the novel. The first slave depicted in the novel is Robinson when he is enslaved by the Moors. Robinson does not consider slave trade as something wrong. Therefore slavery is not only a very important theme but a topic that brings much of the racist implications of the novel.

When Robinson buys land in Brazil, the first thing he does is to settle there and establish a plantation. Then he goes into the business of slave trade, which is another part of colonization.For instance, the Portuguese Captain wants to convert Xury to Christianity only after which he would earn his freedom after ten years of service. Robinson also converts Friday to Christianity to make sure that Friday does not rebel against him for fear of God.

The novel is written in the first person narration from Robinson’s perspective. Although, the narrative point of view is first person, Robinson does not establish himself as a hero of heroic deeds. He presents himself as a man with fears and ambitions, a comparatively realistic representation when compared to many first person narratives. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the whole narration is objective.

The uninhabited island off Trinidad which Robinson calls “The Island of Despair” is the next station of Robinson. The island serves many purposes such as the places for colonization, a comparison between the primitive and the civilized and a microcosmic representation of the world.

The cross or the post serves as a tribute to the passage of time as Robinson records the dates on it by making a notch every day

Friday is the first character in English literature who has realistic and individual traits. Correct answer is C.

All of the themes are explored in the novel. There are also other themes not included here. Correct answer is D.

Robinson believes he is punished for what he calls his “original sin”, that is his leaving his family without his father’s consent and by being cast away from the heavenly and trouble-free life that his father guaranteed him. The allusion is that Robinson’s original sin resembles Adam and Eve’s
original sin and his being left on a deserted island without anybody to secure his life is resembled to Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Correct answer is A.

The novel is written in the first person narration from Robinson’s perspective. Correct answer is B.

When he is cast on shore of the island, he keeps a journal to record every
single detail not only to keep a record of time but also to reflect his individual experiences.Correct answer is D.

Robinson does not visit India. The novel starts in York, England. Then he moves to London. Then he is enslaved in North Africa. After that, he moves to Brazil and Trinidad. He also visits Lisbon. But he does not go to India. Correct answer is E.

The footprint is not a sign of civilization. It represents other human existence that shows Robinson that he is not alone on the island. He is afraid of this uncertainty and thus associates it with the Devil. Correct answer is E.

The cross serves as a tribute to the passage of time as Robinson records the dates on it by making a notch every day. Correct answer is A.

The action takes place between years 1659 - 1694. These times refer to the times when English imperialism and colonization was on the rise. Correct answer is C.

All of the motifs occur in the novel. Correct answer is B.