COLONIAL INTERPRETATION

OF DANIEL DEFOE’S
ROBINSON CRUSOE
Safaa Alsaragna
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Dec 11, 2018 · 11 min read

by SAFAA ALSARAGNA
[1] All the references to the novel will be abbreviated as RC.

Abstract

Robinson Crusoe or “The Life and Strange Surprising

Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner : who Lived
Eight and Twenty Years All Alone in an Uninhabited Island on
the Coast of America, Near the Mouth of the Great River of
Orinoco; Having Been Cast on Shore by Shipwreck, Wherein
All the Men Perished But Himself. With an Account how He
was at Last as Strangely Delivered by Pirates” is a fictional
novel published in 1719, written by Daniel Defoe, who lived
between 17th and 18th centuries when the European
colonization was at its peak. The story is mainly inverted from
the life of a Scottish seaman called Alexander Selkirk. This novel
is an adventure story for children from the surface, but with the
conscious reading of the novel the colonial, imperialistic and the
capitalistic aspect will clearly appear through the protagonist
Robinson Crusoe who is seeking for profit and power
throughout the course of the story. Robinson Crusoe and his
relationship with other characters strongly shaped his colonial
aspect. In this article, I will highlight the colonial aspects of the
story and the main character Crusoe and his colonist behavior
by analyzing Crusoe’s tendency for power and the absolute
dominion. Moreover, I will describe Crusoe’s relationship with
the other characters mainly Friday and interpret the colonial
aspects of these relationships. Finally, I will touch upon the
reflection of capitalism in the novel and the capitalist Crusoe
standing on several events from the novel.

C olonization is the act of seize on a piece of land inhabited by

indigenous people and impose control over all of them by other
nation. The reasons for colonization could vary, but the main
reason is resources in most cases mingled with the feeling of
superiority. Colonialism on the other hand is the band between
the colonizer and the colonized. Lois Tyson (2006) asserted that
the ideology of the colonialist is based on the colonizers’
overthinking of their own superiority contrasted with the
supposed inferiority of the natives (indigenous) people (419).
Colonizers always see themselves superior to the colonized
people, perhaps they think that their ancestors were highly
civilized from the cultural aspect more than anybody and this is
why they described the indigenous people as savages and
uncivilized. The impact of this excessive feeling of superiority
can easily strip the self-identity of the colonized, through
imposing the colonist’s language, culture, and even religion. In
Black Skin White Masks Frantz Fanon asserts that not only the
economic power but the language of the colonizer can also
complicate the consciousness of the colonized.

This process of these binary powers occurs through the

representation of the East and West, the use of “Others” raises a
racial conflict that makes the Western identity more superior.
With the time the colonized people will automatically adopt the
other aspects of the colonizers such as the way of thinking and
even lifestyle unaware of their fading self-identity. Later and
after all, the colonized will see his reflection in the mirror from
the eyes of a colonizer. Homi K. Bhabha says:

“Hybridity is a problematic of colonial representation and

individual that reverses the effects of the colonialist disavowal
so that other ‘denied’ knowledges enter upon the dominant
discourse and estrange the basis of its authority- its rules of
recognition” (162).

These oppositions appear in Defoe’s Robinson

Crusoe obviously, through the protagonist (colonizer) where the
reflection of the writer’s experience and the imperialistic
attitude inside a European man in the frame of this
autobiographical work. Crusoe’s faith coupled with his
European colonial ideology contributed to set him as the king of
“the island of despair” to have an absolute possession over
everything, his colonial character will become fully assured
upon meeting Friday and while the process of changing Friday’s
identity gradually during his journey intended for gaining profit
and power.

Robinson Crusoe is a fabulous adventurer, his colonial ideology

and especially his tendency to superiority urged him to declare
his ownership upon an island that he has not discovered yet,
with no clue whether this island is occupied with people or not.
The first he did was to place a cross sign with the date of his
arrival, revealing the new owner of the island:

“I cut with my knife upon a large post, in capital letters — and

making it into a great cross, I set it up on the shore where I
first landed — ‘I came on shore here on the 30th September
1659.” (RC[1] 101).

Crusoe could claim himself as a master with the help of only few
simple tools that he brought out from the shipwreck making it
such distinctive way of claiming authority. Moreover, during
Crusoe’s “Survey of the Island” (RC 156) and by nature, he
officially claims the land ownership for himself and England:

“to think that this was all my own, that I was King and Lord of
all this Country indefeasibly, and had a Right of Possession;
and if I could convey it, I might have it in Inheritance, as
completely as any Lord of Manor in England.” (RC 159).

He related everything on the island to England, even the grain

that he seeded:

“I saw about ten or twelve ears come out, which were perfect
green barley, of the same kind as our European — nay, as our
English barley.” (RC 123).
The announcement of Crusoe’s ownership of the island came
late, however, it might not be late for Crusoe himself because he
might had that feeling of hesitation that prevented him from
announcing it earlier, in addition, he was not sure whether the
island is occupied or not, yet his faith was so strong to see
himself being the king over this island:

“I was Lord of the whole Manor; or if I pleased, I might call

myself King, or Emperor over the whole Country which I had
Possession of. “There were no Rivals. I had no Competitor,
none to dispute Sovereignty or Command with me” (RC 204).

Finally, Crusoe finds himself sitting for dinner side by side with
his own first “subjects” a parrot, two cats and a dog:

“there was my Majesty the Prince and Lord of the whole

Island: I had the Lives of all my Subjects at my absolute
Command; I could hang, draw, give Liberty, and take it away,
and no Rebels among all my Subjects.”(RC 236).

Crusoe’s attitude towards the animals is ironic, he deals with the

animal as if they were a creatures with self- consciousness, he
calls them “servants”, and the way he describes his parrot:

“Poll, as if he had been my favorite, was the only person

permitted to talk to me.” (RC 236).

Crusoe’s way of treatment to his animals can be attributed to his

desire for the absolute authority no matter over what, over an
empty island or a small herd of animals. On the other hand
Crusoe could be sickened of the fact that he is lonely so he
started treating the animals this way to ease his feeling of
loneliness:
“I seemed banished from human society, that I was alone,
circumscribed by the boundless ocean, cut off from mankind,
and condemned to what I call silent life” (RC 249).

Crusoe’s main aim was to stay alive no matter what to do, his
fear from the unknown is always present, all that led him to his
colonization and immunization of the island, to secure himself
“from ravenous Creatures, whether Men or Beasts” (RC 92)
adding new synonym “Beasts” to the “savages”. Crusoe self-
confidence and faith in the principals he granted himself pushed
him to create secure environment around himself, he had his
own precautions and a shelter or “Castle”. Crusoe’s way of
leading is pretty similar to a “monarchical system” he as well
believed that he was chosen by God as he is the only survivor
from the shipwreck, so Crusoe is in the process of creating his
self-image.

What can be said about the relationship between Friday and

Crusoe is a relation between a master and a slave, both of their
bodies are metaphors one for imperialist/colonizer and the
second is a metaphor of colonized/”others”. Crusoe was so
surprised with the footprint of an outsider before he meets
Friday the only native in the story, Defoe portrays Crusoe as the
only savior to rescue the inferior Friday from a certain death.
After the meeting of the superior with the inferior, Crusoe gives
the native a name which is “Friday” whom probably had a name
before:

“I let him know his name should be Friday, which was the day I
saved his life: I called him so for the memory of the time.” (RC
328).

Two different hypotheses could be built on the reason why this

native was given such name by Crusoe. The first is that Crusoe
wanted this native to owe him the favor of his rescue from
cannibals for the rest of his life, that
whenever he hears his name he should remember his master
who rescued him. Crusoe is imposing on Friday that he should
favor him as long as he is alive, to make him feel that he is
nothing without Crusoe. The second hypothesis is that Crusoe
did not want to give this native a European or a Christian name
because he is inferior and will be inferior for the rest of his life
in comparison to Crusoe and his nation, thus Crusoe gave him a
name that is full of simplicity. Friday has easily accepted his
new identity:

“At last he lays his Head flat upon the Ground, close to my
Foot, and sets my other Foot upon his head, as he had done
before; after this, made all the Signs to me of Subjection,
Servitude, and Submission imaginable, to let me know, how he
would serve me as long as he lived…” (RC 328).

Crusoe might had this power, a hidden power that could capture
Friday’s sense and mind that made him happily accepts to be
obedient towards Crusoe that he would serve him for eternity.
Crusoe had taught Friday the language and after that he started
teaching him the religious knowledge, it seems like Crusoe is
trying to create such deep impression in Friday’s mind through
giving his own beliefs. The process of imposing Crusoe’s culture
on Friday made Crusoe proud of saving the soul of this savage
by directing the true religious knowledge and the Christian
doctrine, he is trying to make him a servant with European
mentality or a civilized servant:

“The Soul of a poor Savage, and bring him to the true

Knowledge of Religion, and of the Christian Doctrine, that he
might know Jesus Christ, to know whom is Life Eternal. I say,
when I reflected upon all these Things, a secret Joy run
through every Part of my Soul, and I frequently rejoiced that
ever I was brought to this place” (RC 351).

Said emphasized that it is similar to “discourse” of European

authors to develop the political and cultural impact upon
colonized lands, as civilized Anglo-Saxon Christians they have
all the rights to make “the uncivilized” into “civilized”. Friday
represents a clear colonial image of what has been mentioned
and his new identity developed by his European master when
Crusoe announced that: “This savage was now a good
Christian,” (RC 352). Crusoe could change Friday’s identity,
religion, in addition to his cannibalistic behavior, he turned him
from a cannibal and “ignorant pagan” to a benevolent human
being in the frame of this capital and unpaid labor relationship,
Not only Friday but also Xury, these two ideal slaves
represented as colonized figures under Crusoe’s power-hunger
and paranoia.

“Adventure“ and “Discovery” are the most important aspect of

any colonization process and the major themes in Robinson
Crusoe. After reading the whole journey it will occur like Defoe
is representing rational, religious and mindful European
bourgeois with a capitalist tendency. His only concern in this
journey is to find a way to gain profit, no matter the way as long
as he has this feeling of thirst to profit just like Kurtz in
Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Kurtz devoted his relationship
with savages just to gain

profit by trading ivory. Crusoe is a pragmatic character and his

relationship with everybody is mainly based on the commodity
value, it clearly appears in the relationship between Crusoe and
Xury who devoted himself to serve Crusoe and helped him to
escape from slavery, Crusoe’s capitalist ideology allowed him to
sell this devoted servant for a small amount of money to the
Portuguese sea-captain. Karl Marks also used this character
(Crusoe) as an example to touch upon an economic theory in his
book Das Kapital, Karl Marks described Crusoe as a potential
capitalist and a traveler whom his main motive is not to have
fun in travelling but gaining profit (299). Daniel Defoe
represented Crusoe as a commercial traveler, just like Crusoe,
Defoe also came from middle-class family, the writer already
had a realization about how economic power is crucial for an
English man and trader/traveler and how this power is
necessary for the establishment of the 18th- century society.
Crusoe does not care about family, he is not family loving man,
at the beginning he mentioned a little about his family but all
that he mentioned is concerned with his future of becoming a
sailor what he said about his family is connected with his future
of becoming a man with economic power. Also, his marriage
and his wife’s death all mentioned in two lines:

“I married, and that not either to my disadvantage or

dissatisfaction, and had three children, two sons and one
daughter; but my wife dying….” (RC 485).

Crusoe has been very narcissistic in his narration to his story,

Crusoe’s only concern is getting money and power marking
Crusoe as a typical colonial character that other colonists can
get their inspiration from.

Robinson Crusoe’s faith coupled with his European colonial

ideology contributed to set him as the king of “the island of
despair” to have an absolute possession over everything, his
knowledge and experience permitted him to take over
everything on the island and to have the absolute right of
dominion. His fear of the unknown and his faith in his spiritual
father (god) all served him to his survival from his fatal
situation. His ownership was not only towards land but towards
people, the moment of meeting this poor native has made a big
change in Crusoe’s life on the island. Crusoe’s feeling of
superiority resulted in enslaving the poor Friday and finally
losing Friday’s own identity. Crusoe is representing himself as
the master and the savior in front of a simple uncivilized
cannibal or a pagan savage. Friday’s new identity that made him
civilized never helped him of being equal to Crusoe, yet it just
made him a civilized slave or civilized savage no more. Crusoe is
a pragmatic, rational and mindful character. Finally, Crusoe, the
man projected in Defoe’s fiction turns out to be an economic
man. His relations are all based on his own profit, his capitalist
tendency made him no more than a commercial traveler seeking
money and profit.

References

- Defoe, Daniel, 1661?-1731. Robinson Crusoe. Oxford ; New

York :Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.

- Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. New York:

Routledge Classics, 2006.

- Said, Edward. Orientalism: Western Concept of The Orient.

New York: A Penguin Books, 1997.

- Tyson, Lois. (2006). Critical Theory Today. New York:

Routledge.

- Marx, Karl, 1818–1883. Das Kapital, a Critique of Political

Economy. Chicago :H. Regnery, 1959.