Robinson Crusoe

Author: (British) Daniel Defoe
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: The British Robinson Crusoe, despite the risks at sea and his father's opposition, went to sea three times for business and established a plantation in Brazil. His restless nature led him to entrust the plantation to a friend and embark on a merchant ship from Brazil to Africa. On the way, the ship encountered a hurricane and ran aground, sinking with all aboard, leaving Robinson Crusoe as the sole survivor. He was stranded on a deserted island in the Caribbean Sea. With his wit and courage, he used the remaining supplies and tools from the ship to build a dwelling, plant crops, tame livestock, make utensils, sew clothes, and repeatedly cut wood to try to build a boat to return to the mainland. Once, he rescued a savage from a group of cannibals, naming him "Friday" and teaching him English, spreading Christian doctrine to him, making "Friday" his loyal servant and friend. Later, they helped a captain abandoned by a mutinous crew, cleverly tricking them to regain the ship. Robinson Crusoe finally ended his 28 years of isolation and returned to his homeland.
Robinson Crusoe came from a respectable merchant family, yearning for sea adventures and eager to explore overseas. He went to sea in secret without his father's knowledge. On his first voyage, he encountered fierce storms, his ship sank, and he barely escaped with his life. On his second voyage to Africa for business, he made a fortune. On his third voyage, he was captured by Moors and became a slave. Later, he escaped in the master's small boat but was rescued by a Portuguese merchant ship on the way. Upon arriving in Brazil, he bought a plantation and became a landowner. Unsatisfied with his sudden wealth, he went to sea again, this time to Africa to trade slaves. The ship encountered a storm on the way and ran aground, with all crew and passengers perishing except Robinson Crusoe. He was alone on a deserted island.
He used the ship's mast to build a raft and repeatedly transported food, clothes, weapons, and tools from the ship to the shore, settling in a tent by a small hill. He then built a fence around the tent with sharpened wooden stakes and dug a hole to live in. With simple tools, he made tables, chairs, and other furniture, hunted wild game for food, and drank from a stream, overcoming the initial hardships. He began planting barley and rice on the island, making wooden mortars, pestles, and sieves to grind flour and bake coarse bread. He captured and domesticated wild goats, allowing them to breed. He also made pottery and other necessities to ensure his survival. Despite this, Robinson Crusoe never gave up on finding a way to leave the island. He felled a large tree and spent several months building a single-log boat, but it was too heavy to drag to the sea, so he had to abandon it and build a smaller one instead.
After living alone on the island for 17 years, one day, Robinson Crusoe discovered human bones on the coast, with signs of a fire. It turned out that a group of cannibals from a nearby island had held a human sacrifice there. Robinson Crusoe was horrified. From then on, he remained vigilant and paid closer attention to his surroundings. By the 24th year, another group of cannibals arrived on the island, bringing captives to be killed and eaten. Robinson Crusoe rescued one of them. He named the rescued savage "Friday" and taught him English, spreading Christian doctrine to him, making "Friday" his loyal servant and friend. Later, Robinson Crusoe and "Friday" rescued a Spaniard and "Friday's" father. Soon after, a British ship stopped nearby, and the crew mutinied, abandoning the captain and two others on the island. Robinson Crusoe and "Friday" helped the captain subdue the mutineers and regain the ship. They left the mutineers on the island while Robinson Crusoe, "Friday," and the captain returned to England. By then, Robinson Crusoe had been away from home for 35 years. He married and had three children in England. After his wife's death, he went to sea again for business and passed by the island where he had lived. The sailors and Spaniards who remained on the island had settled and started families. Robinson Crusoe sent new settlers to the island, distributing land to them and leaving them with various daily necessities, satisfied with his visit.