How Did Robinson Crusoe’s Religion Influence His Life?
How did Robinson Crusoe’s religion influence his life? Robinson Crusoe was first published in 1719, and the book is based on a real story to describe one’s suffering on an isolated island and his bravery to conquer this kind of terrible situation. What I ’m going to focus on in my thesis is the human beings’ return to our almighty God. Through the experiences the protagonist went through we can feel the love and mercy from God. Someone has described that “Crusoe serves as a vessel carrying the reader to a greater understanding of God and man’s relation with God. 1 The essay by Duman Ye’s erjiang offered the point that Defoe’s views for religion were fully reflected in his character of Robinson in Robinson Crusoe,2 one who was not satisfied with his comfortable life and who was eager to take a risk to travel around the world. More accurately, Robinson Crusoe was one who was called Christian but actually had forgotten the true meaning of belief. This was a way of God to seek for his lost sheep back. The says in Proverbs “You may make your plans, but God directs your action. 3 When Robinson suffered a lot on the deserted island he began to reflect himself and he called God for mercy and help. He repented from his deepest heart. He admitted to God he was one with nothing kind and for so many years he’d never thought about God or tried to examine his own conscience, he had become numb and committed many crimes. In suffering he didn’t realize to respect and fear God, when he was saved he even didn’t offer his gratitude. Though he experienced various stuffs, he still couldn’t tell it was God’s orders. We should have the nature of God. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. ”4 The author of compared human beings and God to the invention by God and the creator. He said we didn’t create ourselves, so there was no way we could tell what we were created for. It’s just like we get a new machine and if without its introduction how we know how to operate it. God was thinking of us long before we ever thought about him. His purpose for our life predates our conception.
God itself is love and he acts as our father who sincerely hopes that we could stare at him and love him back. When Robinson was stuck on the island he turned back to God and he praised God’s amazing works. Even at later time, after he saved Friday, he told him English and read for him. Finally, Friday changed to be a proper Christian. However, the author of said Robinson’s returning to God was just a false appearance. He pointed out that Robinson’s consideration for God was utilitarian and seasonable. It was a kind of mental comfort. When he needed God, he would pray.
But when everything went smoothly he would put God entirely out of mind. The existence of God was simply an external force. Facing difficulties, feeling fears were the motivation he combined himself to God. His pragmatic and adventuresome spirits need supports from God. What he cared about was instant but neither the huge world behind him nor all the human beings’ futures. When he got the final chance and left the island he forgot God at once, never prayed anymore. It turns out to be a concrete truth that the human beings are an existence of limitation.
He couldn’t hold his own destiny on the barren island or predict things on the way. Nevertheless, because of his limitation, he wanted to conquer it and arrive at infinity. Unavoidably, he needed God. It is so sad and unfair that we abandon him when circumstances are favorable and we turn back for help when suffer. However, God never leaves us. He says “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest.
For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light. ”5 In conclusion, Robinson Crusoe’s religion influenced his life a lot. God’s love never left him and it changed him much. You can say his belief was just a false appearance which supported him to get through his 28 years on the secluded island. Whatever, we don’t see things as they are; we see it as we are. The Lord has made everything for him own purpose. 6 Reference: 1. 2. by Duman Ye’s erjiang 3. proverbs 16:9 4. by Rick Warren 5. Proverbs 16:4 6. by Rick Warren 😕 :2010131116 2012/11/25