robinson crusoe

I'm in the midst of Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe. I have to say, it's been a unexpected treat thus far. I went into the book knowing nothing except that it was about a guy that was shipwrecked. However, the deeper, underlying themes are so strong and interesting, that it really makes the idea of being isolated and alone--literally--something that anyone can relate to.

Crusoe's struggles, superficially, are with how to survive, as a basically middle-class guy stuck in a confounding situation. He is struggling moreso, mentally with the knowledge that he disobeyed his father's advice, which predicted--with uncanny specificity--Crusoe's present dilmena. Our hero's father proclaimed that the greatest joy in life--indeed, the only true path to contentment--lay in always choosing the middle ground, the simple life. And, if Crusoe insisted on living life adventureously, it would lead only to strife, conflict, torment and being isolated from everyone around him, so that there would be no one to help him.

Crusoe is also struggling with the existence, and nature, of God. He is English, and as the English do in the early 1700's, he calls on God quite frequently. However, it is more of an exclamation, not an earnest and sincere statement. And, these phrases, ("Dear Lord, help me in my dire circumstances...etc") are only when Crusoe feels that his problems are too great for his own abilities. He is quite frank and honest in his lack of consistancy...he acknowledges that as soon as the present troubles are gone, so is his desire to rely on God.

It is only when he starts to realize his true isolation--and, coincidently, when he starts to read his Bible--that Crusoe recognizes that his "prayers" have been nothing more than curses and empty words. Crusoe goes through a slow yet constant change to realizing his need for God's intervention.

To close, I wanted to mention one of the most powerful passages in this book so far. Defoe has Crusoe proclaiming, "that whenever they come to a true sense of things, they will find deliverance from sin a much greater blessing than deliverance from affliction." In other words, Crusoe is coming to the conclusion that he need not even pray for deliverance from his private "holy land" because God has done so much for him already." However, shortly after this passage, in what is a surprisingly honest confession, Defoe allows Crusoe to admit that it would be completely rediculous to not continue wanting that release. That, even though forgiveness of sins is an unparalled blessing, so would be getting off the island!

All right, more later!

Thanks for reading...
Tommy