The Plot Structure of Robinson Crusoe

 

The Plot Structure of Robinson Crusoe

The plot of Robinson Crusoe can be understood as a journey of disobedience, punishment, redemption, and eventual prosperity, structured in several key phases. The novel is a first-person narrative that follows the protagonist through a "chronicle of ups and downs".

1. Rebellion and Early Misadventures:

• The novel begins with Robinson Crusoe, an arrogant and disobedient young man from a well-off family in York. He ignores the earnest advice of his father, who advocates for a safe, middle-station life, and runs away to sea.

• His initial voyages are marked by disaster, including a shipwreck where a man presciently warns him he "will meet with nothing but disasters and disappointments". True to this prediction, he is later captured by pirates and becomes a slave in Sallee.

2. Escape and Prosperity in Brazil:

• Crusoe escapes his slavery with a young boy named Xury, whom he later sells into slavery—an act he regrets only when he needs a slave to help him work.

• He makes his way to Brazil and establishes himself as a planter. He begins to prosper, ironically entering the very "middle station" of life his father had praised.

• However, his "foolish inclination of wandering abroad" and desire to rise faster than his circumstances allow lead him to embark on a slaving expedition to Guinea.

3. Shipwreck and Survival on the Island:

• A violent storm shipwrecks his vessel, and Crusoe is the sole survivor, cast away on a desolate island. This event, on the 30th of September 1659, marks the beginning of his 28-year ordeal.

• The first phase on the island is focused on survival. He salvages tools, food, weapons, and other supplies from the wrecked ship over numerous trips. He builds a fortified dwelling, which he calls his "castle," learns to hunt, domesticates goats, and discovers how to plant and harvest corn. He progresses from a state of despair to one of competence, learning "the rudiments of civilization" through practical application.

4. Spiritual Transformation and Mastery:

• Crusoe's time on the island is not merely about physical survival; it is also a story of "atonement" and religious awakening. Initially irreligious, his experience with sickness, a terrifying dream, and reading the Bible lead to a profound spiritual conversion. He begins to see his ordeal as both a punishment and a reward, transforming his island prison into a kingdom.

• He masters his environment and himself, moving from seeing himself as a prisoner to a king or "Generalissimo" of his domain. He reflects on the futility of money and learns that the "good things of this world are no farther good to us, than they are for our Use".

5. Encounter with Others and Colonisation:

• The plot shifts dramatically with the discovery of a single human footprint in the sand, which ends his period of total solitude. This is followed by the discovery of human bones, revealing that cannibals visit the island.

• Years later, he rescues a prisoner from the cannibals, names him Friday, and teaches him English and Christianity. With Friday's arrival, Crusoe's role evolves into that of a ruler and coloniser.

• He and Friday later rescue two more captives: a Spaniard and Friday's father. Crusoe plans a voyage with them to the American colonies.

6. Rescue and Return:

• Before they can leave, an English ship arrives, crewed by mutineers who have marooned their captain. With the help of the ship's captain, Crusoe quells the mutiny and seizes the vessel.

• After 28 years on the island, he is finally able to return to England. There, he discovers his family is gone but his wealth from the Brazil plantation has grown immensely.

• The narrative concludes with Crusoe settling his affairs, getting married, and eventually revisiting his island to see how his "colony" is faring.

A New Title for Robinson Crusoe

If I were to give the novel a new title based on the themes presented in the sources, I would call it:

The Kingdom of One: A History of Providence and Self-Reliance

Here is why:

• "The Kingdom of One": This phrase captures the central paradox of Crusoe's experience. He is utterly alone, the ultimate solitary individual, yet he transforms his prison into a personal kingdom. The sources repeatedly mention his self-perception as a king, with "an undoubted right of dominion" over his island. This title reflects his journey from a castaway to a self-styled monarch who governs his environment, his subjects (Friday, the Spaniard), and ultimately, himself.

• "A History of Providence": The novel is presented as a "just history of fact," and its plot is driven by what Crusoe and the preface's "editor" interpret as the direct intervention of Divine Providence. Crusoe's survival, his spiritual awakening, and his eventual deliverance are all framed as part of a divine plan. The title highlights the religious and moral dimension that Defoe intended, positioning the story as a justification of "the wisdom of Providence".

• "Self-Reliance": A core theme of the novel is Crusoe's ingenuity and tireless work. Starting with no skills ("I had never handled a tool in my life"), he becomes a "master of every mechanic art" through labour and application. He learns to build, farm, bake, and make pottery, creating an entire world for himself from scratch. This aspect of the story is so powerful that it has been interpreted as a "myth of modern individualism". The title underscores that Crusoe's success is achieved not just through divine aid, but also through his own remarkable efforts and rationalism.

 

Robinson Crusoe as a Reliable Narrator

Question:

Do you think Robinson Crusoe is a reliable narrator? Can we trust his version of the story completely? Explain why or why not.

Answer:

It is highly debatable whether Robinson Crusoe is a reliable narrator whose version of the story can be completely trusted. The narrative is deliberately presented as fact, but Crusoe's own biases, self-deception, and changing perspectives suggest that while his account of events may be plausible, it is not necessarily objective or entirely trustworthy.

Here is an explanation of why we should question his reliability:

Reasons to Trust the Narrator

• Plausible Detail and "Unliterary" Style: The story is filled with an immense amount of persuasive detail. Crusoe's first-person narrative is described as "defiantly unliterary," which makes it feel more believable as the genuine account of an ordinary man's ordeal. He meticulously documents his struggles, such as the 42 days it took him to make a single shelf, lending an air of authenticity to his tale.
• Intention of Factual Reporting: Daniel Defoe, the author, explicitly presented the novel as a "just history of fact" with "no appearance of fiction in it". He wore the "mask of editor" to frame the story as a true account, a popular technique at the time to make a work seem more authentic and important. This authorial intent was so successful that many original readers in 1719 believed the story was true.

Reasons to Question the Narrator's Reliability

Despite these points, several aspects of Crusoe's narration reveal him to be unreliable, shaping the story to fit his own moral and psychological needs.

• Self-Serving Rationalisations: Crusoe often justifies his morally questionable actions. A clear example is his treatment of Xury, the boy who helps him escape slavery. Crusoe sells Xury into slavery himself, yet he only expresses regret later when he is a planter in Brazil and realises he "could use a slave to help him in his work". This reframing of regret from a moral failing to a practical inconvenience suggests a narrator who reinterprets his past to lessen his own culpability.
• Conflicting Self-Perception: Crusoe frequently presents himself as an average, incompetent man, stating, "I had never handled a tool in my life". Yet, through his own account, he becomes a "master of every mechanic art". He also calls himself a "congenital bumbler" who becomes competent only through circumstance. While this can be seen as a journey of growth, it also highlights a potential contradiction: he downplays his innate abilities to emphasise the transformative power of his ordeal and Divine Providence, fitting the structure of a morality tale.
• Retrospective Moralising and Religious Framing: Much of the story is told with the benefit of hindsight, coloured by Crusoe's later religious conversion. He frequently interprets events not as they happened, but as he later understood them through a religious lens. For instance, he initially reacts to the miraculous growth of barley with awe, believing it to be a direct sign from God, but his "religious thankfulness" abates when he remembers he shook out a bag of chicken feed there. Still, he later reinterprets this as a work of Providence anyway. This shows a narrator actively shaping his story to "justify and honour the wisdom of Providence," as the preface suggests, rather than simply reporting events as they occurred.
• His Account of His Own Character: Crusoe describes himself at the beginning as "disobedient and hubristic". He consistently frames his misfortunes as divine punishment for this original sin of leaving home against his father's wishes. While he is self-critical, this criticism always serves the larger narrative of sin, punishment, repentance, and deliverance. His story is less a neutral recounting of events and more a "memento" or a "vivid warning" to others, which means the events are likely selected and framed to serve this moral purpose.
• The Unreliable Nature of First-Person Narration: As the sole narrator of his 28-year ordeal, there is no one to corroborate his story. Everything we know is filtered through his perspective. His descriptions of Friday as a "faithful, loving, sincere servant... without passions, sullenness, or designs" and his immediate submission are entirely Crusoe's interpretation. Given Crusoe's self-appointed role as "king" and "Generalissimo," his portrayal of Friday's devotion conveniently reinforces his own status as a benevolent ruler and coloniser, an image that serves the imperialist undertones of the novel.

In conclusion, while Robinson Crusoe's narrative is designed to appear factual and reliable, we cannot trust his version of the story completely. He is an inherently subjective narrator whose account is shaped by self-interest, hindsight, and a desire to present his life as a powerful moral allegory of divine punishment and redemption. His story is more "plausible" than it is objectively true.

 

Active Learning Activity: Collocation Poster or Grammar Comic Strip 

Instructions:

Hello everyone! 

For our next CCE activity, you get to be creative! Your task is to show your understanding of vocabulary or grammar by creating either a Collocation Poster or a Grammar Comic Strip. 

Please read the instructions for both options carefully and choose the one you want to complete.

Option 1: Academic Collocation Poster 

Goal: To create a visually appealing poster that shows different word combinations (collocations) for a single academic word.

What are collocations? They are words that naturally go together. For example, we say "heavy rain," not "strong rain."

How to do it:

1. Choose one academic word. Good examples are: analysis, data, research, evidence, theory, factor, issue.

2. Design a poster (on an A4 sheet or digitally using Canva, Google Slides, etc.).

3. Write your main word in the center of the poster.

4. Draw branches or lines from the main word to its collocates (verbs, adjectives, etc., that are used with it).

5. For at least three of your collocations, write a full, meaningful sentence to show how it's used.

6. Add colors, drawings, or images to make your poster clear and creative!

Example: Collocation Poster for the word "RESEARCH"

• Main Word (Center): RESEARCH

• Collocates branching out:

  • conduct research

  • extensive research

  • groundbreaking research

  • research suggests

  • carry out research

• Example Sentences:

1. The team will conduct research on marine life.

2. Her groundbreaking research changed how we understand DNA.

3. Recent research suggests that sleep is vital for memory.

This is generated with the help of AI and is only for reference.

Option 2: Grammar Comic Strip

Goal: To create a short, fun comic strip that tells a story using specific grammar structures correctly.

Target Grammar: Using Simple Past and Present Perfect tense together. (e.g., Simple Past: I went. Present Perfect: I have gone.)

How to do it:

1. Plan a short story or a conversation between two or more characters. It only needs to be 3-6 panels long.

2. Draw your comic on paper or create it digitally (using a website like Storyboard That or an app of your choice).

3. Write dialogue in the speech bubbles that uses both Simple Past and Present Perfect tenses.

4. Underline or bold the verbs where you have used the target grammar so I can easily see them.

5. Make sure your story is logical and your drawings are clear.

Example: Grammar Comic Strip

Title: The Lost Keys

• Panel 1:

  • A character (Priya) is looking worried, searching her pockets.

  • Priya: "Oh no! I have lost my keys! I can't find them anywhere."

• Panel 2:

  • Another character (Rohan) enters the room.

  • Rohan: "Did you check your backpack?"

• Panel 3:

• Priya is checking her backpack and pulls out the keys with a smile.

• Priya: "I have already looked here twice... Oh wait! You were right! I found them!"

• 
  
  
  

Submission and Grading

• How to Submit:

  • If you made it by hand, take a clear, bright photo and attach the image file.

  • If you created it digitally, upload the PDF, JPG, or PNG file.

• Grading Criteria (5 Marks):

  • Accuracy (2 Marks): Correct use of collocations or grammar.

  • Creativity & Effort (2 Marks): Visual appeal, neatness, and originality.

  • Clarity (1 Mark): The poster/comic is easy to read and understand.

If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments below.

Good luck, and I look forward to seeing your creative work! 

AI-Assisted Reflection blog activity | Ethical Quote Interpretation

 AI-Assisted Reflection blog activity | Ethical Quote Interpretation

This activity is part of classroom practice: Ethical Quote Interpretation, for Diploma Premium students. Currently, in sem 1, they are studying Ethics and Workplace Responsibility. 

Prompt:

1. “To be moral is to act out of respect for others, not just out of fear or habit.” *(Blackburn, Ethics: A Very Short Introduction) Explain this quote in simple terms with a workplace example. 

ChatGPT's Response:

Let’s break it down simply:

The quote means that real morality comes from genuinely caring about other people, not just following rules because we’re scared of punishment or because it’s routine.

Example in the workplace:

Imagine an employee who always arrives on time.

• If they do it only because they fear getting scolded by their boss, that’s fear-based behavior, not true morality.

• If they do it just out of habit, without thinking about anyone else, that’s not really moral either.

• But if they arrive on time because they respect their colleagues (knowing that being late would delay a team meeting or increase others’ workload), that’s an example of acting morally.

👉 So, morality in the workplace means doing the right thing because you value and respect others, not just because you’re forced to or used to it.

Would you like me to give you two more quick workplace examples (like teamwork and honesty) so you can use them in different contexts?

My Interpretation:

  1. Do I agree with this interpretation?

  2. How does this apply to my own future workplace?

  3. Can I think of a situation where this quote would be tested?

1. Yes, agree. ChatGPT provides good examples, but I do not agree with the second example, where it critiques the idea of one habit not being moral. Ultimately habits are an example of morality.

2. I am right now. I am a university teacher and teach in various disciplines like arts and engineering. As a teacher, caring about students is necessary to bring desirable outcomes.

3. I can think of many such situations, as I have already been in situations where this quote was tested.

 Robinson Crusoe: Plot Overview

Robinson Crusoe: The Original Self-Made Man | Notebook LM's Overview Video

The narrative of Robinson Crusoe recounts the extraordinary life and adventures of its protagonist, Daniel Crusoe, a young man who defies his father's advice to stay home and embarks on a life at sea, leading to a series of misfortunes, survival, and unexpected prosperity.

Early Life and Initial Misadventures:

• Born to a German immigrant family (Herr Kreutznaer, Anglicized to Crusoe), Daniel ignores his father's warnings against a life at sea.

• His first voyage ends with a shipwreck, though he is not deterred, dismissing it after getting drunk with a companion.

• On a second voyage, his ship is caught in a terrible storm in Yarmouth Roads, leading to the ship foundering. Crusoe, a novice sailor, is terrified, faints, but is eventually rescued by a boat from another ship and lands at Yarmouth.

• Despite being advised to go home, he continues his travels, with a ship master predicting "disasters and disappointments".

• He embarks on a Guinea trading voyage, becoming both a sailor and merchant, and earning significant gold.

• His next voyage is disastrous: his ship is captured by a Turkish rover from Sallee, and he is taken as a prisoner and slave.

Escape, Africa, and Brazil:

• Crusoe escapes from Sallee after two years by tricking a Moor named Muly and taking a boat. He throws Muly overboard and is accompanied by a boy named Xury.

• They sail down the African coast, encountering wild animals like a lion and a leopard, which Crusoe and Xury kill for their skins and meat, learning practical survival skills.

• They meet naked African natives, with whom they exchange food and other provisions through signs, after Crusoe demonstrates the power of his gun by killing a leopard.

• Eventually, they are rescued by a Portuguese ship near the Cape Verde Islands.

• The generous captain brings Crusoe and his salvaged goods to Brazil, where Crusoe sells his items, earning about 220 pieces of eight. He settles as a planter, prospers for nearly four years, and learns the local language.

• He enters into a new venture with fellow planters, agreeing to embark on a slaving expedition to Guinea, leaving his plantation in trust. This decision is a pivotal "evil hour".

Shipwreck and Island Life:

• On the slaving voyage, a violent hurricane strikes, leaving the ship leaky and disabled. A second storm drives them westward, and the ship strikes a sandbank.

• Crusoe is the sole survivor after the ship's boat overturns, finding himself washed ashore on a desolate island on September 30, 1659.

• He salvages numerous items from the wreck, including provisions, tools, guns, powder, and chests, using rafts to bring them to shore over several days before the ship breaks apart in a storm. He finds money but considers it useless in his isolated state.

• He establishes a sheltered habitation, initially a tent, then builds a fortified enclosure and a cave.

• A lightning storm makes him fear for his gunpowder, prompting him to divide his 240 pounds of powder into a hundred small parcels and hide them.

• He begins to keep a journal (though his ink eventually runs out), carves a calendar on a post to keep track of time, and finds Bibles among the salvaged items.

• Crusoe experiences a religious awakening during a severe illness, praying and reading the Bible, which deeply affects him.

• He domesticates goats and begins to cultivate barley and rice, learning to manage crops despite animal threats, eventually building hedges to protect them.

• Through experimentation, he learns to make pottery after discovering that burnt clay becomes hard like stone.

• During his "sixth year of reign, or captivity," he attempts to circumnavigate the island in a canoe, but a strong current sweeps him out to sea, terrifying him and making him appreciate his island. He eventually returns safely to another part of the island.

• Years later, he discovers a human footprint on the sand and sees the shore spread with bones, confirming the presence of cannibals. He contemplates attacking them but ultimately decides it is not his place to enact "bloody schemes".

The Arrival of Friday:

• In his twenty-fourth year on the island, a dream of saving a savage who would become his servant greatly influences him.

• About a year and a half after these thoughts, he witnesses a group of savages (Caribbees) with prisoners on his side of the island.

• He intervenes and rescues one prisoner, bravely attacking the cannibals. He names the rescued man Friday after the day he saved him.

• Friday immediately shows signs of subjection and servitude, kissing the ground and placing Crusoe's foot on his head.

• Crusoe teaches Friday English, about Christianity, and how to use firearms. Friday describes his homeland, the cannibalistic practices of his people, and the existence of "white bearded men" (Spaniards) living with his nation.

• Crusoe learns that these Spaniards were likely survivors of the second shipwreck he had seen years prior, and plans to rescue them.

• They begin to build a larger canoe and prepare for a voyage to the mainland.

Quelling a Mutiny and Departure from the Island:

• While preparing for the voyage, English mutineers arrive at the island, having marooned their captain and two loyal men.

• Crusoe and Friday, along with the captain and his loyal men, devise a strategy to retake the ship. Crusoe asserts himself as "governor" and uses psychological tactics, pretending he has 50 men at his command.

• They first disable the mutineers' boats and then ambush the mutineers, killing the boatswain and another ringleader, and taking the rest prisoner.

• They successfully seize the ship at midnight, with the captain's mate killing the new rebel captain.

• Crusoe then leaves the island on December 19, 1686, after twenty-eight years, two months, and nineteen days. He leaves behind the loyal mutineers and the Spaniard (who has reunited with Friday's father, rescued during the battle with the cannibals). He provides them with firearms, provisions, tools, and instructions on how to maintain the colony and expects the other Spaniards to join them.

Return to Europe and Financial Success:

• Crusoe arrives in England on June 11, 1687, after thirty-five years away.

• He discovers that his father and mother are dead, and his family is largely extinct, but he finds two sisters and nephews.

• He reconnects with the Portuguese captain, his original benefactor, who informs him that his Brazilian plantation has thrived, accumulating considerable wealth for him.

• Despite some portion of his profits being appropriated by the government and a monastery (due to his presumed death), Crusoe's total wealth now exceeds £5000 sterling in money and an estate worth over £1000 a year.

• He generously recompenses his benefactors, including the Portuguese captain and his son, and provides for his poor widow and sisters.

• He resolves to return to England with his wealth and send more supplies to the island.

Later Journeys and Revisit to the Island:

• Crusoe decides to travel overland from Lisbon to England to avoid the perils of the sea, crossing the Pyrenees.

• During this journey, his man Friday bravely fights and kills wolves and a bear that attack their traveling party. Crusoe finds this land journey more terrifying than any sea storm.

• Years later, in 1694, Crusoe revisits his island colony on a voyage to the East Indies.

• He learns about the Spaniards' experiences with the mutineers he left behind, their conflicts with Caribbeans, and their improvements to the island, noting the presence of twenty young children born on the island.

• He leaves the colony with more supplies, arms, tools, and brings two workmen from England. He also arranges for seven women, cows, sheep, and hogs to be sent from Brazil to further establish the colony.

• The narrative concludes with Crusoe suggesting that he might provide a further account of his surprising new adventures.