“Parallel to the framework of religious significance, there is a framework
of economic doctrine in Robinson Crusoe”. Discuss.
Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe is not just a story of travel and
adventure but it is a framework of religious significance and economic doctrine
both of which go together parallelly in the novel. On the surface of this novel
there is no doubt, a story of travel and adventure. But on a closer examination
it will be found to be a frame work of religious significance and economic
doctrine. Thus we have an approach in this work in two ways: we have to treat
it as an adventure story, and we have to probe it deeper in order to grasp and
appreciate its religious and economic significance.
The frame work of
religious significance in the novel:
Robinson Crusoe is a religious allegory. It is wrong to say as
Virginia Wolf says God does not exist in Robinson Crusoe. As Milton is
in every line of Paradise lost, God exists on almost every page of Robinson
Crusoe. Inwardly, it is a spiritual voyage. It is like The pilgrim’s
Progress of John Bunyan. As Bunyan in his novel moves towards the ‘House
Beautiful’, Defoe in his novel moves towards the shrine of the island where he
explores God and his divine soul. In Robinson Crusoe, life has been
treated as voyage of human soul. Just as in The Pilgrim’s Progress, a
pilgrim who is the human soul marks his spiritual progress towards the ‘House
Beautiful’, so also like The Pilgrim’s Progress in Robinson Crusoe Robinson
makes his voyage on the sea ‘The Bhavsagar’ which brings him towards
destination, the spiritual salvation when Robinson finds himself repenting on a
solitary island, after being frightened by the foot print of man and again the
dream in which a man descends from the cloud to kill him with a spear and also
by the cannibals who eat human flesh, he realizes his sin of disobedient which
he has committed not to his father but to God. And then be prays to God to
allow him to repent. He finds his penitential tears, which he shades, have been
accepted by God when he finds all the daily necessities even the company of a
human being Friday which he has longed, he enjoys the mercies of God which he
has not desired and expected. He reconciles himself to the afflictions bestowed
upon him by God and thanks God for showering blessing on him. He, like the
Bishop of Canterbury in Eliot’s ‘Murder in the Cathedral’ mixes his will to the
will of God. He gets reconciled to God. His soul is saved and he receives the
spiritual salvation which he has sought for........................................................................................................................................................
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