AN ANALYSIS OF THE SPIRIT OF INNOVATION AND INDEPENDENCE IN ROBINSON CRUSOE(1)

AN ANALYSIS OF THE SPIRIT OF INNOVATION AND INDEPENDENCE IN ROBINSON CRUSOEName: Hanyao(韩瑶)Major : English Education (英语教育)Grade: 2007(Class 4)College: College of Foreign LanguagesDate: April 15th, 2011Tutor : Guo Hui (郭慧)Abstract:This paper is based on a novel, Robinson Crusoe. In the 18th century, a sailor on a British ship named Selkirk conflicted with the captain in sailing was abandoned in a desert island. After four years, he was taken back to Britain by a navigation, which caused great interest by Daniel Defoe. The whole life of Defoe is exact during the period of the capitalist primitive accumulation. During this period, commerce and industry develop very fast in Britain. He is the mouthpiece of the lower and middle capitalist classes. He thought that the most central question of a national development is to develop trade. Defoe had accepted the political ideology that objecting the autocrat and advocating the civil rights, but the limitation of his thought was also great. Robinson is the hero in the heart of the lower and middle class of bourgeois. Robinson is a man who likes working and adventures. He is also a persevere person, who has the spirit of innovation and independence. Robinson Crusoe reflects the spirit of the period when the capitalist class which is on rising. This novel is famous for its lovely details and its expression of belief in man's ability when left alone in nature. Robinson Crusoe writes to help us to know some characteristics vividly, but it is not all of the value of this novel. Robinson Crusoe shows to readers vividly, what a person‘s work can be made on the earth, expressing where there are independence, innovation and optimism, there will be unusual things.Key words:isolated innovation independence optimism论文摘要这篇论文依据鲁滨逊漂流记而写。

18世纪，一位名叫亚历山大.塞尔科克的苏格兰水手在海上与船长发生争吵，被船长遗弃在南美洲大西洋中的安·菲南德岛上。

四年后他被带回英国，这极大吸引了丹尼尔.笛福的兴趣。

笛福生活的时代，正是英国资本主义蓬勃发展的时期，手工业工厂化的生产正孕育着工业革命。

他是中小资产阶级的代表。

他认为国家发展的中心问题就是发展商业。

笛福接受政治思想但反对专制独裁行为同时又倡导民权，他思想的局限性同样也是伟大的。

鲁滨逊是中小资产阶级分子心中的英雄，他是一个喜欢工作和冒险的人。

他是一个有着独立与创新精神的坚持不懈的人。

鲁滨逊漂流记反映了这一时期这种精神正在不断深入人心。

这篇小说以它细微的描写和表达人类被遗弃在孤岛上并能生存下来的精神而闻名。

鲁滨逊漂流记生动地告诉了我们人类的一些品格，但这并不是小说的全部价值所在。

它向读者生动地展示了人类智慧的无穷魅力，表达了独立，创新与乐观将会产生与众不同的事情。

关键词：孤独的；创新；独立；乐观ContentsI. Introduction (1)II. The Brief Introduction of the original works (2)A. The Introduction of the author (2)B. The Introduction of the brief content (3)III. The Process of being locked on the Isolated Island (4)A. The First Decision to Go for Sailing (4)B. The Second Decision to Stay in the Sea (5)C. Meeting the Serious Disaster in the Sea (5)D. Bing locked in the Isolaed Island (6)E. The Character of Robinson Crusoe (6)IV. The spirit of Innovation and Independence of Robinson Crusoe (9)A. The spirit of innovation in Robinson Crusoe (9)B. The Spirit of Independence in Robinson Crusoe (13)V. Conclusion (18)Notes (20)Bibliography (21)An Analysis of the Spirit of Innovation and Independence inRobinson CrusoeI.IntroductionRobinson Crusoe is a British novel, which can be repeated in detail by everybody. Robinson Crusoe can be divided into three parts. The first part is the three experiences of navigation that Robinson leaves home and buys the plantation in Brazil. The second part, which is also the main part of the novel, is the experience on a desert island. The third part narrates the things happened after coming back from the desert island and the experience of meeting wolves on the way back to British in France. The part that Robinson lives on the desert island is the best part of the novel. We are attracted by those rare experiences. It is not a usual thing after all that a person has left crowd so long, and the author uses very concrete, true incident and detail which cause extremely strong sense of reality to us. We think in that kind of environment, all of Robinson‘s behaviors have the reason. All of his behaviors are all possible. We think this kind of thing is usually very true, then we are further attracted by him. There is real event which is not usual will attract us too, we notice it, then know it, then we forget it and throw it away, because those things are meaningless. But the story that Robinson lives on the desert island is not totally in this kind of situation. Besides the story quality and authenticity, it still has further meaning. Robinson has done a lot of concretethings on the desert island, then the natural feature of the desert island changes, and his life changes ,too. He does everything he wants and meets the challenge, overcoming a lot of difficulties and standing the test of failing. He has strong willpower and he successes at last. He wants to have a meal or wear the clothes, which must be through his hard working. All his achievement finished is according to his own work. Robinson Crusoe shows readers his pictures vividly. What a person‘s work can be made on the earth. The vivid and attractive story-Robinson Crusoe, express where there are independence, innovation and optimism, there will be unusual things. All of the thought in the novel are related to the author oneself's world outlook and his Social historical environment. The whole life of Defoe is exactly during the period of the capitalist primitive accumulation, is exactly during the period that the regime of capitalist class tended to consolidate gradually. It is also the industry of the craft that developed into the earlier stage of the machine industry. During this period, commerce and industry developed very fast in Britain. Defoe belongs to poor capitalist class. Defoe who belongs to the capitalist class is in the developing period of capitalism. He is the mouthpiece of the lower and middle capitalist classes. His outlook has the duality.I. The Brief Introuduction of the original worksA. The Introduction of the authorThe author of Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe was born in a good Commercial family in 1663, in London. He was once a businessman,who ran the enterprise of underclothes, cigarettes and wine trade,he had lived through some difficulties, but he could save his enterprise every time after his failure, meanwhile, he showed us his stable determination to fight against his fate. He could not be destroyed. All of those experiences paved the way of thought and technique of the accomplishment of his masterpiece Robinson Crusoe. That is, the success of Robinson Crusoe is not occasional. It is said that besides Bible, Robinson Crusoe is the most published book. Today, the book has been regarded as the first long fiction in the world.B. The Introduction of the brief contentRobinson Crusoe was written under the enlightenment of a real story in 18th. A Scottish seafaring man in Britain ship named Alengzander slake clashed against his captain, and was deserted in an isolated island, which had the distance of 500 meters far away from the coast of Chile. He lived alone there for about four years; he was finally saved by a famous sailor and was taken home in 1771.The event had evoked great interest in Europe. Robinson Crusoe,who was created by Daniel Defoe, was a representative of bourgeoisie, an ideal hero, what he advocated was not to satisfy with annoyance, but to develop, to work and to attain something through your effort.We can see the tradition of western civilization from him and his adventure spirit. The works praisespeople‘s work spirit. The fiction opens up the way of English realism fiction. Robinson Crusoe,who was the protagonist of The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe,was a person of stubborn, aggressive and firm. Because of his decision to go out to see the outside world and know it, he finally went out to be a sailor without the concession of his parents. He became a slave in the coast of Africa because of the attack by a group of pirates,but he later escaped there for that he can not bear the hard life, and he was saved by a Portugalship,and he was carried to Brazil safely,where he attained a lot of money. But he was not satisfied with such property and designed to his dream to be on the way to sell slaves in Africa when somebody advised him to do so. Just because of it, he was flowed to an isolated island and was reduced to a lonely man without any company. Thank goodness, there were so much food, clothes and tools left in the ship which was wrecked on the coast. He could still be alive for those materials. During the period, Bible was his spirit support, he built house, got rice, tamed sheep and made leather clothes by the fur of animals. After twenty eight years, he was saved by an English ship to England.III. The Process of being locked on the Isolated IslandA. The First Decision to Go for SailingRobinson Crusoe was supposed to live happy and easy life,but he attempted to go out from his parents‘ house to sail in the sea without following his parents‘ a dvice for his own dream though his parents had leavedlots of property for him. He came out with several companies and began his sailing life.B. The Second Decision to Stay in the SeaAll of his thought promoted him to go out to Hull, and met one of his friends, who persuaded him to go to London, so he suffered the first storm in the sea. At this time, he wanted to go home very much and felt regret that he did not follow his parents‘ words, but when the sea calmed down,he forgot the fear and worry during the storm, just concentrated himself to the beautiful and peaceful evening.This was the second time he followed his own thought and created the prelude of his later lonely life.C. Meeting the Serious Disaster in the SeaOnce he decided to stay in the sea, his fate could not be controlled by himself but only the disasters in the sea. The storm was varied and changeable. It could take away his life anytime, his second unhappiness was coming. This was a storm lasted longer and more serious than the first time. “some of them were even ready to die for fear, and fell down as dead with terror” 1. Luckily, he and his company were saved.“Jin Liuchun mentions that if Robinson did not get the necessity of life, maybe he would be eaten by the animal or savages”2. This time he may probably go back with the grave persuasion of an older.“But still he did not go back just for his pity self-ego, he was afraid of confronting with the discrimination and hatred opposed the best motions that to go home,that they are not ashamed to sin, and yet was ashamd torepent, not ashamed of the Action for which they ought justly to be esteemed fools, but are ashamed of the returning, which only can make them be esteemed wise men”. 3This was the third time his personality put him to the abyss of his unlucky fate.D. Being locked in the Isolated IslandThus, he continued to sail with his company, but unluckily, they were attacked by a group of pirates, Robinson Crusoe was caught as a slave of a Moor. Though he finally escaped from his Master,and earned enough money by doing some trade with others,and could live a quiet retired life and of which his father had so carefully described the middle station of life, he was still interested in some other things, he finally went to Africa to do the business of selling slaves, which was the real beginning of his unlucky fate. From now on, he was locked in the isolated island.E. The Character of Robinson CrusoeFrom the above facts, we the readers may hold that Robinson Crusoe was a person with unreasonable, even mad personality,he could be easy and happy whatever life style he choses as long as he had not decide to go to Africa. Before he was reduced to be a lonely man, he had experienced the similar condition, the only difference was that he was saved and could live the normal life,he himself once said that if he was not so aggressive and impious, he could never experience such kind of terrible life.When he was concentrated inthe great ecstasy of survival, new danger was waiting for him. The life on the isolated island was difficult that we can not imagine. There were no existed food, no place to have a rest, no people to communicate with, besides all of these, the worst was the fear itself, he would be attacked by wild animal anytime, Therefore, he must be alert to everything every time. If Robinson Crusoe was weak, he might have lost his heart to continue his life, and might do nothing. But he did not do so, the base of his unlucky fate was just his aggressive character, therefore, he was not depressed, not negative but positive to fight against nature, all of his activities were not only for survival, but also for creation. The first problem he must solve on the island was survival, Robinson Crusoe was born in the middle class family, so he believed his own strength very much, he believed only his own effort, not ‗others‘, can help him to make his dream come true, to help him climb up the ladder of the social. Therefore, he moved all of the useful materials to the island and did not fell tired for about forty times. So, he felt not so sad when the wrecked ship was flown by sea wave and then he built tent, made fence, built the house to live in, caught fish and sheep as food. In a word, he did everything he could to prepare for his later life on the isolated island. Thank goodness, he attained enough food and materials to live on, and because of his kindness, he saved a person named Friday, who helped Robinson Crusoe a lot, finally they saved a ship, in turn, the people in the ship saved them, they took them back to Britain.Until now, we could see Robinson Crusoe was reduced to be a vagrant, but finally he came back to human being.From his life that he escaped from his family to being saved by others, what he faced was almost all difficulty. Through the slight description and discussion, we have been informed that what Robinson Crusoe faced was almost all difficulty and dangers that a common people can hardly deal with, even dare not confront with, but Robinson Crusoe faced them bravely. Just as his words, it is disgusting to cherish the thought of going home to live easy life. He held there was a kind of mysterious force that made him go forward, and he attributed all of this to God‘s will, he showed his aggressive character that he did not want to obey the traditional life style, his so-called ―mysterious predestination‖ just reflected spirit condition of denying the bound of modern tradition and demanding the development of primate freedom, his strange thought just reflected his courage and lofty quality of opening up new world, all of which formed his bourgeois character.From all these above, we could come to the conclusion that Robinson Crusoe chosed his life, and was responsible for his own choice, he saved himself in the loneliness for a long time, he was successful. What I want to say is that, his success was not only due to his survival, but also his maintained health and integrity and personality, he still had the common sense, which had not been corroded by endless loneliness, in turn, he abstained his fruit that a common can not achieve and even can not imagine. We couldpraise him undoubtedly that he is a hero, a hero not only in his own times, his own country, but also in all human being. His strong mind, kind heart, aggressive temperament help him achieve the utmost of his life, in the above passage, we have analyzed that Robinson Crusoe was a person with complex character, he was weak in the earthly society, but strong minded in his own choice and he was kindhearted to save Friday who finally helped him escaped from that isolated island. The adventure story tells us, as human being, we‘d better live according to our own will, whatever disasters we will meet, and the most important point is we must form a good character that can be responsible for the life we have chosen.It is important to have a character of strong minded,steadfast,tough and tensile to face our life.Just as Sh akespeare‘s motto in Cymbeline:trouble is the mother of strong forever.IV. The spirit of Innovation and Independence of Robinson Crusoe A.The Spirit of Innovation in Robinson CrusoeThough Robinson got a lot of things from the ship that wrecked, he was still short of some necessity, such as a table and a chair, a basket, some earthen vessels and a stone mortar.When he faced the shortage of the necessity, he did not give up but think of ways to make out those necessities. It makes a distinction between human and animals. Engels said that ―never can an ape make a knife even if a stone knife of awful shape.‖4He had no idea about how to make plans without the time. He did nothave calendar so that he merely could write down the date with the help of his memory. What is worse, he could not find any pieces of paper or a pen. So he used a knife to carve on the stones and trees.Without a table, he could not write, eat or do other things. So he set to work and made a table and a chair. He just took the materials he had. Though it took him a lot of time and labor, he finished them. And when he needed a basket in his life, he tried many ways to make one. But he failed. Though he knew the methods, he did not have the materials. Observing carefully, he found the twigs which were as tough as the osiers in England. Then he tried again to make a basket with the twigs. Finally he succeeded.He also tried to make some earthen vessels many times. Owing to the soil structure, he failed again and again. After having worked hard to find the clay, he made some jars and several small things. Because of a happy accident, he found a broken piece of one of his earthen vessels burnt as hard as a stone, which brought him an idea of burning the whole vessel. Then he did so, and he succeeded in making some vessels and some pots. And he used these vessels and pots in his life. These necessities gave him some interest of life.Though he had some certain necessity of life, he was still in lack of a stone mortar. He planted barley and rice, so he needed a stone mortar to pound them into powder to make bread. But he was unqualified for a stonecutter, and the stone was in solid rock which was not fit for making a stone mortar. After a great deal of time was wasted in searching for it, he gaveit up, and resolved to look for a great block of hard wood instead. He finished it, and he ate the bread made by him at last, which provided Robinson more food and made his life more wonderful.As Robinson said that reason is the substance and original of the mathematics, so by stating and squaring everything by reason and by making the most rational judgment of things, every man may be in time master of every mechanic art. Robinson had never handled a tool in his life, but he could make out what he wanted through his labor, application and contrivance. He always brought new ideas to solve his spiny problems, which stemmed from the enlightenments in his life. And he made his life on the island more comfortable. It seemed as if it was a kingdom of him.Though Robinson was unfortunate, he refreshed and began to plan for his own life; though he was in lack of many things, he tried his best to make them out, not to just think about what he wanted; though the things he made were not good enough, they could be useful in his life; though he met with many difficulties, he never gave up. At last, he lived a comfortable life through his innovation and invention.Innovation always helps people to solve the problem and get out of the adversity quickly. For example, Robinson always thought of some new ideas when he was faced with some difficulties. If he did everything with fixed rule, he would not create the necessities that he needed in his life. Owing to his ability to bring forth new ideas, he solved many problems. And those ideashelped him overcome the adversity. When people are confronting some troublesome problem, they should try to break away from conventions, and think about the problem from a new prospective, which may help to solve it more quickly.Twenty–eight years is not a short time. How many twenty–eight years are there in all in one‘s life? It is difficult to live on an island lacking of necessities for a person for such a long time. The condition of living is beyond imagination. But Robinson survived.Robinson is not a person who was born with courage to face up to the adversity. He is not a man who wishes for living stably. Owing to his rebellious thoughts about sailing, he has to confront ever–present various adversities. Why can he deal with the adversity well? Innovation is the most important factor. When he ran into the adversity, he could deal with it calmly, and he could consider his future rationally. Some people will lose his reasoning power when he is in a bad condition. But Robinson made plans for his future life on the island. For example, he made a plan for his daily work: every morning he walked out with his gun for two or three hours if it did not rain, then worked until about eleven o‘clock, then ate what he had, and lay down to sleep from twelve to two as the weather was excessively hot, and then continued to work until the evening. He made plans not only for his daily work but also for his food, bullets and powder. His food was very limited. He always ate cannily. And he tried his best to find something eatable. Sometimeshe went hunting, which he could get some meat for eating. And he tried to tame the sheep. Then he got not only milk but also some mutton. His bullets were used cannily and seriously. Only when it is quite necessary, he would use it. As for his powder, he considered it carefully; he separated his stock of powder into many little parcels to avoid danger. And he used them according to his plan. Because he did not know how long he would live on the island. Owing to his innovation and plans for his future life, he could live on the island for such a long time.B. The Spirit of Independence in Robinson CrusoeRobinson has stayed alone on the isolated island for more than twenty eight years. On one hand, the spirit of creativity affords him food, cloth, house and daily instruments. On the other hand, he contents himself with that style of life. In more than twenty years, other people can do many things. Nowadays, computer can be replaced about nine generations. But the only thing he does is to survive. He gives up unreal conception. On the contrary he lives as usual: growing crop and feeding sheep. He almost does the same thing from day to day, year to year. At the beginning, he complains to God about his miserable life. As the time went on, he calms down. “Robinson indeed trusts in God.” 4 He expresses his gratitude to God who makes him survive the storm.Robinson‘s independence is showed clearly in this novel. When he tookthe remained things from the ship which had not sunk into the sea, he expected the utilities of everything he took onshore. After he had fastened his raft to be strong enough to bear any reasonable weight, his next care was what to load it with and how to preserve what he lain upon it from the surf of the sea. ―having considered well what I most wanted, I first got three of the seamen‘s chests, which I had broken open and emptied, and lowered them down upon my raft.‖5 He at first loaded provision such as some bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses, five pieces of dried goats flash, which he would live much upon. He then found some clothes for they might keep him out of cold. What he wanted most was the carpenter‘s chest, in which there were many valuable tools, for his purpose of cultivating the island for his survival. His next care was for some ammunition and arms, because they could prevent themselves from being attacked by dangerous animals.Robinson brought away all the sails first and last, cutting them into pieces and brought as much at a time as he could, ―for they were no more useful to be sa ils, but as merely canvass only.‖6 The sails were no longer a useful thing for Robinson who was alone in the island, but the canvass should be used to cover his habitation and to make clothes.After Robinson had survived the island, he began to consider the security of himself. When Robinson was deserted to the isolated island, he was, in effect, flopped into a primitive state from his capitalist society. His labor should begin with nothing. Though he had brought some necessity from theship, they turned to be limited for his life on the isolated island, because it was not a single or two days. He had to explore the nature and make himself secured on the island. Ou Quan said in his book that ―Robinson was actually a man in the primitive society with the concept of bourgeoisie.‖7He felt fortunate to find that he was still alive, but the next fear come out of his mind that he might be attacked even eaten by any dangerous animals. The description of Robinson‘s mood showed his great desire for safety.― neither did I see any prospect before me, but that of perishing with hunger, or being devoured by wild beasts; and that which was particularly afflicting to me, was, that I had no weapon either to hunt and dill any creature for my sustenance, or to defend myself against any other creature that might desire to dill me for theirs.‖8To keep one in a state of safety, the first response is to keep distance from danger. It is also the effectual way and the only way to preserve one‘s life in such a desperate condition. Robinson got up into a thick bushy tree which grew near him, and where he resolved to sit all night, and consider the next day what death he should dye he cut a short stick for his defense before he getting to sleep. Robinson‘s first step of building his habitation was to view the country, and seek a proper place for his habitation where his goods were stored to secure them from whatever might happen. When he got on the raft to get things from the ship, he was ―under some apprehensions during my absence from the land, that at least my provisions might be devoured onshore‖ having finished his transportation of provisions, he went back to his little tent where ―I lay with all my wealth a bout me very secure‖ he build sturdy fence and door not only for the purpose of protecting himself, but also for the insurance of his wealth.What he had done guaranteed his safety on the isolated island.At the first years, Robinson‘s life on the island was actually a primitive state when he almost maintained his life by gathering, hunting and fishing, which increased his property and made him rich. He hunted goats and birds in the forest, which solved his problem of his food demand, but cost him his tremendous labor. He looked for wild fruits and collected them and stored in his habitation. All his action of this period was just like that of men in primitive society and took him great energy because of his lacking of tools and experience. But unlike those who always do their hunting and collection in group, he carried out his action alone, which added the hardship of his labor. ―no one in a single life could claim the satisfaction of victory, but o nly of continuance and survival.‖9Shortly after Robinson‘s collection and hunting, he began to change his producing form. Collecting wild fruits and hunting no longer satisfied Robinson who began to think about taming animals and growing crops himself. He tried very hard to catch some living goats and made fence to enclose them. The tamed goats provided him a large amount of food and saved his bullets to shoot them. He also caught some parrots and tamed themand taught one of them to talk. Although it was not for the purpose of providing him food, it enriched Robinson‘s life on the desolated island and what‘s more, it was a reflection of the development of animal husbandry in this island.He decorated his habitation and enlarged the space of it to make sure he lived comfortable and in safety, all of these improved the level of his life. He initially failed of reaping any crops from his field, but he didn‘t give up. He observed the change of the season and acquired the law. He tried to divide the dry season and the rainy season. Though he failed to enjoy his harvest , he tried another attempt and by this experiment he was made master of his business, and knew exactly when the proper season was to see; and that he might expect two seed times, and two harvests every year.Taming and farming had not only provided Robinson food and had his property accumulated, but also cultivated himself and the island. We can also say that it was his work that civilized the island. Bludille believed that the initial meaning of civilization was a desire for the progress of culture, technique, morality and of the society. During his work, he gathered the experience of surviving the island,mastered the law of the nature and after many practice and attempt, he mastered many skills of making instruments in farming and taming. Robinson‘s work civilized him and gets him closer to the perfect.Robinson was not only rich in substance, but also in his mind. He ―was s o。