Pgs. 177-242: Topics for Discussion

Pgs. 177-242: Topics for Discussion

Angelique Bassard, Lauren Lauterbach, and Michael Weaver

Religion

1. At this point of Crusoe’s time on the island it seems as if his religious beliefs have stabilized and become a constant in his life.

       a. Due to past experiences will Crusoe’s faith change again?

2. Crusoe becomes Friday’s teacher in terms of religious beliefs.

a. Does being Friday’s teacher stregthen Crusoe’s own beliefs?

       

Human Companionship

1. Crusoe has been on the island in solitude for quite some time now and has replaced human contact and companionship with that of animals.

2. After seeing the footprint in the sand, his immediate reaction is fear instead of relief (176).

         a. Assuming Crusoe wants to leave the island why would this be his reaction?

3. When Crusoe saw the footprint in the sand the Bible verse from Psalm 50:15 came to him, “Call upon me in the Day of Trouble, and I will deliver, and thou shalt glorify me,” (179).

      a. In Crusoe’s mind, did God send Friday to be a companion for him or even a different form of deliverance from his solitude?

Time

In this section, Defoe jumps around quite a bit in regards to events on the island. On page 182, Crusoe says “[t]hat I had liv’d here fifteen Years now…”, then on the next page a total of five or six years has passed while Crusoe was growing a “thick Grove…before my Dwelling….” (183) and so forth. To the modern reader, this skipping of large chunks of time is often frustrating.

1. Why would Defoe allow so much time to pass by with little explanation to what happened during these years? And would this part especially benefit from the modern-day invention of chapters or some type of break?

2. On the flip side, would adding breaks disrupt the flow of time and make this novel less realistic? If so, how and why?