Jack Blanchard
Looking back on my past three posts, I can find few to no ways to connect them all together. However, one symbol in particular stands out. The cross that Crusoe built during his first days on the island . In one of my earlier posts I stated that, " I believe that Crusoe did this in order to establish some sort of connection between God and the predicament that he was in". After finishing the story, I can't help but wonder if it was that cross that held his faith all the way until his departure from the island. This symbol holds high value because it is always present in the piece, whether they are talking about it directly or not, because all of Crusoe's actions were influenced by his faith (i.e. the cross).
The cross also represents the time he spent (pretty much in captivity) on the island. Because it was used to keep track of the time, the cross can also represent Crusoe's resiliency, something that has escaped my writing in the past three blogs. Looking back on it, I don't see how anybody (even a fictional character) can remain on an island for so long, especially when pursued by cannibals. Defoe chose not to make Crusoe go mad on purpose, because it speaks more to the power of religion in the piece.
When I first read this story, I told myself to just read, with open conscience and an open mind. I did this because I knew that if I tried to analyze the text too much the first time, I wouldn't be able to enjoy the piece or pick up on as many things as I would otherwise. This is imploring the reading methods of none other than Vladimir Nabokov. Not only did I read subjectively in order to view the story from many different lenses, but I also reread. I reread portions of the text that I really enjoyed, and I also reread portions that I felt were important to the overall impact of the piece. This allowed me to notice things that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise but most of all allowed me to really ENJOY the novel as a whole, which I can assume all of those famous literature magicians can agree is a vital part to exploring text. I also used Nabokov's ideas to evaluate Defoe as a writer. Was he a teacher? An enchanter? Yes, Defoe did an amazing job of entertaining the reader while informing them on subtle meaning such as resiliency and faith.
Finally, it comes the time when I can help other students. If my last blog haven't been clear enough to the reader that I love this book, I'll let them know again. This book is amazing. I will give readers one hint though, it does take a little rereading in order to uncover some of the clues that Defoe left for us. This book was incredibly engaging for me. Given that I got the book a little close to the deadline than I would have hoped (not my fault) I literally sat down and read this bad boy cover to cover, with a few short breaks. That speaks to the true character of the piece. If me, Jackson Grover Blanchard, am able to sit down and read a book all the way through, that should be a tell tale sign that it is interesting. However, there are some of you that have different definitions of the word interesting. If you like a book that will be easy on your mind while still taking it for a ride, this is the book for you. It is not particularly challenging, but it will take a little effort to get the book out of your hands. One of the true assets of this story is the imagery. I mentioned in one of my previous posts that Defoe does a great job of establishing the setting. He does this using immaculate imagery that places the reader in another world, a quality that is vital to any adventure novel. The imagery also helps keep the story glued together when everything is happening so fast. Crusoe also offers multiple types of organization. This gives the reader a different point of view through which they can view the situation and make their own conclusions. It may appear shallow on the outside, but a little rereading and a little thinking and the clues will begin to uncover themselves. A true literary classic that should be experienced by all.
Jack this book sounds awesome! I can easily understand the parallel between Castaway and your book; it really helps put the story in perspective for me even though I haven’t read it. The mention of religion as something that persists throughout the story is also very interesting. In A Farewell to Arms, the book I read, rain is used in a very similar way. While the action definitely wasn’t as high-octane as your book, I can understand some of the extreme situations. I also couldn’t put my book down; I think it’s a very unique type of book that can keep the reader following the story.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with your thought that the cross represents the importance of religion in the character’s life. On an island, time is one of the things left behind pretty quickly, which definitely shows that the cross was significant if it became central to telling time in the text. In my book, one thing I noticed was that the characters were virtually constantly drinking. I don’t think there’s one scene without the mention of alcohol. At first, as I’m sure you did, I didn’t recognize it as anything beyond what it was in the book, but as the story moved on it became clear that this was commonplace and representative of the wounds that cut deeper than flesh. Again, the reiteration of some authors being enchanters rings true with my book as well. It sounds like both of our characters are fleeing from something or someone, and understanding the differences in our stories is fascinating because there are some similarities in terms of structure and continuous elements used.
-Pat Benn
Props to you for knowing yourself and picking a book that really sparked you interest! I noticed that Robinson Crusoe has a good number of similarities with the book I chose to read this quarter (Candide by Voltaire). Both protagonists seem to go on a journey where they travel within Europe, to areas of Ottoman influence, and to South America, though it seems like Crusoe's ends a little less well than he had probably hoped. You also made a comment on the structure of the novel which reminded me of Candide. Voltaire also used very little specific detail, but when he did, it was written really beautifully. Maybe the authors meant to show the significance of this sparsely used specific detail to stand out and provide contrast to situations that don't contain as much detail. Did you notice any pattern as to what scenes merited this beautiful and more specific detail?
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool connection to castaway. As our dear friend Thomas Foster tells us, there is really only one story. Do you think the screen writers and director of Castaway were making a purposeful homage or reference to Robinson Crusoe? I don't think it would be a very big leap to think they would have read it, considering it is a famous and well regarded piece of literature. Also, was Friday a real person who washed ashore? Not to say anything against Wilson, but sharing a small island with another actual human seems like might might foster a different experience than having your only companion be a volleyball. You've go me wondering how he got off the island, maybe I'll give it a read next quarter!
-Leah Barr