individualized

【求鲁滨逊人物性格分析英文版】

AnalysisofMajorCharacters

RobinsonCrusoe

Whileheisnoflashyheroorgrandepicadventurer,RobinsonCrusoedisplayscharactertraitsthathavewonhimtheapprovalofgenerationsofreaders.Hisperseveranceinspendingmonthsmakingacanoe,andinpracticingpotterymakinguntilhegetsitright,ispraiseworthy.Additionally,hisresourcefulnessinbuildingahome,dairy,grapearbor,countryhouse,andgoatstablefrompracticallynothingisclearlyremarkable.TheSwissphilosopherJean-JacquesRousseauapplaudedCrusoe’sdo-it-yourselfindependence,andinhisbookoneducation,Emile,herecommendsthatchildrenbetaughttoimitateCrusoe’shands-onapproachtolife.Crusoe’sbusinessinstinctsarejustasconsiderableashissurvivalinstincts:hemanagestomakeafortuneinBrazildespiteatwenty-eight-yearabsenceandevenleaveshisislandwithanicecollectionofgold.Moreover,Crusoeisneverinterestedinportrayinghimselfasaheroinhisownnarration.Hedoesnotboastofhiscourageinquellingthemutiny,andheisalwaysreadytoadmitunheroicfeelingsoffearorpanic,aswhenhefindsthefootprintonthebeach.Crusoepreferstodepicthimselfasanordinarysensibleman,neverasanexceptionalhero.

ButCrusoe’sadmirablequalitiesmustbeweighedagainsttheflawsinhischaracter.Crusoeseemsincapableofdeepfeelings,asshownbyhiscoldaccountofleavinghisfamily—heworriesaboutthereligiousconsequencesofdisobeyinghisfather,butneverdisplaysanyemotionaboutleaving.Thoughheisgeneroustowardpeople,aswhenhegivesgiftstohissistersandthecaptain,Crusoerevealsverylittletenderorsincereaffectioninhisdealingswiththem.WhenCrusoetellsusthathehasgottenmarriedandthathiswifehasdiedallwithinthesamesentence,hisindifferencetoherseemsalmostcruel.Moreover,asanindividualpersonality,Crusoeisratherdull.Hispreciseanddeadpanstyleofnarrationworkswellforrecountingtheprocessofcanoebuilding,butittendstodraintheexcitementfromeventsthatshouldbethrilling.Action-packedscenesliketheconquestofthecannibalsbecomequitehumdrumwhenCrusoenarratesthem,givingusadetailedinventoryofthecannibalsinlistform,forexample.Hisinsistenceondatingeventsmakessensetoapoint,butitultimatelyendsupseemingobsessiveandirrelevantwhenhetellsusthedateonwhichhegrindshistoolsbutneglectstotellusthedateofaveryimportanteventlikemeetingFriday.Perhapshisimpulsetorecordfactscarefullyisnotasurvivalskill,butanirritatingsignofhisneurosis.

Finally,whilenotboastingofheroism,Crusoeisnonethelessveryinterestedinpossessions,power,andprestige.Whenhefirstcallshimselfkingoftheislanditseemsjocund,butwhenhedescribestheSpaniardashissubjectwemusttakehisroyaldelusionseriously,sinceitseemshereallydoesconsiderhimselfking.HisteachingFridaytocallhim“Master,”evenbeforeteachinghimthewordsfor“yes”or“no,”seemsobnoxiousevenundertheraciststandardsoftheday,asifCrusoeneedstoheartheego-boostingwordspokenassoonaspossible.Overall,Crusoe’svirtuestendtobeprivate:hisindustry,resourcefulness,andsolitarycouragemakehimanexemplaryindividual.Buthisvicesaresocial,andhisurgetosubjugateothersishighlyobjectionable.Inbringingbothsidestogetherintoonecomplexcharacter,Defoegivesusafascinatingglimpseintothesuccesses,failures,andcontradictionsofmodernman.

Friday

Probablythefirstnonwhitecharactertobegivenarealistic,individualized,andhumaneportrayalintheEnglishnovel,Fridayhasahugeliteraryandculturalimportance.IfCrusoerepresentsthefirstcolonialmindinfiction,thenFridayrepresentsnotjustaCaribbeantribesman,butallthenativesofAmerica,Asia,andAfricawhowouldlaterbeoppressedintheageofEuropeanimperialism.AtthemomentwhenCrusoeteachesFridaytocallhim“Master”Fridaybecomesanenduringpoliticalsymbolofracialinjusticeinamodernworldcriticalofimperialistexpansion.RecentrewritingsoftheCrusoestory,likeJ.M.Coetzee’sFoeandMichelTournier’sFriday,emphasizethesadconsequencesofCrusoe’sfailuretounderstandFridayandsuggesthowthetalemightbetoldverydifferentlyfromthenative’sperspective.

Asidefromhisimportancetoourculture,Fridayisakeyfigurewithinthecontextofthenovel.InmanywaysheisthemostvibrantcharacterinRobinsonCrusoe,muchmorecharismaticandcolorfulthanhismaster.Indeed,DefoeattimesunderscoresthecontrastbetweenCrusoe’sandFriday’spersonalities,aswhenFriday,inhisjoyfulreunionwithhisfather,exhibitsfarmoreemotiontowardhisfamilythanCrusoe.WhereasCrusoenevermentionsmissinghisfamilyordreamsaboutthehappinessofseeingthemagain,Fridayjumpsandsingsforjoywhenhemeetshisfather,andthisemotionaldisplaymakesusseewhatismissingfromCrusoe’sstodgyheart.Friday’sexpressionofloyaltyinaskingCrusoetokillhimratherthanleavehimismoreheartfeltthananythingCrusoeeversaysordoes.Friday’ssincerequestionstoCrusoeaboutthedevil,whichCrusoeanswersonlyindirectlyandhesitantly,leaveuswonderingwhetherCrusoe’sknowledgeofChristianityissuperficialandsketchyincontrasttoFriday’sfullunderstandingofhisowngodBenamuckee.Inshort,Friday’sexuberanceandemotionaldirectnessoftenpointoutthewoodenconventionalityofCrusoe’spersonality.

DespiteFriday’ssubjugation,however,CrusoeappreciatesFridaymuchmorethanhewouldamereservant.Crusoedoesnotseemtovalueintimacywithhumansmuch,buthedoessaythathelovesFriday,whichisaremarkabledisclosure.ItistheonlytimeCrusoemakessuchanadmissioninthenovel,sinceheneverexpressesloveforhisparents,brothers,sisters,orevenhiswife.ThemerefactthatanEnglishmanconfessesmoreloveforanilliterateCaribbeanex-cannibalthanforhisownfamilysuggeststheappealofFriday’spersonality.CrusoemaybringFridayChristianityandclothing,butFridaybringsCrusoeemotionalwarmthandavitalityofspiritthatCrusoe’sownEuropeanheartlacks.

ThePortugueseCaptain

ThePortuguesecaptainispresentedmorefullythananyotherEuropeaninthenovelbesidesCrusoe,morevividlyportrayedthanCrusoe’swidowfriendorhisfamilymembers.HeappearsinthenarrativeattwoveryimportantjuncturesinCrusoe’slife.First,itisthePortuguesecaptainwhopicksupCrusoeaftertheescapefromtheMoorsandtakeshimtoBrazil,whereCrusoeestablisheshimselfasaplantationowner.Twenty-eightyearslater,itisagainthePortuguesecaptainwhoinformsCrusoethathisBrazilianinvestmentsaresecure,andwhoarrangesthesaleoftheplantationandtheforwardingoftheproceedstoCrusoe.Inbothcases,thePortuguesecaptainistheagentofCrusoe’sextremegoodfortune.Inthissense,herepresentsthebenefitsofsocialconnections.IfthecaptainhadnotbeenlocatedinLisbon,CrusoeneverwouldhavecashedinonhisBrazilianholdings.Thisassistancefromsocialcontactscontradictsthethemeofsolitaryenterprisethatthenovelseemstoendorse.DespiteCrusoe’shardindividuallaborontheisland,itisactuallyanotherhumanbeing—andnothisownresourcefulness—thatmakesCrusoewealthyintheend.YetitisdoubtfulwhetherthisinsightoccurstoCrusoe,despitehisobviousgratitudetowardthecaptain.

Moreover,thePortuguesecaptainisassociatedwithawidearrayofvirtues.Heishonest,informingCrusoeofthemoneyhehasborrowedagainstCrusoe’sinvestments,andrepayingapartofitimmediatelyeventhoughitisfinanciallydifficultforhimtodoso.Heisloyal,honoringhisdutiestowardCrusoeevenaftertwenty-eightyears.Finally,heisextremelygenerous,payingCrusoemorethanmarketvaluefortheanimalskinsandslaveboyafterpickingCrusoeupatsea,andgivingCrusoehandsomegiftswhenleavingBrazil.Allthesevirtuesmakethecaptainaparagonofhumanexcellence,andtheymakeuswonderwhyDefoeincludessuchacharacterinthenovel.Insomeways,thecaptain’sgoodnessmakeshimthemoralcounterpartofFriday,sincetheEuropeanseamanandtheCaribbeancannibalmirroreachotherinbenevolenceanddevotiontoCrusoe.Thecaptain’sgoodnessthusmakesitimpossibleforustomakeoversimplifiedoppositionsbetweenamorallybankruptEuropeontheonehand,andinnocentnoblesavagesontheother.

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