Category: Hero’s Journey

Introduction to Robinson Crusoe and its Themes

The novel Robinson Crusoe is written by Daniel Defoe and was first published in the year 1719. It is about a man named Robinson Crusoe, from England who has a dream to explore the sea. Robinson’s father does not agree with his dreams and wants him to live a normal middle-class lifestyle. Robinson’s disagreement with his father caused him to run away and start adventuring into the sea. During his adventures with sailing he makes money in trade, but then was captured and turned into a slave off the coast of Africa. He then escapes from captivity. Where he was picked up by a sailing crew. Crusoe makes it to Brazil where he then buys a sugar plantation. Crusoe eventually becomes involved in the slave trade from Africa. On his way to Africa, he gets shipwrecked and is the only survivor on what seemed to be a deserted island. Crusoe builds a shelter to survive. He spends his time planting corn and other crops and trying to stay alive. During Crusoe’s time on the island, he grows stronger in his religious faith and creates a relationship with God. Near the end of the book, Crusoe rescues a native man named Friday from cannibals. Crusoe teaches Friday English and converts him to Christianity. Friday and Crusoe also rescue a Spaniard and Friday’s father from a different group of cannibals. Eventually, an English sailing crew that has many problems amongst themselves comes to the island. Crusoe helps gain peace between the captain and sailors and is rescued by them. At the end of the novel, Crusoe returns to Europe, where he comes home to a lot of money that his sugar plantation had earned for him. Crusoe then promises to continue adventures in the last lines of the novel. The four main themes of the book are progress, self-reliance, civilization, and most importantly Christianity.

Progress: Physical and Mental Development of Crusoe

Progress is one of the main themes in the novel Robinson Crusoe. Crusoe makes progress in more than just physical ways but also mentally. During Crusoe’s time on the island, Cruso becomes independent. He learned to live and survive on his own. It’s easy to see the progression from when Crusoe first got stranded on the island to when he was rescued. He goes from pure survival mode to living comfortably by hunting and farming. He had also created tools and furniture which helped him progress in his style of living. The most notable progression is mental. Before coming on the island Crusoe was a goal-driven man that wanted to make money and to travel the sea. He also had quarrels with God in his younger days. Throughout the novel, he had learned to be happy with where he was and what he had. He had started to focus on not what he wanted but being thankful for the good things that happen to him. “I learned to look upon the bright side of my condition, and less upon the dark side, and to consider what I enjoyed rather than what I wanted.” (Defoe, p.129) He had also progressed in his relationship with God and gave in to the fact that this is God’s world and he is just living in it. “I survive by the Word of God, and by the assistance of His grace.”(Defoe, p.128). The whole unit that we have learned this semester can relate to the progress of Great Britain. Great Britain became one of the strongest empires of all time consisting of two separate empires. Britain’s empire consisted of colonies in America and the West Indies. Which came to an end after the American Revolution. However, in the 19th century, the British built a second empire, due to their strong navy. Their second empire was made up of India and conquest in Africa. Great Britain made progress in their empire and had improved their circumstances through time just like Crusoe had done on the island.

Self-Reliance: Crusoe’s Survival and Independence

Self-Reliance is another one of the major themes in the novel Robinson Crusoe. Crusoe had to rely on his cleverness, physical ability, and spirituality to survive. Throughout the novel, one can see this theme in his actions. He demonstrates self-reliance in building his plantation in Brazil and escaping from slavery. The best example of self-reliance can be seen on the island. Crusoe is the only one on his crew who survived on the ship. He was responsible for providing for himself and he could not depend on anyone to help. Crusoe had to go through the goods on the wrecked ship to determine what would best aid him to survive. He also was responsible for building his shelter and he wasn’t able to split the labor with anyone. He had built two shelters one for comfort and the other for defense. Crusoe had few materials available to him, but he was able to use them effectively. He also had to do the labor of hunting for food and planning plans on his own. Crusoe had used his spirituality to keep him going and to aid himself in his tasks. Later in the novel, he rescues a slave named Friday from cannibals who becomes his companion. Crusoe had spent 28 years on the island where he had to depend on self-reliance to stay alive. Crusoe said in the novel ‘ I would look upon my condition with the utmost Regret. I had nobody to converse with but now and then this neighbor; no work to be done but by the Labour of my own Hands and I live just like a man cast away upon some desolate island, that had nobody there but himself.’ (Defoe, p. 27). This is similar to the colonies’ self-reliance from England. The colonies were self-governing and thought of themselves as independent from the control of the British government. The colonies were on their own in a sense because they were an ocean away from England and only able to depend on themselves. Parliament began to pass laws in an attempt to regulate their colonies by setting taxes and restrictions on trade. This evidently resulted in the colonist’s resentment of British control. This caused the colonists to become totally independent and self-reliant starting the American Revolutionary War on April 19th, 1775 to gain freedom from British rule. This is similar to Robinson Crusoe because he was stuck on an island with no government to protect him or govern him. He became self-reliant and governed himself, he set his own rules and survived on his own without the help of others like the colonists had to survive without the help of Great Britain.

Civilization: Crusoe’s Influence and Cultural Differences

Civilization is another one of the main themes in the novel Robinson Crusoe. Crusoe models his way of living off rules and beliefs that he believed to be based on the civil society he had once lived by. Crusoe’s concept of civilization is based on his experience with European culture. When Crusoe first experienced native culture he was disgusted by their cannibalism and the differences between their civilizations and the one he was accustomed to in Europe. When Crusoe rescues Friday he trained him to give up his cannibal ways, to wear clothing, and to learn to speak English. He also taught him about God. Crusoe does not make any effort to learn Friday’s language or adopt any of the cultures of the natives. We can see these characteristics in many aspects of modern American society. Crusoe believes that Friday was a savage and thought it was his duty to turn Friday into a civilization like him. Crusoe treated Friday like he was a dog in a sentence, he had taken him from the wild and trained him to act as he desired him to. “I was greatly delighted with him, and made it my business to teach him everything proper to make him useful, handy, and helpful; but especially to make him speak, and understand me when I spoke” (Defoe p.203). This is similar to discussions in class about the Triangular Trade route. The route went from Europe to Africa, then to the Americas. The trade route had supplied fruits, molasses, sugar, and slaves to the colonies in America. When the Europeans took the slaves from Africa and brought them to America they stripped them of their beliefs, culture, and language forcing them to understand the English language. They made the Africans follow the standards set by western civilization and abide by the rules that were set by colonists. This is much like how Crusoe took Friday out of his native civilization and forced him to change instead of the other way around.

Christianity: Crusoe’s Faith and Religious Journey

Christianity is the most important of the four major themes in the novel Robinson Crusoe. Crusoe relies on God to take care of him. He also feared that God would punish him for his behavior before he was on the island. An example of the wrongdoing Crusoe had done was abandoning his family, his lack of faith, and how he did not appreciate what he had. One can see as Crusoe’s faith becomes stronger his quality of life improves. God is a motivating factor for him to keep on surviving. Crusoe believes that since he was the only one to survive the shipwreck God must have a reason to keep him alive. The impact God had on Crusoe made him want to share his faith with Friday. Crusoe forced Friday to convert to his religion because he wanted Friday to believe in Christianity like himself. Crusoe had not cared if Friday had any prior beliefs. Christianity had become a type of governing force for Crusoe in his life. “Thus I lived mighty comfortably, my mind being entirely composed by resigning myself to the will of God, and throwing myself wholly upon the disposal of His providence.” (Defoe p.135). Crusoe understands that this is God’s world and he is just living in it. Crusoe’s treatment of Christianity and religion is much like some of the leaders we discussed in class. One of them is King Henry VIII. King Henry VIII declared himself head of a new Church of England and passed the Act of Supremacy during the Reformation. Henry VII was a very religious man like Crusoe, he was nicknamed the Defender of the Faith. They are also similar because they wanted others to believe in what they did. Henry VII broke away from the Catholic Church and named himself the leader of the Church of England. He forced people to stop following what they had previously believed in and follow the rules of the Church of England to govern their life. Henry VIII looked at how changing religion could change his life by getting him a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. He did not care about how forcing others to change their religion could hurt them. Catholics were treated horribly because of Henry VIII’s choice. This is a lot like what Crusoe did with Friday he forced him to believe in Christianity without any concern for how this may contradict some of his former beliefs or culture.

Conclusion: Historical Reflection and Social Ideology

I believe that the novel Robinson Crusoe is a great form of historical fiction because one can relate it to British history. Throughout the novel, one can examine the similarities the novel has to Great Britain’s history. Robinson Crusoe was written during a time when Great Britain was heading towards becoming an imperial power and was utilizing the trade industry. The character Robinson Crusoe represents the needs and wants of the citizens in Great Britain during the time through his need for material goods and how he was able to use religion to benefit himself. The author Defoe lived during a time where materialism was on the rise and the wealth of a person meant happiness. At the end of the novel, Robinson Crusoe made the island like Great Britain as he based the civilization on the island off British ways of religion and greed. The history of the book can be seen through the four main themes of the novel progress, self-reliance, civilization, and Christianity. Overall the novel is very interesting and it is intriguing to see how Defoe based the character Robinson Crusoe’s personality on Great Britain’s social ideology.

Robinson Crusoe’s spiritual journey is not an easy one. Throughout the novel we see Crusoe embark, not only on a voyage into the sea but also on a spiritual excursion. In this composition, I will be tracing the religious experiences of Robinson, from his first realization that he was lost, to the time of his sharing with another the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In his early life, Robinson Crusoe’s spirituality is pretty much nonexistent. He took comfort in material things such as wealth and possessions. Moreover, when his father tried to give him, “serious and excellent counsel against what he foresaw was his design,” he refused to listen. Crusoe turned from his father and set off into the world with his own plans, working to gain earthly wealth and glory. Each voyage resulted in him learning something new, however, his travels were often met with storms and struggles. At this stage in Crusoe’s spiritual life, he tended to call upon God selfishly when his life was in danger. He would say that he had realized his wrong and then promised to turn from them, but when all was said and done, he would turn again to the sinful life of seeking earthly lusts.

Then, in the clearest indication of God’s displeasure, Crusoe wound up the sole survivor of a shipwreck and was washed up on an island when undertaking an illicit voyage to import African slaves. He saw this as the worst punishment ever given. Nothing worse had happened to anyone in the whole world. His life had ended right then and there on the beach where he lay. He completely glazed over the fact that miraculously, he was alive and liberated from the fate of all the others that had been on that ship. He had thought that he knew all there was to living, and without what he thought was necessary for living; he was ‘dead’. After a few months on the island, the weakness of Crusoe’s crumbling spiritual life is brought to life when he encounters the miracle of the growing barley. Although he cried and gave thanks to God, when he found a rational explanation, he again began to deny the providence of God. However, God used this trial of Crusoe to strengthen his spiritual life and faith.

Nine months after being stranded, Crusoe fell grievously ill. He felt as though he was about to die, but then in the midst of his fevers, he had a dream in which an avenging angel threatened him with death because he ignored the misfortunes that God has sent his way to stir his penitence. He awoke and began to realize his sin and his need to be delivered from them. He came to the comprehension that the storms and his shipwreck were God’s will. It was not simply a punishment for him; rather, God wanted him to find his way to providence by the trials and tribulations he experienced on the island. He began to put God first in his life by taking his Bible the very next day and beginning to seriously read and search the Scriptures. Eventually, Crusoe’s life became centered on his faith. He would study the Scriptures for hours, and continually gave thanks to God.

On the twenty-fourth year of his stay on the island, Crusoe rescued a native South American from cannibals who had come to the island to eat him in celebration of a military victory over his tribe. Crusoe called this man Friday, because of the day of the week on which he rescued him. As they learned to communicate, Crusoe immediately laid down a foundation of religious knowledge in his mind. His prayer was that God would enable him to caringly instruct this poor savage and assist the heart of the poor ignorant creature to receive the light of the knowledge of God in Christ. In addition, he aspired to guide and reconcile him to God using the Bible, which would convince his conscience and open his eyes, finally saving his soul. Ultimately, Friday accepted Christ as his savior, while Crusoe continued to instruct him from the Word. As a consequence, Crusoe documented that the savage became a better Christian than him.

Robinson Crusoe’s spiritual journey was not a simple one. It was filled with twists, turns, and full of contradictions. Crusoe himself started out numb to the religious significance of his life experiences, but as time went on, he became self-aware, repented, and began living a new life in Jesus Christ. Wherever he went, and whomever he met, he did not hesitate to tell them about all Jesus had done for him.

Written during the age of discovery, Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe is often regarded as an embodiment of British imperialistic values and is widely acclaimed by its narrative and realism in its depiction of the narrator’s psychological and spiritual development. In this essay, the major themes in this novel, that somewhat serve as divisions in the story, will be exposed and examined more closely to give an insight on Robinson Crusoe’s ‘hidden’ messages. Survival, self-awareness, spiritual growth, self-sufficiency and colonialism; these topics are present in the novel and none of them are devoid of real meaning and each one passes through a lesson that can be applied to our real world if we look more deeply into the book.

One of the first themes we will find in the novel is the one of survival. Robinson Crusoe has found himself in a deserted island and now has to fend for himself, since he is the only man left alive in this unknown place. His main concern is survival. Being shipwrecked, Crusoe must think about what is absolutely essential for physical survival: tools, shelter, food and water.

At first, he has no clue on how to create and use tools, but he has to rely on his wits and courage, otherwise he will just be one more casualty born from this ill-fated voyage. His determination to live makes him learn how to make things on his own. With his own hands and what little he had with him upon arrival, he starts building a makeshift shelter for himself for protection against wild animals (which were non-existing on the island) and starts salvaging what he can from the shipwreck. With his newly-acquired skills, he slowly improves his crude shelter and starts making his own tools. With basic survival guaranteed, he lets his imagination fly, and that takes us to our next theme, self-sufficiency.

Having secured his basic needs and safety needs, Crusoe starts spending more of his time on improvements to his cave and fortifications. He expands the cave, making more room for moving around and storing his provisions and materials. He builds furniture with the tools he had saved from the ship, and builds shelves on the wall of the cave. He starts making more use of the island’s flora and fauna so as to make his life easier and more comfortable. He grows barley and fields of corn, plants grapes, breeds pigeons, tends goats and milks them, and makes his own clothing.

Recapping, Crusoe lands in a desert island in dire conditions and through a lot of hard work makes it his home. Although he has few supplies available to him, he succeeds in using what little he has to build a comfortable and safe home on the island. Crusoe moves from pure survival in the wild to leading a comfortable and even happy life on an unwelcoming environment, which raises him to a kind of relative prosperity. He even goes as for as to build a ‘country house’ which he calls his ‘castle,’ as a means to escape from his ‘cave-dwelling’ routine. This only demonstrates that Robinson Crusoe has ‘conquered’ the island; he explores it, builds in it and hunts in it. He has achieved control over his own fate, something that he had been longing for before he had decided to set out into his maritime (mis-)adventures.

Moving on from self-sufficiency, we get to the theme of self-awareness. Being on the island for a long time does not make Robinson Crusoe go back to a basic life controlled by purely animal instincts. Instead, he manages to keep himself sane and, conscious of himself and his situation at all times. In fact, the time spent on the island removes him from the ‘civilized’ social world and makes him pay more attention to himself, therefore deepening his self-awareness. In the island, Crusoe learns things about himself that he probably would not have ever known had he not left home. There, he goes through a process of personal growth and maturation.

The novel’s focus on self-awareness is due to the Presbyterian doctrine that Daniel Defoe took seriously throughout all of his life, which has as one of its key points the careful reckoning of the state of one’s soul¬. We can notice Crusoe’s concern for his own state of mind in his mundane daily activities. He eagerly keeps himself in check in several ways. For example, Crusoe keeps a journal to write down every move he makes ever since he set foot on the island. It does not matter how insignificant his activities are, he records everything from simply gathering driftwood by the beach to staying inside his shelter waiting for the rain to stop. Another example is Crusoe’s makeshift calendar. One would think that the calendar’s purpose is to simply mark the passage of time and nothing else, but in reality, it serves to count the days he has spent as a castaway. In other words, it focuses on himself, it is a sort of self-conscious calendar. One last example is what Crusoe teaches his parrot: “Poor Robin Crusoe… Where have you been?” This sentence alone confirms his need for staying aware of himself.

As a way of introduction, The Norton Anthology of English Literature posits that “the final act of translation apparent in 18th century writing about travel and trade is that of imagining and in some cases appropriating, the position of the other”.

Various authors have used the island motif as essential literary devices that shape narratives and perspectives, especially when associated with an imagery of self-rediscovery (Edward Said, xiii; Peter Hulme, 186; Jane Poyne, 12; Bridgette Le Juez and Olga Sprinter, 2). The imagery of islands in literature are symbolic of plot elements, concepts of philosophical theories, scenic metaphors and so on. Fictional characters can find themselves on islands either voluntarily or otherwise. Writers employ this leitmotif in order to expose a character’s retreat from civilization or in order to regain their social and cultural identity far away from the familiar.

This poster will introduce and briefly review the island landscape imagery, both as a field of research and as a pedagogical tool. It will mainly present the materials and activities for lessons on the symbolism of the island landscape used by writers in the 18th century, as well as images and other work produced by more recent scholarship on island narratives. Although the presentation focuses on a fictional setting, there is an actual island, Robinson Crusoe Island, which is the largest of the Juan Fernandez Island, which boasts of a link to Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (Robinson Crusoe: Life on the real Island, BBC News October 1, 2012). The poster will include additional resources for further exploration and inspiration around Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719) and J M Coetzee’s Foe (1986). Images will include pictures as evident as islands and humorous memes about Robinson Crusoe, blogging, iPhone and Black Friday sales.

My argument with the choice of this presentation is to promote the ideas and materials herewith, which can be adapted for use by many different teaching settings and students, with a focus on the “…development of a media-conscious narratology…” (Ryan and Thon 4). Visitors to the poster should leave informed and inspired to find ways to use symbolism in literature in their own teaching. The objective of the presentation is to share information and resources relating to the use of the landscape as a symbol of intellectual endeavor.

‘In all the time of my solitary life, I never felt so earnest, so strong a desire after the society of my fellow-creatures, or so deep a regret at the want of it.’ – (Robinson Crusoe).

In Robinson Crusoe we can see Daniel Defoe wrestling with one of the framing questions of our course: how does one know? Within the novel we see the character Crusoe wrestling with matters of knowledge and truth. There is a continued emphasis on not only knowledge and truth gained through observation—such as learning navigation from a captain or deducing the seasons of the island by recording the wet and dry periods—but also that obtained from the divine: he “gained a different Knowledge” from “a constant Study and serious Application of the Word of God, and by the Assistance of his Grace” (154-155).

Robinson Crusoe written by Daniel Defoe was published in the eighteenth-century, the so called age of Enlightenment. The Enlightenment thinkers turn their back on the traditional authority of the church and focus on the pursuit of human liberation, rights, natural equality and so on. Later with its root in the thoughts of Enlightenment Individualism developed. When it comes to literature, Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe creates a new genre of literature: novel. The major difference between novel and previous middle ages’ prose fiction is its realism which focuses on individual and particulars while the earlier fiction is in favor of the universal. Self-realization is an essential aspect in understanding the individual realism in novel, because the novel primarily concentrates on individual and self-realization, which is an individual development from a personal inchoate state of being to a state of maturity. Self-realization are ‘conceptions of selfhood, self-making and self-expression’.

Just about everyone can recite the highlights of Robinson’s adventures: A man is shipwrecked without resources on a desert island, survives for years by his own wits, undergoes immeasurable anguish as a result of his isolation, discovers a footprint in the sand that belongs to Friday, and is finally rescued from his exile. Unfortunately, all of this is wrong. But more significant than any of these details is that our overall perception of Robinson Crusoe is wrong. The single most important fact about this boy’s adventure book is that it is not a boy’s adventure book at all. It is, rather, a grown-up tale of a man’s discovery of himself, civilization, and God.

Robinson Crusoe’s discovery of the work ethic on the small island goes hand in hand with a spiritual awakening. Robinson Crusoe is not a very profound religious thinker, although religion is part of his education and transformation. He claims he reads the Bible, and he is prepared to quote it from time to time. But he doesn’t puzzle over it or even get involved in the narrative or character attractions of the stories. The Bible for him appears to be something like a handbook to keep the work on schedule and to stifle any possible complaints or longings for a different situation.

It is in the latter half of the novel that Crusoe is forced to live his religious philosophy by expanding his Christianity from an individual level to a social one. During this time, his understanding of the proper conduct of a Christian towards other men is deepened, and he learns to act only after receiving spiritual guidance. It would appear that Defoe fully intended to show that Crusoe must learn to use his religious reason for the benefit of others.

That is to say that self­-realization is not a simple process through which an individual knows himself. It is just the first step of self-realization. After knowing oneself, making changes and finally expressing oneself based on the new identity are crucial to self-realization.

READING DETAILS

Defoe uses first-person narrative to reveal Crusoe’s astonishing experience in his entire life. The narrative shortens the distance between the storyteller and the readers. We read the book as if Crusoe himself is telling the story directly to us. The effect of himself telling the story is that it increases the credibility of the story itself and makes the story realistic. And it is crucial to Robinson’s self realization.

Because it is a gradual process happened inside of someone’s mind, and the information obtained directly from Robinson is the most plausible one in order to analyze his realization. The reader must be prepared to confront his contradictions, hypocrisies and inconsistencies as he tries to develop a set of individual values and beliefs.

Crusoe, wander outside the usual boundaries of society, following his ‘fancy’ and seeking ‘novelty’, and the conclusion is that although reason is useful in controlling our passions and helping us to consider the workings of divine providence, it is not in itself enough to secure happiness.

The process of Crusoe’s spiritual awakening, and his growing awareness of the role of Providence in the world and in his own life, is one of the main themes of the novel. His conversion, however, is a slow, meditative process from blindness to God’s love, to a fear and finally to an acceptance of His ways, resulting in a love of God.

Readers are divided between two opinions:Some accept Crusoe’s total religious conversion and say that after his belief in God he was able to find his destiny . Others say that religiosity, for Crusoe, was used as an escape to justify his hypocrisies and actions.

The reader is constantly reminded of the imperfections of man by Crusoe’s lapses into feelings of self-pity, discouragement and dissatisfaction with his station.

As a conclusion, we can say that the reading is very contagious. Clearly, Daniel wanted to show us how we can handle difficult situations even by learning from mistakes. All human beings must know the value of our dignity and own respect. This book is timeless.

REFERENCES

1. https://blogs.baylor.edu/britlit/2014/01/29/written-by-himself-experimentation-with-ways-of-knowing-in-robinson-crusoe/
2. https://www.cram.com/essay/robinson-crusoe-a-mans-discovery-of-himself/P3CEKKKXJ
3. http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/cg/lt/rb/576pdf/summerville.pdf

Robinson Crusoe was composed by Daniel Defoe in 1719. It recounts the tale of the life of Robinson Crusoe, a man destined to center life society. He spurned along these lines of life and looked to pick up wealth by turning into a mariner, investigating the oceans by boat. He wound up wrecked on an island close to the Mouth of the Oroonoque. The book pursues his life on the island as well as the profound voyage that brought him out of his defiant life, toward an actual existence concentrated on God and the commending of his name.

In his initial life, Robinson Crusoe’s otherworldly life was essentially nonexistent. He would not tune in to his folks or the direction over and over given to him by his dad. His dad cited sections like Proverbs 30.8, “Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches.” Crusoe abandoned his dad. He set off into the world with his very own motivation, attempting to increase natural riches and wonder. He wound up going on various journeys, each showing him something cruising and the ocean. In any case, his movements were frequently met with tempests and battles. Crusoe would state that he had understood his off-base and afterward vowed to abandon them, yet when all was said and done he would go again to the evil existence of looking for his natural desires.

Toward the start of the novel, Crusoe overlooks the alerts of his dad with respect to forgetting about and going to the ocean. This equivalent definitive counsel is given to him by the chief of the main ship the cruises on. Both his dad and the commander of the ship go about as figures of God. By ignoring his dad’s alerts, Crusoe shows his first insubordination to God. “I consulted neither Father nor Mother anymore, nor so much as sent them Word of it; but leaving them to hear of it as they might, without asking God’s Blessing, or my Father’s, without any Consideration of Circumstances or Consequences, and in an ill hour, God knows, (Page 7). This insubordination will later revile and frequent Crusoe. A lot later in the novel, Crusoe alludes to his noncompliance as “ORIGINAL SIN” (Page 142). Crusoe is relating the erring against his dad with the erring against God. In the Bible, unique sin alludes to the fall of man and Adam’s insubordination in Eden.

During his first journey, Crusoe experiences a horrendous tempest adrift. I made many Vows and Resolutions, that if it would please God here to spare my Life this one Voyage, if ever I got once my Foot upon dry Land again, I would go directly home to my Father…”(Page 8). At this phase in Crusoe’s profound life, he will in general call upon God selfishly, when his life is in genuine peril. He rushes to overlook these guarantees and promises to God and his dad once he is out of difficulty.

After Crusoe was shipwrecked on the island and is distant from everyone else, we begin to see an increasingly mindful Crusoe. From the outset, he is irate and disturbed that God would spurn him with such an awful arrangement of occasions. In any case, after a striking fever dream, he starts to understand that the tempests and his shipwreck are God’s will. It is not just a discipline for Crusoe, rather, God needs him to discover his approach to Fortune by the hardships that are to go ahead the island. Crusoe apologizes and starts his new profound life now.

Crusoe starts to question the manner in which he carries on with his life when he is experiencing an ague. He feels as if he is going to bite the dust, and afterward, amidst his fevers, he has a dream. He is informed that since he has not been brought to the apology he will pass on. He starts to understand his transgression and his should be conveyed from these wrongdoings. Through his very own appearance, Crusoe sees the manner in which he carries on with his life, “I do not remember that I had in all that Time one Thought that so much as tended either to looking upwards toward God, or inwards towards a Reflection upon my own Ways; But a certain Stupidity of Soul, without Desire of Good, or Conscience of Evil, had entirely overwhelmed me, and I was all that the more hardened, unthinking, wicked Creature among our common Sailors, can be supposed to be, not having the least Sense, either of the Fear of God in Danger or of Thankfulness to God in Deliverances.”

It would be exhausting if Crusoe just turned into a balanced Christian who never did anything incorrectly after his vision and atonement. Much after this transformative experience, he will, in general, negate himself and his thought processes are not constantly unadulterated. “…I had nothing to do with them; they were National, and I ought to leave them to the Justice of God, who is the Governor of Nations, and knows how by National Punishments to make a just Retribution for National Offences…” (Page 144). Here, we see Crusoe excusing why he should not connect with the Cannibals. He glosses over it as though it ought to be dependent upon God to rebuff the devilish, however later in the novel he engages them, safeguarding Friday. Any reasonable person would agree that Crusoe is apprehensive about his life and would not like to draw in with the cannibal except if he is compelled to. I believe that Crusoe, while he may have had a significant atonement experience, is falling back on narrow-minded practices here. He is utilizing God when it is advantageous for him.

A definitive explanation behind Crusoe’s change and contrition can’t just be credited to his vision or even his blame with respect to the insubordination of his dad. I don’t question that those are a central point in the change however, I’d prefer to propose another factor. I have never been stranded alone on an island, yet I would envision that having no contact with individuals or genuine social requests would drive an individual to get frantic from numerous points of view. Any sign of solace or direction, genuine or envisioned, would be invited without obstruction. we realize this change occurred before Friday entered the image, in this way, during that time, Crusoe was left distinctly with his brain and pets. This would agree with his narrow-minded nature, which we’ve seen again and again throughout the story. His fever dream and vision could have been made by his intuition. I don’t think there is anybody’s right answer, however, I do think that it is important to deplete every single imaginable inspiration and reason in investigating his otherworldly adventure.

In conclusion, Robinson Crusoe’s otherworldly voyage is certifiably not a straightforward adventure. It doesn’t have starting, center, and end in my brain. It brings up a few issues and there is a to and fro activity that is rarely relentlessly reliable. I don’t state that in a negative manner either. Crusoe speaks to the profound fight in each one of us. Regardless of whether one is strict or not, staying static is a hard thing to accomplish ethically and our inspirations aren’t generally as unadulterated as we might want them to be. This epic warrants close investigation and anybody ready to set aside the effort to go down this bunny opening will get familiar with a lot.

Introduction

“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins is a captivating dystopian novel that follows the journey of Katniss Everdeen, a young girl forced to participate in a brutal televised competition. Through the lens of Joseph Campbell’s concept of the Hero’s Journey, this essay critically examines the narrative structure of “The Hunger Games” and explores how Katniss embodies the archetypal hero on her transformative quest.

Departure

The first phase of the Hero’s Journey is the Departure, where the hero is called to adventure and embarks on a journey. In “The Hunger Games,” Katniss’s call to adventure occurs when she volunteers as a tribute in place of her younger sister, Prim. This selfless act sets her on a path that leads her to the Capitol and the treacherous arena where the Games take place. Katniss’s departure from District 12 marks the beginning of her transformation from a mere survivor to a symbol of resistance against the oppressive regime.

Initiation

The initiation phase of the Hero’s Journey involves the hero facing numerous challenges, meeting mentors, and undergoing personal growth. In the arena, Katniss encounters life-threatening obstacles, alliances, and betrayals. She forms a bond with her fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark, and receives guidance from the enigmatic Haymitch Abernathy. Through these experiences, Katniss learns to navigate the complexities of the Games while grappling with her own morality and the burden of responsibility.

The ultimate turning point in Katniss’s initiation is her refusal to kill Peeta, a fellow tribute, as the Capitol expects. This act of defiance not only preserves her humanity but also becomes a powerful symbol of resistance against the oppressive Capitol regime. Katniss’s choices and actions throughout the Games demonstrate her growth as a character and her emergence as a reluctant but influential hero.

Return

The final phase of the Hero’s Journey is the Return, where the hero brings back newfound wisdom and experiences to their community. In “The Hunger Games,” Katniss’s return to District 12 as the victor marks a significant turning point. She becomes a symbol of hope and defiance for the oppressed districts, sparking a spirit of rebellion against the Capitol’s tyranny. Katniss’s actions inspire a revolution that challenges the existing power structure and paves the way for change.

Throughout her journey, Katniss confronts the harsh realities of the Capitol’s control, the manipulation of media, and the brutality of the Games. She becomes a catalyst for change, awakening the citizens of Panem to the injustices they face. Her resilience, bravery, and unwavering determination make her a relatable and compelling hero.

Critical Analysis

“The Hunger Games” effectively utilizes the Hero’s Journey narrative structure to captivate readers and highlight important themes. The novel explores power dynamics, social inequality, and the consequences of a dystopian society. Katniss’s journey mirrors the struggles of individuals in oppressive systems, encouraging readers to question authority and challenge injustice.

Moreover, Katniss’s characterization as a reluctant hero adds depth and complexity to the story. She is not a perfect archetype, but a flawed and relatable protagonist who grapples with her own doubts and conflicting emotions. This adds a layer of realism to the narrative and allows readers to empathize with her struggles.

Conclusion

“The Hunger Games” masterfully employs the Hero’s Journey to tell a compelling and thought-provoking story. Katniss Everdeen’s transformation from a reluctant tribute to a symbol of rebellion against the Capitol demonstrates the power of the hero archetype. Through her journey, the novel explores themes of resistance, sacrifice, and the human spirit’s resilience in the face of oppression.

“The Hunger Games” resonates with readers by blending action, suspense, and social commentary. By following Katniss’s path through the Departure, Initiation, and Return, readers are taken on a transformative journey that challenges the status quo and encourages reflection on societal issues. Suzanne Collins’ creation of Katniss as a heroic figure offers a powerful critique of oppressive systems and inspires readers to question authority, fight for justice, and find their own inner hero.

In most tales, there is an epic quest played out by a protagonist character. This character can be openly declared as the hero, or be a simplistic and mundane person who unintentionally takes the hero role. In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins ends up being that hero and works through a wild crusade he never consummately signed up for.

Our narrative begins with a Hobbit living within the beautiful shire. He lives in tranquillity in his hobbit home, safe from the uncertainties of the world. He believes he is content, after all, he is reverenced and positively relishes his seven meals and comfortable lifestyle. That is until his call to adventure presents itself to him in the form of Gandalf the wizard. Gandalf and Bilbo share a brief conversation. All seems well until the wizard indicates an adventure to be had “I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.”(Tolkien 4) Bilbo is disturbed by this and urges Gandalf to depart. This is the refusal of his adventure “Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. Not today. Good morning!”(Tolkien 6) Bilbo instead invited Gandalf to tea and then proceeded to allude to the comforts of his abode once more. Gandalf once alone etches a mark into Bilbo’s door. This mark later caused the dwarves who were looking for a burglar, to stop by and stay for dinner. Bilbo is very displeased but somewhere in the mayhem and teasing, he accedes to go along on this quest for treasure. He runs out last second to join the party and answer the call.

Soon Bilbo commences facing challenges. He and his group find themselves in a cave to rest only to be plagued by goblins. Bilbo gets himself lost in the process and finds himself entirely alone for the very first time. He finds himself uneasy on his own but endures. He stumbles across a lake and in turn, discovers a ring and Gollum. This is his first one-on-one conflict. They ask each other riddles to which clever Bilbo stumps Gollum by asking ‘What have I got in my pocket? ‘(Tolkien 78) Quickly after Bilbo has to elude the cave-dweller, and when he does he has pushed past his first test, of course, there are many more to come. Bilbo’s greatest challenge, the abyss of his journey, is where he has to become one with his adventure. This abyss is Smaug the dragon. During this part of the crusade, Bilbo gives himself many indications to show his maturity and demonstrate his efforts, such as ‘clue-finder…web-cutter, the stinging fly… a friend of bears…guest of eagles…ringwinner…luckwearer….barrel-rider’ (Tolkien 223) This fascinates Smaug to some degree. In this part of the story, Bilbo has to leave his fear and skepticism behind to come out as a more durable person, it is his rebirth. These titles he gained are part of his old self but also his persona.    

Bilbo Baggins is a simplistic sentimental hobbit. However, when a band of devious dwarves and a renowned wizard Gandalf the Grey, arrives at his home with a treasure map in hand, his quiet life is disrupted. Gandalf reminds Bilbo of the stories of orcs, giants, and adventurers being lured into a thrilling adventure. Shortly thereafter, Bilbo was enticed to one of those adventures. Gandalf and 13 rambunctious dwarves devise a plan to use the map to find and steal the Arkenstone and the treasure hoard that resides within the Lonely Mountain guarded by a fearsome and avaricious dragon, Smaug. They opted to choose Bilbo as their burglar. Ultimately, Bilbo agreed to the journey determined to live up to his father’s (Bungo Baggins) legacy that he had left his son.

Bilbo Baggins ‘ viciousness and desire for adventure are being tested as a cold, wet, and hungry party is searching for a meal and a place to rest. Bilbo is sent to investigate the warm light that shines through the woods and comes across three man-eating trolls cooking their mutton. Bilbo realizes that he has three options: inform his acquaintances, kill the trolls, or steal from them. He chooses to steal from the trolls but he’s captured immediately. His dwarf companions are concerned about him, so they end up being found by the trolls. The trolls have a lengthy argument about what to do with the dwarves: boil them, roast them, or kill them. They’ve remained arguing for so long that they’ve eventually turned to stone by the sunrise.

The Dwarves, Bilbo Baggins, and Gandalf were beginning their trip to the Lonely Mountains and encountered the border of the Wild. Gandalf indicates that they’re seeking to get to the Last Homely House west of the mountains — a treacherous journey through the ravines on narrow rugged paths.

They eventually discover the secret valley of Rivendell. When they descend into the forest, their hearts are lightened, and when they hear the music of the elves. The songs seem a little incomprehensible, but the author advises that it’s wrong to think of the elves as naive. The elves seem to know a lot about Bilbo, so he wants to accept their invitation to dinner. The dwarves, however, want to get to their destination.

The journey only becomes more challenging as the party becomes engulfed in a mighty storm— a ‘thunder battle’ filled with wind, lightning, hail, and giants tossing boulders that obliterate the side of the mountains. The two young dwarves, Fili and Kili, are sent to search for a secure place to reside and return immediately. The cave Fili and Kili discovered seems to be ideal; in the middle of the night, though, the back wall opens and the goblins spill out, who seize all the horses and capture the dwarves and Bilbo Baggins.

Fortunately, Bilbo awakes from sleep in time to see the horses being escorted away; he screams, offering Gandalf enough time to escape. The Great Goblin intends to enslave and execute them, but then he comes across Thorin’s sword called Orcrist the Goblin-cleaver (which the Goblins referred to, Biter), and becomes agitated.’ Murderers!’ he bellowed, at which Gandalf emerged a tower of haze and flares. Amidst the confusion, Gandalf seizes the sword and kills the Great Goblin, enabling the dwarves to make their escape in a panic. Dori, one of the dwarves, carries Bilbo on his back but collapses. Bilbo strikes his head, and he’s knocked unconscious.

He discovers himself alone when he wakes up, deep in the mountains. He finds the courage to walk down and down and happens to discover a ring he puts in his pocket. Eventually, he finds himself bartering over riddles at a remote and disturbing lake with a creature named Gollum. Gollum goes to get his ring of invisibility, intending to put it on to capture Bilbo. Gollum discovers that the ring is missing as he arrives at his hideout. He insists that Bilbo must have it and, frustrated, charges the door where he thinks the hobbit is likely to be. Bilbo puts on the ring leaps over Gollum, who was guarding the exit, and squeezes through the narrow passage.

After merely escaping the goblins, Bilbo Baggins eventually caught up with the rest of his acquaintances. With considerable vigor, he tells the story of his escape— but leaves out the information about the ring. Gandalf reminds them that as soon as the sun goes down the goblins will begin searching for them. As they begin hurrying along they are eventually surrounded by wolves (Wargs).

They began to frantically climb into the trees; Dori saved Bilbo and himself narrowly avoiding the jaws of the Wargs. The Wargs are often associated with goblins; goblins may even ride the Wargs like horses. The Orc Chief speaks to the Wargs, and Gandalf listens to their foreign language, revealing that the Wargs and the goblins have a plan to kill several brave people who come home from the south and set out.

There are orcs around all the trees, and Gandalf knows they have to escape Out of pinecones, he makes fireballs and throws them at the Wargs. The Wargs, of course, hate fire, and a great commotion ensues— a commotion that the Lord of the Eagles notices. The eagles take them to their eyrie (nest) and feed them rabbits and small sheep. They plan to take the group as far south as possible without creating conflict with the humans who disapprove of the eagles’ occasional raids on their sheep.

The eagles take the party as far south as they can to the Carrock. Gandalf informs them of his plans to leave early, but first, he introduces them to ‘Somebody,’ who happens to be a skin-changer called Beorn. He’s human by day (very much like an Anglo-Saxon) and a large black bear by night.

Beorn takes the party to his hall where he serves them and then disappears for a couple of days. Once he comes back, they discover that he’s been checking out their plot. He followed their trails back to the Misty Mountains. Beorn offers them his horses, to carry them to the edge of the forest. Once they arrive at Mirkwood, Gandalf advises them to send the horses back as planned, and he offers them the encouragement to stick to the road, ‘hope for the best,’ and with luck, ‘you may come out one day.’ The troops are less than pleased as they watch him ride off into the sunset.

The group enters the dark and barren forest The further they venture, the more downcast and helpless they feel. They encounter a river across the path. It’s too wide to attempt to wade or swim through, and they heed Beorn’s advice not to enter or drink any water in the forest.

Bilbo Baggins saves the day as he discovers an abandoned boat on the other side. They managed to throw a hooked rope to drag the boat over. When they nearly approached the edge of the bank, a giant stag-like beast raced down the path and hopped to the opposite bank, causing the dwarf, Bombur, to fall into the water. They’ve been helping him, but he’s been in deep sleep for days, so they’ve got to carry him.

They are almost out of food and water as they check on the lights in the woods that come from the feast of the elves. Each time they try to approach the elves the lights turn out mysteriously. They’ve tied three times. At the final attempt, the lights go out mysteriously, causing them to be separated.

Bilbo nearly ends up being a spider bait but he manages to kill the spider with his blade, raising his confidence. With a victory under his belt, Bilbo named his sword Sting and went in search of his acquaintances. He discovers the dwarves engulfed in giant spiders’ webs. Bilbo’s got a good throwing arm, so he throws rocks and kills a lot of spiders. Nonetheless, more spiders appear as he kills them.

Bilbo puts on his invisibility ring and lures the spiders away by singing an antagonistic song. Once he led the spiders a considerable distance he double backs in an attempt to free his acquaintances. They find themselves overwhelmed again as the group tries to escape. This time with the dwarves and Bilbo fighting with Sting’s help— and the spiders eventually running back in defeat. The group goes to one of the abandoned elf camps and learns that Thorin is gone He was kidnapped by the Wood Elves and taken to the caves of their king The King thinks he’s an adversary, but Thorin refuses to announce why he was in the forest.

As the dwarves desperately try to find a way out of the forest before they die, they are taken as prisoners by the Wood Elves. Bilbo Baggins quickly put the ring on, so the elves wouldn’t realize he was there. He follows the elves into their cave and observes the dwarves being interrogated. The dwarves do not disclose that they are looking for the treasure beneath the Lonely Mountain. Thorin, as well as the other dwarves, do not want to share their treasure with anyone, even if it means their freedom. Throughout two weeks Bilbo has been searching for a way to save his friends Eventually, he devises an intuitive plan. He will get the keys from the intoxicated guards to save the dwarves from their cells. The empty wooden barrels remained on the banks of the underground river. Such barrels were loaded with food by the Lake-men, taken down the river to the elves, and sent back to be refilled. Now they will serve as escape vehicles for the dwarves.  

In Thor: The Dark World, Thor develops through the Hero’s Journey. He starts off wanting to be the king of his father’s realm, but an attack on Asgard and the love of his life contracting an Infinity Stone teaches him otherwise.

The first part of the Hero’s Journey starts in the hero’s ordinary world; in this case, Asgard. Thor was next in line to be king after his father, Odin. He was eager to be king of the realm and would do anything to protect it. Out of the blue, there’s an attack in the dungeon, and there’s a monster led by the Dark Elves invading it. All of the prisoners are released and an attack on Earth ensues. There is no refusal of the call here – It was pretty much Thor’s job to help. While he was distracted, his father was severely injured by the Dark Elves, and his mother was killed trying to protect Jane, his significant other. Both are adding gasoline to the fire of revenge, and Thor crosses the threshold into the unknown world, Earth.

Next, the Dark Elves, led by Malekith, arrive at Greenwich, near a university. He has to battle Malekit and win, as well as quarantine the Aether, which Jane had originally succumbed to. It was too powerful for a normal human being because it is one of the six Infinity Stones. Of course, Thor wins and forever defeats the Dark Elves, after a long battle. Here he reaches the second part of the Hero’s Journey, where he has to approach the inmost cave and battle it out, to seize the reward.

Lastly, we reach the third part and return to the ordinary world, Asgard. He returns Jane to Earth, happily. Mostly, everyone returns to their ordinary lives. Back at Asgard, after everything, it is time for Thor to seize the throne. Surprisingly, he refuses to claim it. He says he doesn’t need to be king, and says all he wants is to “be a good man rather than a great king.” (Taylor, 2013) The Aether is too dangerous to be kept on Asgard, as they already have the Tesseract, which encompasses the space stone. They give it to the Collector, and the story comes to a close, ready to be continued in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.

In Conclusion, Thor has learned selfishness, and that he doesn’t always have to be what he can. He doesn’t need to seize every opportunity, and it can be overwhelming sometimes to do things people expect of you After an eventful story, he has completed the Hero’s Journey.

Works Cited

1. Taylor, Alan. Thor: The Dark World. Marvel Studios. 2013. DVD.