Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe - King of Nothing

Robinson
Crusoe is said to be the first realistic novel ever, an it is written
by Daniel Defoe. In this novel we meet Robinson Crusoe who is stranded
on a uninhabited island. In the topical excerpt called "the print of a
foot" Crusoe sees a footprint, and he starts wondering if the island
really is uninhabited.



Though Robinson Crusoe is stranded on a island in the middle of
nowhere without any facilities, he is not a desperate man in any way.
He sees himself as a king or an emperor, an feels kind of free, despite
the limited geographical space. Crusoe also says "I had neither the lust
of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or the pride of life. I had nothing
to covet, for I had all that I was now capable of enjoying". The fact
that the environment around Crusoe has been changed completely, has also
changed his way of thinking. Women has been less importaint, which is
naturale since there are no women around. But we can also see how the
lack of material things, forces Crusoe to focus on other tings and get
other values. He starts thinking and reflecting about life and his own
surroundings. Crusoe becomes pleased with the fact that he has
everything he needs on the island, and he uses only what is needed;
nothing more. The religious aspect of Robinson Crusoe should be
mentioned. Crusoe thinks a lot about God and the Devil. He looks upon
every positive ting, such as the rich nature, as gifts from God. Crusoe
is very thankfull to this, and he is happy that he is able to consider
what he enjoed, rather then what he wanted. But also the Devil was
something he beleaved existed. This shows when Crusoe one day sees the
footprint in the sand, and first thinks that it must be the Devil. After
some time though, he concludes that this can not be right. It must have
someother explanation...

Of course Robinson Crusoe can
be seen as "an ideal of individual enterprise empire-building". Crusoe
fights the nature and manage to live well on a island all by himselfe.
He also take care of the environment in a good way. But in all this, I
also think there is a fundamental thought of power, which we can be
critical to. Crusoe thinks it is nice to be "king" on the island. Is it
really right of a man to take command of a aeria, which does not belong
to him. And why is it that just this thought of power is so importaint
to us?

Was Robinsion Crusoe one of the early
(involuntary) colonists. At least we find some of the same thoughts
represented in Robinson Crusoe, as we find among the colonists. Thoughts
which have made the world devided into two parts. One part of power;
and one of powerty...