The Religious Dimension of Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe...

The Religious Dimension of Robinson Crusoe 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 Dale Carnegie handbook of maxims to keep the work on schedule and to stifle any possible complaints or longings for a different situation. Still, the religious dimension is central to Robinson Crusoe.†¦show more content†¦(98) Like a true Puritan, here Robinson Crusoe acknowledges that for him the real drama of life, the stuff that really matters, is internal. Internal guilt is so much more central to life than external affliction. Thus, complaining about affliction misses the point. The task is to earn the grace of God - and ease the guilt. In such a spiritual drama, one’s geographical location is a minor point. Robinson Crusoe’s absence from home is, in a very real way, irrelevant to what life is all about. If the central metaphor of life is the spiritual relationship between oneself and God, in comparison with which all social bonds are basically irrelevant, then we are on islands. So what does it really matter if I find myself on a real island. The priorities of life remain the same. That’s why the central image of this book is Robinson Crusoe’s home on the island, that amazing fortress built on an island where there is nothing to threaten him. He puts more effort into the complex defense works to keep himself and his goods, especially his tools, safe. In the same way, he lives his life to protect that inner fortress of his soul. Working constantly keeps unruly thoughts and despair from invading his inner home. Anything that might threaten that inner fortress, like too much meditation on anything, even on the nature of God, or reading or wonder or whatever is to be kept away as anShow MoreRelatedGhosts And Skeletons By Benito Cereno1909 Words   |  8 Pagesbecause they see power in a black man where they do not usually allow themselves to see it. Refusing to take off the chains put on him by Cereno could also be an attack to his status. For many people, clothes and belongings contained a religious and spiritual dimension. (Buckridg e, 80). â€Å"The slaves’ act of wearing their oppressor’s clothes (or in this case chains) was reminiscent of the belief among some Africans that clothing has spiritual potency and that it was strongly connected to the spiritualRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pagesthe basis of an employee’s age. Not all countries have similar laws. Organizations that view the global environment from any single perspective may be too narrow and potentially problematic. A more appropriate approach is to recognize the cultural dimensions of a country’s environment. Although it is not our intent here to provide the scope of cultural issues needed for an employee to go to any country, we do want to recognize that some similarities do exist (see Exhibit 1-1). Research findings allow