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Master and Slave
Master and Slave
Master and Slave
Submitted to :-
Heenaba Zala ,
Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Introduction :-
This novel Robinson Crusoe is written by Daniel Defoe and this is not only novel but more than just an
adventures novel or adventures journey of the central character of this story and that character is Robinson Crusoe who is name of novel also. This
novel includes themes like The Ambivalence of Mastery, The Necessity of Repentance, The Importance of Self-Awareness and motifs like Counting
and Measuring, Eating, Ordeals at Sea, and also symbols like The Footprint, The Cross, and Crusoe’s Bower etc.
About this Novel Robinson Crusoe :-
The importance of this novel “Robinson
Crusoe” in English Literature is that it is considered to be
one of the most important precursors of the novel as a
genre. We can say that Robinson Crusoe is not a novel because
there is no development of character, and no central
conflict to be resolved. Crusoe is marooned on an island
for twenty-four years, left to its natural resources and his
own industry for many years, establishes a two-person
fiefdom by conquering the other inhabitants of the island
and eventually returns home. About this novel Philip
Sidney says that,
Philip Sidney's Views:-
Philip Sidney looks at the writer as a moral teacher and
instruction becomes the chief function of literature and the
novel 'Robinson Crusoe' fulfils all his demands.
[ "I took him up, and made much of him, and encouraged him all I
could..." ]
After this all the things happen we cannot say that
what exactly we have to understand because yet we are left unsure whether
this is due to any essential goodness in his nature or just sheer relief at having
someone else to talk to, for because after so many long time Crusoe have
someone in his life and this is the proof of this that,
"I made a little Tent for him in the vacant Place between my
two Fortifications … I barr'd it up in the Night, taking in my
Friday could no way come at
Ladders too, so that
me in the inside of my innermost Wall,
without making so much Noise in getting
over, that it must needs waken me".
it is obvious and clearly explained in this sentence that Crusoe does not
have one hundred percent trust in Friday, similar to the situation with the
usage of a gun. Because when Friday touches that guns Crusoe
immediately stops him from doing that this shows that he feels fear from
Friday. At first, Crusoe allows Friday to believe that the gun is
“As for the Gun it self, he would not so much as touch it for several
Days after; but would speak to it, and talk to it, … which, as I
afterwards learn'd of him, was to desire it not to kill him."
this cautious level of slightly low trust supports the colonial master –
slave relationship, where the master will not fully trust the slave in his
work. The difference is only this that the master will not praise the slave
for his work.
Crusoe have holds some of the quite a good opinion for Friday. Soon after
discovering Friday and he describes him using several positive comments
like :
"a comely handsome Fellow, perfectly well
made; with straight strong Limbs … tall and
well shap'd … He had a very good
Countenance, not a fierce and surly Aspect;
but seem'd to have something very manly in
his Face."
Crusoe continues describing Friday, but in a way that he is attempting to
convince the reader that he is not what was thought of a typical black
person at the time. The black population contributed to most of the slaves
owned by many Europeans. Blacks were thought of as lower than animals
and were treated adversely by their masters, as if they were mere dirt.
Crusoe is trying to convince the reader that Friday is not a part of that
population, and is therefore trying to raise Friday's level in the hierarchy of
people.
European …
"he had all the Sweetness and Softness of an
His Hair was long and black, not curl'd like
Wool … The Colour of his Skin was not quite
black, but very tawny; and yet not of an
ugly yellow nauseous tawny, as
the Brazilians, and Virginians, and other
Natives of America are; but of a bright kind
of a dun olive Colour … his Nose small, not
flat like the Negroes … Teeth well set, and
white as Ivory."
woolly and black hair was associated with Black people at that time and is
still a characteristic of black people like Friday. It is also symbolism or
shows aster slave mentality in Robinson Crusoe.
this is the time of Defoe and during the time of Defoe he wrote this story
upon very strange and obscure 'science' called physiognomy was rather
popular in that time means during the time of Defoe. First of all let’s
understand this term physiognomy. Physiognomy is the term of the study of
the facial features or expression in order to measure the personality and
intelligence of the person being studied. For instance, deep set eyebrows
would signify that the person had a certain darkness or evilness about him,
and a large forehead with a receded hairline was seen as a sign of
intelligence and wisdom. Here, Crusoe describes Friday as possessing a
high and large forehead, which shows that Crusoe believes that Friday is
an intelligent man. Blacks were thought of as rather menial creatures at the
time; another example of Crusoe attempting to convince the reader that
Friday was anything but the typical black of those days.
Crusoe holds quite a lovely and nice opinion for Friday that,
"for never Man had a more faithful, loving, sincere Servant,
Friday was to me; without Passions,
than
Sullenness or Designs, perfectly oblig'd and
engag'd; his very Affections were ty'd to
me, like those of a Child to a Father"
After reading this all the things reader gets confused about the relationship
between Robinson Crusoe and Friday that what relation they have master
slave relationship or father son relationship.
conclusion:-
So, after reading this all the things we can conclude this topic.
And after this all the things we can say that in this novel or throughout the
journey of Robinson Crusoe and Friday their relationship is build very strong. In
this novel Crusoe and Friday are building their relationship with each other. Throughout the novel two main aspects of their
relationship are,