The journal

1 DISCUSS the questions with the rest of the class.

Daniel Defoe 1 What would you do if you were shipwrecked on
a desert island and found yourself in Robinson’s
Robinson Crusoe (1719) situation?
Chapter V, Builds a House 2 What would you miss most?
The following extract is from the second section of the novel. Robinson finds 3 What do you think you would appreciate?
himself shipwrecked on a desert island and begins to keep a journal.

4 September 30, 1659. I, poor miserable Robinson Crusoe, being

3.13 shipwrecked, during a dreadful storm, in the offing1, came on shore on this
dismal2 unfortunate island, which I called the Island of Despair, all the rest
of the ship’s company being drowned, and myself almost dead.
5 All the rest of the day I spent in afflicting myself at the dismal
circumstances I was brought to, viz3. I had neither food, house, clothes,
weapon, nor place to fly to, and in despair of any relief4, saw nothing
but death before me, either that I should be devoured by wild beasts,
murthered by savages, or starved to death for want5 of food. At the
10 approach of night, I slept in a tree for fear of wild creatures, but slept
soundly, tho’6 it rained all night.

October 1. In the morning I saw to my great surprise, the ship had

floated with the high tide7, and was driven on shore again much nearer
the island, which as it was some comfort on one hand, for8 seeing her sit
15 upright, and not broken to pieces, I hoped, if the wind abated9, I might get
on board, and get some food and necessaries out of her for my relief; so
on the other hand, it renewed my grief10 at the loss of my comrades, who
I imagined if we had all stayed on board might have saved the ship, or
at least that they would not have been all drowned as they were; and that
20 had the men been saved, we might perhaps have built us a boat out of the 3 Terry O’Quinn as the character John
ruins of the ship to have carried us to some other part of the world. I spent great part Locke in the ABC television series ‘Lost’,
2005. ‘Lost’ is a dramatic series that
of this day in perplexing myself on these things; but at length seeing the ship almost follows a group of survivors of a plane
dry, I went upon the sand as near as I could, and then swam on board; this day also it crash, living on a mysterious tropical
island somewhere in the South Pacific.
continued raining, tho’ with no wind at all.

25 From the 1st of October to the 24th. All these days entirely spent in many several 1 in the offing. Al largo
voyages to get all I could out of the ship, which I brought on shore, every tide of flood, (ma in vista della terra).
2 dismal. Orribile,
upon rafts11. Much rain also in the days, tho’ with some intervals of fair weather: but, it squallida.
seems, this was the rainy season. 3 viz. Cioè.
4 relief. Soccorso, ristoro.
5 want. Mancanza.
Oct. 20. I overset12 my raft and all the goods I had got upon it, but being in shoal13 6 soundly, tho’.
Profondamente,
30 water, and the things being chiefly heavy, I recovered many of them when the tide sebbene.
was out. 7 tide. Marea.
8 for. Poiché.
9 abated. Diminuiva.
Oct. 25. It rained all night and all day, with some gusts14 of wind, during which 10 grief. Dolore.
time the ship broke in pieces, the wind blowing a little harder than before, and was no 11 rafts. Zattere.
12 I overset. Capovolsi.
more to be seen, except the wreck15 of her, and that only at low water. I spent this day in 13 shoal. Bassa.
35 covering and securing the goods which I had saved, that the rain might not spoil them. 14 gusts. Raffiche.
15 wreck. Relitto.

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Spiazzi, Tavella, Layton PERFORMER. CULTURE & LITERATURE © Zanichelli 2012
 6.8 Daniel Defoe and the realistic novel

Oct. 26. I walked about the shore almost all day to find out a place to fix my 16 proper. Adatto.
17 I resolved to
habitation, greatly concerned to secure my self from any attack in the night, either strengthen. Decisi di
from wild beasts or men. Towards night I fixed upon a proper16 place under a rock, rafforzare.
18 double piles. Una
and marked out a semicircle for my encampment, which I resolved to strengthen17 doppia palificazione.
40 with a work, wall, or fortification made of double piles18, lined within with cables19, 19 lined within with
cables. Rivestito
and without with turf20. all’interno con dei funi.
20 without with turf.
All’esterno con delle
From the 26th to the 30th. I worked very hard in carrying all my goods to my new zolle erbose.
habitation, tho’ some part of the time it rained exceedingly hard. 21 to see for. A cercare.
22 with stakes … upon.
Piantando dei pali a
The 31st. in the morning, I went out into the island with my gun to see for21 some cui appendere la mia
amaca.
45 food, and discover the country, when I killed a she-goat, and her kid followed me 23 chests and boards.
home, which I afterwards killed also because it would not feed. Casse e assi.
24 timber. Legno.
25 fence. Staccionata.
November 1. I set up my tent under a rock, and lay there for the first night,
making it as large as I could with stakes driven in to swing my hammock upon22.

Nov. 2. I set up all my chests and boards23, and the pieces of timber24 which made
50 my rafts, and with them formed a fence25 round me, a little within the place I had
marked out for my fortification.

COMPREHENSION
2 READ the extract and reorder the events by numbering
them from 1 to 11.
Robinson managed to reach the shore after the
shipwreck.
He continued to carry goods from the ship to the shore.
He swam to the ship to get some provisions.
He found shelter in a tree in order to spend the night.
He found the right place to build his house.
He tried to store the goods so as not to have them
spoilt by the rain.
The raft overturned and he had to recover many of the
goods when the tide was low.
He carried all the goods to his ‘house’.
He built a fence around his tent.
He looked for food.
He slept in his new fortification.
ANALYSIS
3 The sea J
FIND references to the setting in time and place.
5 TICK the correct answer. How are the events described?
∏ Through flashbacks.
∏ In chronological order.
∏ Through flashforwards.
6 FOCUS on the character of Robinson. He manages to
overcome the obstacles he is faced with thanks to his
physical and rational efforts.
1 There is a moment when he seems upset. Find where this
happens and explain the reasons for his sadness. How
does he end his reflection?
2 Provide examples of his change of mood by quoting from
the text.
3 What sentences emphasise Robinson’s efforts to survive?
4 Does Robinson have time for intellectual speculation?
5 What kind of man is Robinson? Write a short paragraph.
7 DESCRIBE. The main lexical items in this extract are the
sea, the ship and the fortification. What are they connected
with?
The ship J

4 DECIDE. Who tells the story? What do you call the kind of The fortification J
narrative technique where the narrator and the protagonist
are the same person? What are its advantages?

168 Specification 6 | Shaping the English Character

Spiazzi, Tavella, Layton PERFORMER. CULTURE & LITERATURE © Zanichelli 2012
 YOUR TURN
8 LOOK at the picture on the right.
What do you think were the main problems
Robinson Crusoe had to face on the island?
Why do you think he began to keep a diary?

1–2 Illustrations to Robinson Crusoe, 1951.

Man Friday 1 LOOK at the picture on

the right and describe both
Robinson’s and the native’s
Daniel Defoe attitude.
Robinson Crusoe (1719)
Chapter 14, A Dream Realized
This extract deals with the description of the native that Robinson has rescued from
a group of cannibals who came to the island to perform their rites.

4 He was a comely1 handsome fellow, perfectly well made; with straight

3.14 strong limbs2, not too large; tall and well-shaped, and, as I reckon3,
about twenty-six years of age. He had a very good countenance4, not a
fierce and surly5 aspect; but seemed to have something very manly in
5 his face, and yet he had all the sweetness and softness of an European
in his countenance too, especially when he smiled. His hair was long
and black, not curled like wool; his forehead very high and large, and
a great vivacity and sparkling6 sharpness7 in his eyes. The colour of his
skin was not quite black, but very tawny8; and yet not of an ugly yellow
10 nauseous tawny, as the Brasilians, and Virginians, and other natives of
America are; but of a bright kind of a dun9 olive colour, that had in it something very 1 comely. Attraente.
agreeable, tho’10 not very easy to describe. His face was round and plump; his nose 2 limbs. Membra, arti.
3 I reckon. Credo.
small, not flat like the negroes, a very good mouth, thin lips, and his fine teeth well 4 countenance.
set, and white as ivory. After he had slumbered11, rather than slept, about half an hour, Espressione.
5 surly. Scontroso.
15 he waked again, and comes out of the cave to me; for I had been milking my goats, 6 sparkling. Vivace.
which I had in the enclosure just by; when he espy’d12 me, he came running to me, 7 sharpness. Acutezza.
8 tawny. Bruno.
laying himself down again upon the ground, with all the possible signs of an humble
9 dun. Bigio, opaco.
thankful disposition, making a many antick gestures to show it. At last he lays his 10 tho’. Though, sebbene.
head flat upon the ground, close to my foot, and sets my other foot upon his head, as 11 slumbered.
Sonnecchiato.
20 he had done before; and after this, made all the signs to me of subjection, servitude, 12 espy’d. Vide.

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Spiazzi, Tavella, Layton PERFORMER. CULTURE & LITERATURE © Zanichelli 2012
 6.8 Daniel Defoe and the realistic novel

and submission imaginable, to let me know how he would serve me as long 13 likewise. Allo stesso
modo.
as he lived. I understood him in many things, and let him know I was very 14 sop. Intingere.
well pleased with him; in a little time I began to speak to him, and teach 15 comply’d with. Obbedì.
16 I beckoned to him. Gli
him to speak to me; and first, I made him know his name should be Friday, feci un cenno.
25 which was the day I saved his life; I called him so for the memory of the 17 stark naked.
Completamente nudo.
time; I likewise13 taught him to say Master, and then let him know, that was
to be my name; I likewise taught him to say yes and no, and to know the
meaning of them; I gave him some milk in an earthen pot, and let him see
me drink it before him, and sop14 my bread in it; and I gave him a cake of
30 bread to do the like, which he quickly comply’d with15, and made signs that
it was very good for him.
I kept there with him all that night; but as soon as it was day, I
beckoned to him16 to come with me, and let him know I would give him
some cloaths, at which he seemed very glad, for he was stark naked17. As we
35 went by the place where he had bury’d the two men, he pointed exactly to
the place, and shewed me the marks that he had made to find them again,
making signs to me that we should dig them up again, and eat them; at this
I appeared very angry, expressed my abhorrence of it, made as if I would
vomit at the thoughts of it, and beckoned with my hand to him to come
40 away, which he did immediately, with great submission.

COMPREHENSION ANALYSIS 8 FOCUS on Friday’s

2 WRITE a caption summarising each 4 FILL IN the table with the details of Friday’s behaviour. How would
section of the extract. description. you define it? What will
Section 1 (lines 1–14): his relationship with
Build Robinson be like?
Section 2 (lines 14–22): Face
Hair 9 SAY what the theme of
Section 3 (lines 22–40): Forehead the passage is.
Eyes
Skin 10 EXPLAIN why
3 READ the extract and answer the Nose Robinson could
questions. Teeth be regarded as the
1 What was Robinson doing while prototype of the English
the young savage was sleeping? coloniser.
2 What did the young man do when 5 DECIDE. Are the details stressed by Robinson
he saw Robinson? mainly positive or negative?
3 How did Robinson react? What YOUR TURN
name did he call him? Why? 6 DISCUSS. What leads Robinson to define
11 EXPLAIN
4 What English words did Robinson Friday as ‘handsome’?
how Robinson’s
teach him?
approach to his
5 What did he give him? 7 LIST the other native peoples mentioned as new condition
6 Did he let the man live according terms of comparison in the description of reflects the
to his people’s traditions and Friday. ideology of the
customs? Why or why not?
18th century.

170 Specification 6 | Shaping the English Character

Spiazzi, Tavella, Layton PERFORMER. CULTURE & LITERATURE © Zanichelli 2012