MAN FRIDAY

This text is about Friday, the savage rescued by Robinson. This man is described by Daniel Defoe from both
the physical and physiological point of view.

Physically Friday is described as a gorgeous twenty six years old man. He is tall and well-shaped, his
characteristics are linked more to a European than to a Brazilian or African. Indeed, he has not a dark skin
but tawny, so olive colored, and his hair is long and dark. Friday’s large forehead let as understand that he
is a smart person. Moreover, he is characterized by a small nose and a “good mouth”, still a characteristic
linked to Europeans.

Talking about the physiological point of view, because Friday is a slave he thinks from the first moment, so
from the rescue, that Robinson is better than him. Indeed, when he is rescued, he puts his head next to
Robinson’s feet and also puts one Robinson’s foot on his head, a sign of submission and “gratitude”.
Robinson behaves as an English colonizer, he taught Friday the language, to call him “master”, to say “yes”
or “no” and most of all he teaches him the modesty.

Robinson also teaches Friday about respect for the dead people. Indeed when Friday brings Robinson to the
place where he buried the men that he killed, letting Robinson understand that they could unbury them
and eat them, Robinson explains to Friday that’s not an usual thing, but some kind of disrespectful act.

In this novel, Daniel Defoe uses a simple and descriptive language, and we can also try to divide the text in
three parts:

- Phisiological description (line 1-12)

- Friday’s personality (line 13-20)
- Behavior of Robinson towards Friday (line 20 to the end)