Robinson Crusoe is a classic story about survival, not of spiritual growth. It contains hints of colonial anxiety - or lets say colonial supremacy -, which do not diminish after isolation from humans for two and a half decades. It was originally published with Crusoe as the author himself, but was later traced to Defoe. It is inspired by the true story of Alexander Selkirk.
I first read a passage from the book at age ten in a textbook. It - along with Stevenson’s Travel (a poem) - made an impact on me to travel and see the world, experience it rather than just read it. Now, thirty years later after finishing the book, I feel indifferent towards it. Crusoe’s narration lacks depth on any subject while mentioning many subjects in passing about human societies. Some may attribute this to the novel's early form, but I find it more telling as a character study of a man who refuses to grow..
The few other books that I have read on sea voyages - Moby Dick, survival - Life of Pi, show a much deeper character growth. Ahab comes to repent his egoistic chase for Moby Dick and Pi grows from a playful teenager to a philosopher who justifies cannibalism with substituted images. Robinson Crusoe uses imaginations to portray himself as a bigger than life character by sitting at the imagined throne where his flock are reduced to his mere subjects.
In its superficial read, it touches many aspects of the society of the times - religious, parochial, and a feeling of supremacy of their own kind. In Moby Dick, Ishmael takes us in the journey of tying the knots, and feeling the wind. Piscine Patel makes us gaze at the stars with him while lying awake in his boat, to make our own existence seem trivial. Humility doesn’t grow in Crusoe, even after Friday shows him other ways of living or thinking about life. Crusoe was always busy counting something - days, seasons, years, flocks, millets, etc. - but never details the process of anything.
The theological discussion between Friday and Crusoe about God not killing the devil probably represents Kandiaronk’s discussion (The Dawn of Everything, by David Graeber) with his colonial peers. The European powers were unaccepting of Kandiaronk’s thoughts and revelations. They had judged him backward and incapable of brainstorming about life and death with his tribe. Like in reality, even in fiction the supremacy of religion and their own beliefs brushes aside the native’s query without actually being addressed. Crusoe goes further and undergoes a private, self-focused religious conversion, but this never translates into genuine humility or respect for others—especially non-Europeans.
Crusoe justifies seeking penance in real life as a necessity for salvation, and he does that in private to himself, never shares with Friday. He mentions his reading of The Bible fervently numerous times in this marooned place, and his treatment of Friday shows correctly that he read the Bible, never understood it. His saving of Friday’s father is an unselfish act but it probably was undertaken to gain Friday’s gratitude and service - transactional again as the merchants from Europe to the world were in those times. But, he is also condescending and treats Friday and his father subserviently after meeting Spaniards. He asks the Spaniards to supervise Friday and his father during the cultivation season. Its quite distressing because I feel after so many years of no human contact, he should have appreciated that we are all the same in nature. But, he immediately assumes Spaniards to be superior to a companion of one year or so.
Crusoe’s ego is all over the book in how he teaches the parrot to speak, how he maintains his flocks, learnt to cultivate and could easily - and I believe rightfully assumes - take the cannibals with his advanced warfare. He never explains these in detail but mentions them as a list of accomplishments. It is his ego that prevents him from exploring further rules of cannibalism with Friday after learning that they only eat the conquered, not the equals. Whether from ego or simple incuriosity, Crusoe never presses Friday on the rules of cannibalism beyond what serves his own comfort. He learns just enough to reassure himself of his own moral superiority.
Its only towards the end when he is about to leave the island that he expresses any emotions towards his flocks, and what he would miss from the island. Crusoe follows the hero’s journey as he comes to rescue the captain in the end, trade freedom of the misbehaving crew. This is demonstrated as his character growth from being helpless when he arrived twenty eight years ago, and no one to help him or had no idea how to function. But, he survived enough to be magnanimous towards his own kind.
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📝 Original Draft
Widely acclaimed as one of the earliest published English novels, it is inspired by the true story of Alexander Selkirk. It was published without an author for a while before Daniel Defoe was recognised as its author.
I first read a passage from Robinson Crusoe at age 10 in a class textbook. Left a lasting impression on me, and aroused a curiosity and dream to travel along with the open Travel by R.L. Stevenson. A short story was inspirational, but the whole book quite philosophical in many aspects.
Twenty eight years on an island by himself for most of the time, the book covers many spiritual/religious aspects of Christianity. This unsurprising considering that Europe and Britain were beginning their golden age after centuries of dark ages. Renaissance scholars and thinkers had criticised the church and asked for reason to govern humans, but seems Crusoe wasn’t convinced yet.
Crusoe is judgemental towards anything different - a trait we humans have even three centuries later, but is eager to learn and grow. He doesn’t shut down Friday’s criticism about God immediately not killing the devil, but ponders on it till he finds reason in Salvation and penance - a concept probably borrowed from Hinduism and Buddhism via the Arabs.
Crusoe briefly shows a glimpse of Cannibal life or what we now call natives. He is pleasantly surprised at learning the rules of cannibalism - you eat only the conquered, not brethren. He respects the natural bond between father and son, and liberates Friday’s father from captivity. He is awed by the alacrity of Friday’s grave digging, and his new found love of non-human flesh and fruits.
But, he is also condescending and treats them subversively after meeting Spaniards. He asks the Spaniards to supervise Friday and his father during the cultivation season. Its quite distressing because I feel after so many years of no human contact, he should have appreciated that we are all the same in nature. But, he immediately assumes Spaniards to be superior to a companion of one year or so. Unlike Moby Dick’s Ishmael, Crusoe doesn’t come across as thoughtful of his own actions. Its also different from other stories you read about change in people’s perspective after living alone or finding religion or spirituality.
Crusoe also follows the hero’s journey as he comes to rescue the captain in the end, trade freedom of the misbehaving crew. This is demonstrated as his character growth from being helpless when he arrived twenty eight years ago, and no one to help him or had no idea how to function. But, he survived enough to be magnanimous towards his own kind.
Like every human, he believes himself to be the center of anything and seeks royalty. He compensates this in imagining his flock of animals as his court, always assuming himself to be the throne. Isn’t the human imagination which keeps us all alive even in the worse situation?
What fascinates me is also the archaic English in the book. Probably its the hangover from Dennett’s From Bacteria to Bach, but Dennett’s reasoning for language evolution can be evidenced from reading this English.
🤖 AI Feedback 1
This is a thoughtful and deeply personal review, and it has the bones of a strong piece of critical writing. However, it also suffers from a few structural, analytical, and stylistic weaknesses that hold it back from being as incisive as it could be. Below is an honest, constructive critique, broken down by strengths and areas for improvement.
Strengths
Personal Engagement You ground the review in your own reading history (age 10, textbook, lasting impression), which gives it authenticity and emotional resonance. This is not a dry academic summary—it's a lived response.
Comparative Instincts You make interesting connections: to Travel by R.L. Stevenson, to Moby Dick’s Ishmael, to Dennett’s theory of language evolution. These show a wide reading range and a desire to place Robinson Crusoe in a broader intellectual context.
Critical Eye on Colonial and Religious Themes You don't shy away from Crusoe’s condescension, his treatment of Friday and the Spaniards, or the theological tensions in the book. This is the most valuable part of your review—you are questioning the protagonist’s morality, not just summarising the plot.
Attention to Language Noting the archaic English and linking it to Dennett’s theory of language evolution is a fresh angle, even if underexplored.
Areas for Improvement
1. Lack of Clear Thesis or Structure
The review reads like a series of observations in chronological order, but it lacks a unifying argument. What is your central claim about the book? Is it about Crusoe’s hypocrisy? The limits of isolation as a moral teacher? The book’s theological contradictions? Without a thesis, the review feels like notes toward an essay rather than a finished piece.
Suggestion: Open with a clear, arguable statement—e.g., “Robinson Crusoe is often read as a story of survival and spiritual growth, but it is equally a portrait of colonial anxiety, where isolation fails to erase the protagonist’s deep-seated prejudices.” Then structure each paragraph to support that claim.
2. Underdeveloped Critique of Crusoe’s Hypocrisy
You note that Crusoe is “condescending” and treats Friday and his father as subordinate to the Spaniards. This is a sharp observation, but you don’t dig into why this matters. Is Defoe endorsing or critiquing this? Is Crusoe a product of his time, or is Defoe subtly undermining him? You raise the question but don’t explore it.
Suggestion: Compare Crusoe’s behaviour to other shipwreck narratives (e.g., The Tempest’s Prospero) or to Enlightenment ideals of universal humanity (Locke, Rousseau). That would sharpen your critique.
3. Unclear or Uneven Use of Comparisons
The Moby Dick comparison is intriguing but dropped too quickly. What exactly does Ishmael do that Crusoe doesn’t? Be specific.
The Dennett reference at the end is fascinating but feels tacked on. How does archaic English illustrate his theory? You need at least one example from the text (e.g., syntax, vocabulary, rhythm) to make this work.
Suggestion: Either develop each comparison fully or cut the less relevant ones. A review doesn’t need to reference everything you’ve read—only what illuminates the book.
4. Tonal Inconsistency
The review shifts between:
Personal memoir (“I first read...”)
Literary analysis (“Crusoe is judgemental...”)
Philosophical commentary (“Isn’t human imagination...”)
Linguistic theory (“Dennett’s reasoning...”)
These are all valid modes, but they don’t cohere. The rhetorical question about imagination, for instance, feels like a digression rather than a conclusion.
Suggestion: Decide on a dominant register. If you want to be analytical, keep the personal reflections to the introduction and conclusion. If you want to be meditative, own that and structure the whole piece around it.
5. Factual/Historical Slight Imprecision
You say the book was published “without an author for a while” – actually, it was published with a fictional narrator (Crusoe himself), not anonymously in the usual sense. Defoe’s authorship was suspected but not confirmed until later.
“Europe and Britain were beginning their golden age after centuries of dark ages” – this is a very broad and outdated framing. The Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment were not a single “golden age,” and the “dark ages” label is disputed by historians.
Suggestion: Be more precise or avoid sweeping historical claims unless you’re prepared to defend them.
6. Conclusion Feels Abrupt
The final line about Dennett and language is interesting but doesn’t tie back to your earlier themes (Crusoe’s morality, colonialism, survival). The review ends on a note that feels unrelated to the rest.
Suggestion: End with a reflection on what Robinson Crusoe still teaches us today—about isolation, prejudice, or the limits of self-reliance. That would give the review a stronger closing punch.
Overall Verdict
This is a promising, intelligent, and morally engaged review. It shows that you’ve read the book carefully and thought about it in relation to larger ideas. However, it reads like a first draft—rich in observations but lacking in focus and development. With a clearer thesis, tighter comparisons, and a more consistent tone, this could become a compelling piece of criticism.
Grade (as is): B/B+ Potential with revision: A-
📝 Revised Draft 1
Robinson Crusoe is a classic story about survival, not of spiritual growth. It contains hints of colonial anxiety - or lets say colonial supremacy -, which do not diminish after isolation from humans for two and a half decades. It was originally published with Crusoe as the author himself, but was later traced to Defoe. It is inspired by the true story of Alexander Selkirk.
I first read a passage from the book at age ten in a textbook. It - along with Stevenson’s Travel (a poem) - made an impact on me to travel and see the world, experience it rather than just read it. Now, thirty years later after finishing the book, I feel indifferent towards it. The book lacks depth on any subject while mentioning many subjects in passing about human societies. It’s superficial read could be attributed to early days of novel publishing. In its superficial read, it touches many aspects of the society of the times - religious, parochial, and a feeling of supremacy of their own kind.
The few other books that I have read on sea voyages - Moby Dick, survival - Life of Pi, show a much deeper character growth. Ahab comes to repent his egoistic chase for Moby Dick and Pi grows from a playful teenager to a philosopher who justifies cannibalism with substituted images. Robinson Crusoe uses imaginations to portray himself as a bigger than life character by sitting at the imagined throne where his flock are reduced to his mere subjects. Humility doesn’t grow in him, even after Friday shows him other ways of living or thinking about life.
The theological discussion between Friday and Crusoe is probably represents Kandiaronk’s discussion (The Dawn of Everything, by David Graeber) with his colonial peers. Like in reality, even in fiction the supremacy of religion and their own beliefs brushes aside the native’s query without actually being addressed. Crusoe justifies penance in real life as a necessity for salvation, and he does that in private to himself, never shares with Friday.
But, he is also condescending and treats Friday and his father subserviently after meeting Spaniards. He asks the Spaniards to supervise Friday and his father during the cultivation season. It’s quite distressing because I feel after so many years of no human contact, he should have appreciated that we are all the same in nature. But, he immediately assumes Spaniards to be superior to a companion of one year or so.
Crusoe’s ego is all over the book in how he teaches the parrot to speak, how he maintains his flocks, learnt to cultivate and could easily - and I believe rightfully guesses - take the cannibals with his advanced warfare. He never explains these in detail but mentions them as a list of accomplishments. It is his ego that prevents him from exploring further rules of cannibalism with Friday after learning that they only eat the conquered, not the equals.
Its only towards the end when he is about to leave the island that he expresses any emotions towards his flocks, and what he would miss from the island. Crusoe follows the hero’s journey as he comes to rescue the captain in the end, trade freedom of the misbehaving crew. This is demonstrated as his character growth from being helpless when he arrived twenty eight years ago, and no one to help him or had no idea how to function. But, he survived enough to be magnanimous towards his own kind.
🤖 AI Feedback 2
This is a significant improvement over your first draft. You've sharpened your thesis, cut some digressions, and added more concrete evidence from the text. The review now has a clear critical spine: Crusoe is a story of survival, not spiritual growth, and its protagonist remains egoistic and colonial in mindset throughout.
That said, there are still areas where the argument could be tighter, the evidence more precise, and the prose more polished. Below is an honest, constructive critique.
Overall Assessment
Grade: B+ Verdict: A thoughtful, well-argued critical review that makes a contrarian case against the book's conventional reading. It is marred only by some underdeveloped comparisons, a few leaps in logic, and a slightly disjointed PS section.
Strengths
1. Clear, Provocative Thesis
You state upfront: "Robinson Crusoe is a classic story about survival, not of spiritual growth." This is a bold claim that challenges the mainstream reading of the book (often taught as a spiritual allegory). You then support it consistently throughout.
2. Strong Comparative Framework
The comparisons to Moby Dick and Life of Pi are now more purposeful—you use them to highlight what Crusoe lacks (humility, philosophical growth, self-reflection). This is much more effective than in v1.
3. Concrete Textual Evidence
You now cite specific moments:
The parrot teaching
The flock as "subjects"
The Spaniards supervising Friday and his father
The theological discussion brushed aside
This anchors your critique in the text rather than in general impressions.
4. Critical Engagement with Colonial and Religious Themes
Your reference to Kandiaronk (via Graeber) adds intellectual heft. You're connecting Crusoe to real historical dialogues about indigenous critique of European religion—this is a sophisticated move.
5. Improved Conclusion
Ending with the hero's journey and Crusoe's magnanimity toward "his own kind" neatly reinforces your thesis about his unchanged colonial ego.
Areas for Improvement
1. The Claim That the Book "Lacks Depth" Is Under-Explored
You say: "The book lacks depth on any subject while mentioning many subjects in passing." This is a strong claim, but you don't fully prove it. You show that Crusoe is shallow as a character, but does the book itself lack depth? Defoe may be depicting a shallow man to critique him—intentional shallowness is not the same as authorial shallowness.
Suggestion: Clarify whether you mean Crusoe lacks depth or Defoe's writing lacks depth. If the latter, engage with counterarguments (e.g., scholars who read the book as a rich allegory of economic individualism, Puritan self-examination, or colonial desire).
2. The Kandiaronk Reference Is Undeveloped
You mention Kandiaronk's discussions with colonial peers, but you don't explain what those discussions were about or how they parallel Friday and Crusoe's exchange. This reference will be opaque to readers unfamiliar with Graeber.
Suggestion: Add one sentence summarising Kandiaronk's critique (e.g., "Kandiaronk famously challenged European missionaries on the irrationality of their theology, much as Friday questions why God doesn't kill the devil"). That would make the connection land.
3. The "Survival vs. Spiritual Growth" Binary Is Too Neat
You argue Crusoe doesn't grow spiritually. But he does pray, read the Bible, and experience what he calls "providential" moments. You acknowledge this in v1 ("he finds reason in Salvation and penance") but in v2 you dismiss it. Is it possible he grows religiously but not morally (especially toward others)? That would be a more nuanced position.
Suggestion: Refine your thesis to: "Crusoe undergoes a private, self-focused religious conversion, but this never translates into genuine humility or respect for others—especially non-Europeans." That would make your critique harder to refute.
4. The "Ego as Prevention of Exploration" Claim Needs Evidence
You write: "It is his ego that prevents him from exploring further rules of cannibalism with Friday." This is an interesting psychological reading, but you don't show from the text that he actively avoids the topic. Maybe he simply doesn't think to ask—or Defoe didn't think to include it. Be careful not to over-psychologise Crusoe without textual support.
Suggestion: Quote or paraphrase a moment where Crusoe shuts down Friday's line of questioning or changes the subject. If none exists, soften the claim: "Crusoe shows no curiosity about Friday's worldview beyond what serves his own comfort."
5. The PS on Archaic English Feels Tacked On
You've improved this section by adding examples ('wert', 'bestirred', 'fain'), but it still doesn't connect to your main argument. Are you saying the archaic language reinforces Crusoe's distance from us? Or that it reveals something about Defoe's era? Right now, it reads like an interesting aside that belongs in a separate essay.
Suggestion: Either integrate it into the body (e.g., "The archaic English itself distances modern readers, making Crusoe's prejudices feel like artefacts of a bygone era—but they are, alas, still with us") or cut it and save it for another piece.
6. Minor Factual/Clarity Issues
"Stevenson’s Travel" – Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Travels with a Donkey, not a poem called "Travel." If you mean a poem, clarify the title.
"Subversively" – You mean "subserviently" (i.e., treating them as inferior), not subversively (which means rebelliously). This is a significant word-choice error.
"He could easily ... take he cannibals" – Typo: should be "take the cannibals".
Suggested Revisions for a Stronger Final Version
Open with a sharper thesis that acknowledges the religious dimension but reframes it: "Robinson Crusoe is often taught as a spiritual allegory, but a close reading reveals that Crusoe's religion is entirely self-serving. His 'conversion' never translates into humility, curiosity, or respect for others—making the book less a story of growth than a portrait of colonial ego in extremis."
Expand the Kandiaronk paragraph with a concrete parallel.
Add one counterpoint (e.g., "To be fair, Crusoe does save Friday's father and shows respect for filial bonds—but this is the exception, not the rule") to show you're weighing the evidence fairly.
Cut or integrate the PS on archaic English. If you keep it, connect it to your thesis: "Even the archaic language—'wert,' 'bestirred'—encases Crusoe in a world where his assumptions about superiority go unquestioned by the narrative itself."
Proofread for typos and word-choice errors.
Final Verdict
This is a strong, opinionated, and intellectually ambitious review that improves dramatically on v1. You've found your voice and your argument. With a few refinements—especially around the Kandiaronk parallel, the "lack of depth" claim, and the integration of the language note—it could be a publishable or near-publishable piece of criticism.
Keep going. This is good work.
✅ Final Version
Robinson Crusoe is a classic story about survival, not of spiritual growth. It contains hints of colonial anxiety - or lets say colonial supremacy -, which do not diminish after isolation from humans for two and a half decades. It was originally published with Crusoe as the author himself, but was later traced to Defoe. It is inspired by the true story of Alexander Selkirk.
I first read a passage from the book at age ten in a textbook. It - along with Stevenson’s Travel (a poem) - made an impact on me to travel and see the world, experience it rather than just read it. Now, thirty years later after finishing the book, I feel indifferent towards it. Crusoe’s narration lacks depth on any subject while mentioning many subjects in passing about human societies. Some may attribute this to the novel's early form, but I find it more telling as a character study of a man who refuses to grow..
The few other books that I have read on sea voyages - Moby Dick, survival - Life of Pi, show a much deeper character growth. Ahab comes to repent his egoistic chase for Moby Dick and Pi grows from a playful teenager to a philosopher who justifies cannibalism with substituted images. Robinson Crusoe uses imaginations to portray himself as a bigger than life character by sitting at the imagined throne where his flock are reduced to his mere subjects.
In its superficial read, it touches many aspects of the society of the times - religious, parochial, and a feeling of supremacy of their own kind. In Moby Dick, Ishmael takes us in the journey of tying the knots, and feeling the wind. Piscine Patel makes us gaze at the stars with him while lying awake in his boat, to make our own existence seem trivial. Humility doesn’t grow in Crusoe, even after Friday shows him other ways of living or thinking about life. Crusoe was always busy counting something - days, seasons, years, flocks, millets, etc. - but never details the process of anything.
The theological discussion between Friday and Crusoe about God not killing the devil probably represents Kandiaronk’s discussion (The Dawn of Everything, by David Graeber) with his colonial peers. The European powers were unaccepting of Kandiaronk’s thoughts and revelations. They had judged him backward and incapable of brainstorming about life and death with his tribe. Like in reality, even in fiction the supremacy of religion and their own beliefs brushes aside the native’s query without actually being addressed. Crusoe goes further and undergoes a private, self-focused religious conversion, but this never translates into genuine humility or respect for others—especially non-Europeans.
Crusoe justifies seeking penance in real life as a necessity for salvation, and he does that in private to himself, never shares with Friday. He mentions his reading of The Bible fervently numerous times in this marooned place, and his treatment of Friday shows correctly that he read the Bible, never understood it. His saving of Friday’s father is an unselfish act but it probably was undertaken to gain Friday’s gratitude and service - transactional again as the merchants from Europe to the world were in those times. But, he is also condescending and treats Friday and his father subserviently after meeting Spaniards. He asks the Spaniards to supervise Friday and his father during the cultivation season. Its quite distressing because I feel after so many years of no human contact, he should have appreciated that we are all the same in nature. But, he immediately assumes Spaniards to be superior to a companion of one year or so.
Crusoe’s ego is all over the book in how he teaches the parrot to speak, how he maintains his flocks, learnt to cultivate and could easily - and I believe rightfully assumes - take the cannibals with his advanced warfare. He never explains these in detail but mentions them as a list of accomplishments. It is his ego that prevents him from exploring further rules of cannibalism with Friday after learning that they only eat the conquered, not the equals. Whether from ego or simple incuriosity, Crusoe never presses Friday on the rules of cannibalism beyond what serves his own comfort. He learns just enough to reassure himself of his own moral superiority.
Its only towards the end when he is about to leave the island that he expresses any emotions towards his flocks, and what he would miss from the island. Crusoe follows the hero’s journey as he comes to rescue the captain in the end, trade freedom of the misbehaving crew. This is demonstrated as his character growth from being helpless when he arrived twenty eight years ago, and no one to help him or had no idea how to function. But, he survived enough to be magnanimous towards his own kind.
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