Main directions of the English Literature in the Early Middle ages

39.Educational importance of the work ''Robinson Crusoe''.At the beginning of the story the main character of the novel, Robinson Crusoe, is an inexperienced youth, a rather light- minded boy. Then he develops into a strongwilled man, able to fight against all the calamities of his unusual destiny. Being cast ashore on a desert island after the shipwreck, alone and defenseless, Crusoe tried to be reasonable in order to master his despondency. He knew that he should not give way to self-pity or fear, or spend time in mourning for his lost companions.Robinson Crusoe's most outstanding feature is his optimism. Sometimes, especially during earthquakes or when he was ill, panic and anxiety overtook him, but never for long. He had confidence in himself and in man, and believed it was within the power of man to overcome all difficulties and hardships. Speaking of Crusoe's other good qualities, that helped him overcome despair, was his ability to put his whole heart into everything he did. He was an enthusiastic toiler always hoping for the best. He began to keep a journal of his life on the island. It is another evidence of Crusoe's courageous optimism. But some critics consider the novel "Robinson Crusoe" to be an exaggeration of the possibilities of an individual man. According to Defoe, man can live by himself comfortably and make all the things he needs with no other hands to assist him. This individualism is characteristic of Defoe. He fails to see that Crusoe succeeds in making most of the things he possessed only thanks to some tools he found on the ship. These tools are made by many other people. Besides, Robinson Crusoe was a representative of the 18th century and he had inherited the experience of the many generations who had lived on the earth before him.There is another character in the book whose name is Friday. The author makes the reader !ike Friday, who is intelligent, brave, generous, and skilful. He performs all his tasks well. Crusoe teaches him to speak English and is astonished how quickly the man begins to understand the language. It is to Defoe's credit that he portrays the savage as an able, kind-hearted human being at a time when colored people were treated very badly and were regarded only as a profitable article for trade.