Colonialism, slavery and religion in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe

This thesis discusses Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe in the light of the developments of colonization in the 18th century. Defoe's fictional castaway can be read as an expression of how the author viewed the current events taking place in his society. The thesis will analyze the characters of Robinson Crusoe and Friday as a reflection of the British society and its capitalist and colonizing policy. In the novel, Defoe portrays the picture of the two characters through their social behavior, their relationships, and their spoken words as the slave-master relationship. The present thesis will examine Robinson Crusoe in terms of three main issues; namely colonialism, slavery and religion. As such, this study attempts to provide a definition for each of these terms, making references to the relevant parts of the novel. Underlying Crusoe's relationship with Friday is the issue of colonialism, a theme that is closely associated with slavery and religion. According to the colonial system, Crusoe, the master, represents the colonizing power in the novel, while Friday is shown as a subaltern character who is fully under the control of the imperial power. The significance for the representation of capitalist economy can be seen in the way Crusoe builds the house in which he lives, tames the animals on the island, and prepares the fields for cultivation. On the other hand, Friday has to work, follow, and just listen to Crusoe. Friday, according to this interpretation of Defoe, represents not only the colonized, but also the British working class; while Crusoe represents the industrialist middle class. The main argument of this thesis is that one can read Robinson Crusoe as a reflection of the practices of capitalism and its outgrowth, colonialism, with slavery and religion usually being an integral part of any system in which the principles of capitalism and colonialism are put into practice.