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Economic
doctrine in Robinson Crusoe.
Although
on the surface it seems that Robinson
Crusoe is largely novel of travel and
adventure, in fact it is not so. Economic
mentality has vital role in his character.
The protagonist in this novel prove
himself to be a potential capitalist.
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In
Dafoe's novel the protagonist
either have no family or leave
the family at an early age
never to return to it. Crusoe
does have his parents with
whom he lives, but he leaves
them from an economic motive,
wanting to improve his economic
condition. The argument between
his parents and Crusoe at
the beginning is a debate
not about religion or about
filial (parental) duty, but
about his economic circumstances.
Both sides in this debate
regard the economic argument
as the most important. And,
of course, Crusoe actually
gains by his original sin
and becomes richer than his
faher was.
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The tendency of capitalism is never
merely to maintain the status quo but
to improve up on its continuously. So
does Crusoe too. Leaving home and trying
to raise oneself economically is vital
feature of Crusoe's pattern of life.
Crusoe never shows any particular attachment
of a sentimental kind to his country.
Crusoe
is not a mere foot loos adventure. His
travels like his non- attachment to
family and to nation, are an extreme
case of tendency which is normal in
modern society as a whole because, by
making the pursuit of gain a primary
motive, economic individualism has considerably
increased the mobility of the individual.
Crusoe's
chief motive in traveling is profit;
he doesn't mind going to the remotest
part of the world in quest of profit.
He is a commercial traveler. Life is
not only the economy but at other aspect
like love, sex, family, friendship all
are needed in common life of anybody.
But if we analyze Crusoe from that aspects,
on his Island, Crusoe hardly ever mentions,
or thinks of women, or sexual desires
etc. because all these aspects of life
core, overshadowed by the economic motive
of Crusoe. When ultimately he rturns
to civilization, sex is still strictly
subordinated by him to business. Only
when his financial position has become
fully secure.
Another
economic lesson from Crusoe's adventure
is that the labor and invention create
useful things and carries on at the
highest point of success. He succeeds
in creating capital. He is labourious
person and does not content with what
nature provides him with. His life in
the Island involves constant moving,
sweating, toiling and racking his brains
to find still more laborious occupations.
The
value of money, imports and exports,
labor, devotion all are forcefully presented
in the novel. Cruseoe's happiness has
been presented at the point when he
is economically prosperous at the end.
So the treatment of economic doctrine
is more important than that the adventure
of Crusoe in Dafoe's novel.
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