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Two years later Crusoe finds evidence
pointing to the type of men who left the footprint. Coming upon
a section of the island he has never before visited, Crusoe
discovers human bones and signs of a fire--definitive proof of
cannibalism to his mind. This discovery physically sickens
Crusoe and he spends two years in fear, staying within the small
circle between his two dwellings and his fields. During these
two years Crusoe becomes convinced that the cannibals do not
venture to his side of the island and that he is relatively
safe. Despite this safety, however, Crusoe builds up a
powerful hatred for the cannibals and resolves to kill a number
of them in retribution for their murderous acts. Crusoe sees no
sign of the cannibals for another year, giving Crusoe a chance
to reflect on his desire to attack and kill them. |
Through this reflection Crusoe
comes to understand that the cannibals are not murderers, as he had
first thought, since their actions are part of their religious life.
Crusoe concludes that were he to attack the cannibals, no matter
how brutish their actions, it would be he that was in the wrong.
Crusoe gives up his plan and returns to his life. He remains very
happy and busy until one day he sees the campfires of a group of
cannibals on his side of the island and is once again frightened. |
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One night he hears a gun at sea. The next
morning Crusoe wakes to see a ship wrecked off the island's coast.
He is overcome with the hope that there be at least one survivor,
some person who will be a companion. After a great deal of effort
Crusoe figures out how to sail out to the ship without being blown
out to sea. Upon reaching the ship he finds no one alive and little
to salvage. These events lead Crusoe to consider all that he has to
be thankful for, even in his own miserable situation. Despite the
disappointment that no one survived the shipwreck, the event and the
hope it generated instill in Crusoe a new desire to escape the
island. He considers numerous schemes, rejecting them all. Then,
inspired by a dream, he is convinced that his best hope lies in
saving a native about to be eaten by the cannibals, thereby gaining
a guide to the area. When, over a year later, the cannibals return,
landing not far from Crusoe's habitation, Crusoe keeps a vigilant
watch. Events then unfold almost exactly according to his earlier
dream. A prisoner escapes in the direction of Crusoe's dwelling and
is pursued by only two of his captors. Crusoe rushes out to help the
fleeing native and kills the two pursuers. The native, in gratitude,
pledges himself as Crusoe's lifelong slave. Crusoe names the
man Friday, after the day of the week on which he was saved.
Friday is completely devoted to Crusoe. He is quick to give up
cannibalism, is an eager worker, and an even more eager student of
Christianity. This leads Crusoe to observe that all men are given by
God the same reason, the same affections, the same sentiments of
kindness and obligation, the same passions and resentments of wrongs
and all the capacities of doing good, and receiving good, that he
had given to him.
Once Crusoe and Friday learn to communicate, Crusoe learns from
Friday that for four years seventeen shipwrecked Spaniards have been
living on the mainland near Friday's tribe. These men, according to
Friday, were left in peace, but were extremely poor and close to
starving. Crusoe, with Friday's support, decides to build a huge
canoe and sail to the mainland in order to offer the Spaniards
sanctuary on his island. The two get to work and in six months have
a seaworthy vessel. Before they can set off, however, Friday spots a
convoy of three cannibal canoes heading for the island. At first
Crusoe resolves to fight and kill the cannibals, but as usual he is
troubled by second thoughts. He determines instead to arm himself
and Friday and go to observe, and act only as God would direct.
Crusoe receives such "direction" when he discovers that one of the
captives is a white man, identified by Friday as one of the
Spaniards, and thus a Christian. Wasting no time, Crusoe and Friday
attack, successfully saving the Spaniard and killing seventeen of
the twenty-one cannibals. The other four escaped in a canoe. Not
wanting his existence on the island to become known, Crusoe jumps
into a different canoe to follow. But in doing so he discovers a
second captive tied up at the bottom of the boat and gives up the
chase. This second captive, to the jubilation of Friday, turns out
to be Friday's father.
Click here for part 4 of the summary
of Robinson Crusoe |
