The Relationship Between Robinson Crusoe and Friday (Review)
Name: David Wang Student No: 0919112022 Class : B Date : Oct 28th,2011 Submitted to: Miss Li Lin
The relationship between Robinson Crusoe and Friday The relationship between Robinson Crusoe and Friday has been examined eagerly yet diversely by a number of critics, especially in recent times. Some say their relationship certainly seems to be like brothers, who go through thick and thin together; Some other comment that Crusoe and Friday have a similar relationship to that of a father and son. Despite of all that’s been mentioned above, I have been given, as many others have been given, the impression that Crusoe is the Master and that Friday is merely the servant who is to serve his Master for as long as he lives. This mater-servant perspective of relationship is stated over and over in the novel, for example, "I [Crusoe] made him know his Name should be Friday … I likewise taught him to say Master, and then let him know, that was to be my Name" Friday, who is merely a servant, is never told about Crusoe’s real name, which manifests a certain hierarchy system, i.e. Crusoe is the master and relatively he is “higher” than Friday, who willingly serves Crusoe. During that era, slaves were named by their colonial masters and this picture is painted out well in the novel when Crusoe names Friday “Friday”, without considering what his actual name might be. Friday, regardless to this, takes this relationship well, though it’s just, ironically, a master-servant one and he actually welcomes and embraces it in a heavenly thankful manner and displays this affection to the relationship so well that Crusoe takes it as a submission to servitude as it is narrated “ he knelt down again, kissed the Ground, and laid his Head upon the Ground, and
The relationship between Robinson Crusoe and Friday The relationship between Robinson Crusoe and Friday has been examined eagerly yet diversely by a number of critics, especially in recent times. Some say their relationship certainly seems to be like brothers, who go through thick and thin together; Some other comment that Crusoe and Friday have a similar relationship to that of a father and son. Despite of all that’s been mentioned above, I have been given, as many others have been given, the impression that Crusoe is the Master and that Friday is merely the servant who is to serve his Master for as long as he lives. This mater-servant perspective of relationship is stated over and over in the novel, for example, "I [Crusoe] made him know his Name should be Friday … I likewise taught him to say Master, and then let him know, that was to be my Name" Friday, who is merely a servant, is never told about Crusoe’s real name, which manifests a certain hierarchy system, i.e. Crusoe is the master and relatively he is “higher” than Friday, who willingly serves Crusoe. During that era, slaves were named by their colonial masters and this picture is painted out well in the novel when Crusoe names Friday “Friday”, without considering what his actual name might be. Friday, regardless to this, takes this relationship well, though it’s just, ironically, a master-servant one and he actually welcomes and embraces it in a heavenly thankful manner and displays this affection to the relationship so well that Crusoe takes it as a submission to servitude as it is narrated “ he knelt down again, kissed the Ground, and laid his Head upon the Ground, and