Appearance
Excerpt
Excerpt from The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe
CHAPTER I--REVISITS ISLAND
That homely proverb, used on so many occasions in England, viz. "That
what is bred in the bone will not go out of the flesh," was never more
verified than in the story of my Life. Any one would think that after
thirty-five years' affliction, and a variety of unhappy circumstances,
which few men, if any, ever went through before, and after near seven
years of peace and enjoyment in the fulness of all things; grown old, and
when, if ever, it might be allowed me to have had experience of every
state of middle life, and to know which was most adapted to make a man
completely happy; I say, after all this, any one would have thought that
the native propensity to rambling which I gave an account of in my first
setting out in the world to have been so predominant in my thoughts,
should be worn out, and I might, at sixty one years of age, have been a
little inclined to stay at home, and have done venturing life and fortune
any more.
Nay, farther, the common motive of foreign adventures was taken away in
me, for I had no fortune to make; I had nothing to seek: if I had gained
ten thousand pounds I had been no richer; for I had already sufficient
for me, and for those I had to leave it to; and what I had was visibly
increasing; for, having no great family, I could not spend the income of
what I had unless I would set up for an expensive way of living, such as
a great family, servants, equipage, gaiety, and the like, which were
things I had no notion of, or inclination to; so that I had nothing,
indeed, to do but to sit still, and fully enjoy what I had got, and see
it increase daily upon my hands. Yet all these things had no effect upon
me, or at least not enough to resist the strong inclination I had to go
abroad again, which hung about me like a chronic distemper. In
particular, the desire of seeing my new plantation in the island, and the
colony I left there, ran in my head continually. I dreamed of it all
night, and my imagination ran upon it all day: it was uppermost in all my
thoughts, and my fancy worked so steadily and strongly upon it that I
talked of it in my sleep; in short, nothing could remove it out of my
mind: it even broke so violently into all my discourses that it made my
conversation tiresome, for I could talk of nothing else; all my discourse
ran into it, even to impertinence; and I saw it myself.
Explanation
Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
Context of the Source
Daniel Defoe’s The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1719) is a sequel to his more famous Robinson Crusoe (1719), which tells the story of a man shipwrecked on a deserted island for 28 years. The first novel explores themes of survival, solitude, and divine providence, while the sequel follows Crusoe’s later life, including his return to his island colony and further travels.
This excerpt opens the sequel, with Crusoe reflecting on his inability to resist the urge to travel again, despite his wealth, age, and past hardships. The passage reveals his psychological struggle between reason and an irresistible "propensity to rambling," setting the stage for his next adventure.
Themes in the Excerpt
The Irresistible Call of Adventure
- Crusoe acknowledges that, despite his age (61) and financial security, he cannot suppress his "native propensity to rambling." This suggests that adventure is not just a choice but an intrinsic part of his identity.
- The phrase "what is bred in the bone will not go out of the flesh" (a proverb meaning innate traits cannot be erased) frames his restlessness as an inescapable fate.
The Paradox of Wealth and Dissatisfaction
- Crusoe has everything a man could want—wealth, security, and no financial needs—yet he remains unfulfilled. This critiques the idea that material success guarantees happiness.
- His admission that "if I had gained ten thousand pounds I had been no richer" underscores the emptiness of excess when one’s desires are not material.
Obsession and the Uncontrollable Mind
- His fixation on returning to his island is described in almost pathological terms: "it ran in my head continually," "I dreamed of it all night," "nothing could remove it out of my mind."
- The imagery of a "chronic distemper" (a persistent illness) suggests his longing is not just a passing whim but a deep, incurable condition.
The Burden of Memory and Identity
- Crusoe’s past experiences (his 28 years on the island, his struggles) have shaped him irrevocably. His desire to revisit the island is not just nostalgia but a need to reconnect with a defining part of himself.
- The repetition of "I" throughout the passage emphasizes his introspection—this is a man wrestling with his own nature.
Literary Devices & Stylistic Analysis
Proverb & Foreshadowing
- The opening proverb ("what is bred in the bone will not go out of the flesh") immediately signals that Crusoe’s nature is unchangeable. This sets up the inevitability of his return to adventure.
Irony & Contrast
- Defoe contrasts Crusoe’s logical reasons to stay (wealth, age, past suffering) with his irrational compulsion to leave, creating dramatic tension.
- The irony lies in the fact that Crusoe knows he should be content ("I had nothing to seek"), yet he cannot resist his own nature.
Repetition & Obsessive Language
- Words like "continually," "all night," "all day," "uppermost," "nothing could remove it" create a sense of relentless fixation.
- The phrase "I dreamed of it all night, and my imagination ran upon it all day" mirrors the cyclical, inescapable nature of his thoughts.
Metaphor & Simile
- His desire is compared to a "chronic distemper" (a lingering illness), suggesting it is both painful and incurable.
- The idea that his obsession "broke so violently into all my discourses" personifies his thoughts as an intrusive force, almost like an unwelcome guest.
Self-Awareness & Confession
- Crusoe admits his own flaw: "I saw it myself"—he recognizes that his fixation makes him tiresome ("my conversation tiresome"), yet he cannot stop.
- This introspection makes him a complex, flawed narrator, unlike the more stoic hero of the first book.
Stream-of-Consciousness Style
- The passage mimics the way an obsessive thought dominates the mind, jumping from logic ("I had no fortune to make") to emotional compulsion ("it was uppermost in all my thoughts").
Significance of the Passage
Character Development
- Unlike the first novel, where Crusoe is a survivor learning self-reliance, here he is an older man grappling with his own psychology. His restlessness makes him more human and relatable.
- His inability to find peace despite success challenges the idea of a "happy ending" from the first book.
Exploration of Human Nature
- Defoe questions whether people can ever truly change. Crusoe’s "bred in the bone" nature suggests that some traits are permanent, no matter how much a person ages or achieves.
- The passage also explores the paradox of freedom—Crusoe is financially free but mentally enslaved by his desires.
Colonial & Existential Undertones
- His desire to revisit his "plantation and the colony" hints at colonial nostalgia—the need to return to a place where he had absolute control (unlike civilized society).
- Existentially, the passage asks: Can a man ever be satisfied? Crusoe’s wealth cannot fill the void left by adventure, suggesting that fulfillment is not found in possessions but in purpose.
Narrative Function
- This opening justifies the sequel’s premise: Crusoe must return to the island, not just for plot reasons, but because it is who he is.
- It also sets up a conflict between reason (staying home) and passion (traveling), a tension that drives the rest of the story.
Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters
This excerpt is a masterful study of obsession, identity, and the human inability to escape one’s own nature. Defoe uses Crusoe’s internal monologue to show that some desires are not rational choices but deep-seated compulsions. The passage also serves as a meditation on aging, regret, and the search for meaning—Crusoe has everything, yet he is still driven by the same restlessness that defined his youth.
By framing the sequel with this confession, Defoe ensures that the reader understands: This is not just another adventure—it is the story of a man who cannot outrun himself.
Questions
Question 1
The narrator’s use of the proverb "what is bred in the bone will not go out of the flesh" serves primarily to:
A. establish a fatalistic worldview in which human agency is rendered irrelevant by biological determinism.
B. critique the cultural tendency to romanticise inherited traits as virtues rather than compulsions.
C. contrast the resilience of physical instincts with the fragility of rational, acquired wisdom.
D. foreshadow the inevitable failure of his return journey due to his unchanging recklessness.
E. frame his restlessness as an inescapable aspect of identity rather than a conscious choice.
Question 2
The phrase "I had nothing to seek" is most effectively read as:
A. a defensive rationalisation masking his fear of stagnation in domestic comfort.
B. an ironic understatement highlighting the absurdity of his continued dissatisfaction.
C. a paradoxical admission that material satiety fails to extinguish non-material longing.
D. a subtle indictment of colonial wealth as inherently unfulfilling despite its abundance.
E. evidence of his cognitive dissonance between self-awareness and self-deception.
Question 3
The metaphor of desire as a "chronic distemper" is most thematically resonant because it:
A. medicalises his condition, absolving him of moral responsibility for his actions.
B. suggests his longing is contagious, implying a critique of colonial expansion’s viral nature.
C. reduces his psychological complexity to a physical ailment, undermining the passage’s introspection.
D. aligns his obsession with 18th-century humoral theory, where imbalances caused erratic behaviour.
E. portrays his compulsion as both debilitating and enduring, resisting cure or rational control.
Question 4
The repetition of "I" in the passage functions to:
A. emphasise his isolation, mirroring the solitude of his earlier island existence.
B. underscore the solipsistic nature of obsession, where self becomes the sole reference point.
C. create a confessional tone, inviting reader sympathy for his inability to change.
D. highlight the narcissism underlying his inability to consider others’ perspectives.
E. mimic the cyclical, self-referential pattern of obsessive thought itself.
Question 5
The passage’s closing admission—"I saw it myself"—is most significantly a:
A. moment of tragic self-recognition, where clarity arrives too late to alter his fate.
B. narrative device to preemptively disarm criticism of his irrationality by acknowledging it.
C. rhetorical strategy to align the reader with his perspective before his actions invite judgment.
D. subtle appeal to the reader’s own unexamined compulsions, fostering complicit identification.
E. rejection of the possibility of growth, cementing his identity as static and unchangeable.
Solutions and Explanations
1) Correct answer: E
Why E is most correct: The proverb is deployed to position Crusoe’s restlessness as an inescapable facet of his identity, not a deliberate choice. The passage repeatedly frames his desire as intrinsic ("native propensity," "bred in the bone") rather than volitional. This aligns with E’s focus on identity over agency, which the proverb’s deterministic language ("will not go out") reinforces. The narrator isn’t arguing for biological fatalism (A) or critiquing cultural romanticism (B); he’s using the proverb to naturalise his compulsion as part of his essence.
Why the distractors are less supported:
- A: The proverb doesn’t negate agency entirely—Crusoe still acts—but it does depict his restlessness as ingrained. "Fatalistic worldview" overstates the passage’s philosophical scope.
- B: There’s no critique of cultural attitudes; the proverb is used descriptively, not prescriptively.
- C: The passage doesn’t contrast physical instincts with rational wisdom; it blends them (his "flesh" and "thoughts" are united in obsession).
- D: The proverb doesn’t foreshadow failure; it explains the inevitability of his attempt, not its outcome.
2) Correct answer: C
Why C is most correct: The phrase is paradoxical because Crusoe objectively has nothing to seek (wealth, security), yet subjectively remains unfulfilled. This tension—between material satiety and existential longing—is the passage’s core. C captures this duality: his admission underscores that abundance doesn’t preclude desire, a key theme in Defoe’s critique of human nature.
Why the distractors are less supported:
- A: While "defensive rationalisation" is plausible, the text doesn’t suggest fear of stagnation; it emphasises the inevitability of his desire.
- B: "Irony" is present, but the focus isn’t absurdity—it’s the gap between having and wanting, which C addresses more precisely.
- D: The passage doesn’t critique colonial wealth per se; the issue is psychological, not systemic.
- E: There’s no "cognitive dissonance" (simultaneous conflicting beliefs). He’s fully aware of his irrationality but powerless to resist it.
3) Correct answer: E
Why E is most correct: The "chronic distemper" metaphor emphasises two critical aspects of Crusoe’s desire:
- Debilitating: It’s not a passing fancy but a persistent, painful condition ("distemper" implies suffering).
- Enduring: Chronic illnesses resist cure, mirroring how his compulsion defies reason or time. E encapsulates both dimensions, aligning with the passage’s portrayal of obsession as incurable and controlling.
Why the distractors are less supported:
- A: The metaphor doesn’t absolve him; it highlights his lack of control, which the passage treats as tragic, not excusable.
- B: "Contagious" isn’t implied; the focus is on his experience, not societal spread.
- C: The metaphor doesn’t reduce complexity—it deepens it by framing desire as both psychological and visceral.
- D: While humoral theory was contemporary, the text doesn’t engage with it explicitly; the metaphor’s power lies in its universal resonance, not historical specificity.
4) Correct answer: B
Why B is most correct: The repetitive "I" doesn’t just indicate isolation (A) or confession (C); it mirrors the solipsism of obsession. Crusoe’s world collapses into his own mind—his desires, dreams, and discourse all revolve around himself as the sole frame of reference. This aligns with B’s focus on obsession’s self-centeredness, where even his social interactions ("my conversation tiresome") orbit his fixation.
Why the distractors are less supported:
- A: Isolation is a theme, but the repetition serves a psychological function (solipsism) more than a narrative one (mirroring the island).
- C: The tone isn’t confessional—it’s unselfconscious. He acknowledges his flaw but doesn’t seek sympathy.
- D: "Narcissism" is too pejorative; the passage portrays his self-absorption as pathological, not moral.
- E: While the repetition mimics obsessive thought, B better captures the effect on his worldview (solipsism).
5) Correct answer: B
Why B is most correct: The admission "I saw it myself" is a preemptive rhetorical move. By acknowledging his irrationality before acting, Crusoe:
- Disarms criticism: Readers can’t accuse him of blindness.
- Controls the narrative: He frames his flaw as inevitable, reducing judgment. This aligns with B’s focus on narrative strategy—a common device in unreliable narration where characters "confess" to manipulate reader perception.
Why the distractors are less supported:
- A: It’s not a tragic recognition (he doesn’t suffer from this insight; he’s resigned).
- C: He’s not aligning the reader with his perspective; he’s neutralising opposition to it.
- D: There’s no appeal to the reader’s compulsions; the focus is on his justification.
- E: He doesn’t reject growth—he accepts his static nature, but this isn’t the admission’s primary function. B better addresses the textual purpose of the line.