Sunday, March 27, 2011

Robinson Crusoe

In 1651, the main character, Robinson Crusoe, sets sail against the wishes of his parents. His first voyage is cut short by a storm, but Crusoe decides to give the sea another try. This time it is not a storm that ruins his journey, but pirates. Crusoe is then put into slavery for 2 years, but escapes and finds himself guess where? The sea. This time he lucks into finding a ship with a powerful captain from Portugal, who is able to set him up with land in Brazil. But once again the passion for the sea gets the best of him, and he joins the slave transporting business. But once again, suprise, his ship wrecks and he is the lone survivor stuck on an island he calls the Island of Despair. The experience with owning land back in Brazil helps him out now because he can grow his own food, and he was able to salvage some weapons from the ship so he can hunt also. During this time, he also becomes very religious because the only book he has to read is the bible, which he follows during his time on the island. A band of cannibals come to the island every few years to eat prisoners they have captured. One manages to escape, and is named Friday by Crusoe. Another tribe of natives come to the island and the two kill most of the tribe and save two prisoners, one happens to be the father of Friday. The other man tells Crusoe that there are more men who have shipwrecked, and he leaves with the father to go get them and bring them back to the island. However, before the return, another ship shows up. This ship intends to leave its captain on the island, but the two men side with the captain and some members still on his side and take back the ship. Finally after many years, Crusoe returns to England. He becomes wealthy off of his land down in Brazil which he eventually sells on a trip to Lisbon. After around ten years back in England, Crusoe's love for the sea gets the best of him, and goes back out to sea as a trader in the Caribbean, where he visits the island he was stuck on for so many years.

1- If you were stuck on and island for multiple years, what would keep you fighting for your life? At what point would you think about giving up?

2- At what point would you give up on a dream/passion? Crusoe failed miserably and almost died multiple times, why do you think he kept at it?

8 comments:

Cassie M 11-12 said...

1. It takes a strong person to not give up. I think hope of seeing family and friends again would make me keep trying to survive instead of giving up. Each day that would only get harder, and I'm not sure how long it would take for me to lose all hope of being found honestly.

Kristen T. 11-12 said...

1. This would be difficult and I'm not sure exactly what I would do if I were put into this situation. Hope would keep me going, however, I'm sure there would be a point where I would likely give up all hope. At that point I'm not sure what I would do. It would take a very strong person to keep pushing through at that point.

Kara K. 5/6 said...

1. My family is what would keep me fighting for my life. I would not want to leave them. Family means everything to me, and I would feel bad leaving them in pain if I were to die. I do not know exactly when I would give up, but I am sure there would come a point where a person almost has to give up.

Courtney R 5-6 said...

1) I think that my family and friends would keep me going everyday. The fact that I have people who care about me and love me would want me to continue fighting because I know they'd miss me. Also because I reciprocate those feelings for my friends and family and would definitely want to fight for my life for them. I would try my best not to give up hope at any cost.

2) It depends on the dream or passion. If it is really out of reach, I would probably give up. But I don't think that any one should give up on a dream, no matter how ridiculous it is. I think he kept at it because he had hope and when one wants something, he tends to push himeself until he gets it.

Dana G. 13-14 said...

1) I would fight for my life every day in hope of being saved. If I was not alive I could be saved the next day.

Amanda Z. 11-12 said...

1. As almost everyone said, my friends and family would keep me going. It'd be a huge motivator knowing that the people you care about are (hopefully) worried sick about you and you'd want to make it so you could see them again. I don't know how long it would take for me to think about giving up, though. I'm sure I'd *think* about it soon, but to legitimately contemplate it would, I hope, take longer.

SeanK56 said...

For question 1, I agree with all of you. To add more to question 2, I think it would have to be dozens of failures or coming inches from death to give me a wake up call.

Emily C. 13-14 said...

1. I agree with everyone else on what would keep me going, but being stuck for multiple years would be very hard because for me that might be too ling and to the point to where I lose all hope and font believe I will be rescued anymore.