Up until about page 220(in the Bantam Classic Edition) I was believing every moment of Defoe's story. Yes, it was extreme at certain moments, but it certainly wasn't beyond belief. Who doesn't want to escape the mundane life? Crusoe is merely a person who acted on this feeling of wanderlust that we all experience. Although we all seem to have misgivings about his ability and good luck, I still believe that Defoe doesn't leave any questions unanswered. The details he provides makes it believable as I'm reading it because I know that this "castle" didn't just appear out of nowhere. It was a struggle, and it took years to complete.
Even the description of Friday's escape I'm buying because of the details. However, I get to the fantastical scene where Crusoe and Friday decide to confront the cannibals and I begin to doubt. This otherwise very realistic story suddenly becomes less real for me. This is what I would expect to see in a straight to dvd or made for television action movie. I think that most people would be too frightened to come to the rescue of strangers. It was more realistic earlier on in the story when Crusoe considered saving the victims from cannibals, and then after careful consideration realizes that it threatens his own life and decides not to. The fact that one of the victims turns out to be Friday's father makes me doubt even more(if it was a movie or sitcom--this is the moment when piano music would begin to play as the two hug each other). However, it still doesn't make me like the story any less. I haven't finished the book, so it's quite possible that Defoe will end up explaining this and putting my doubt to rest.
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Though Robinson and Friday's fight with the "cannibals" is more fantastical than his usual mundane life on the island, I still found the event to be believable. It is possible, I am so deep into the book I will believe anything at this point, but at the same time you do have to remember his motivations (which explain why he would take on over 20 men). At this point in the book, Robinson is rather desperate to get off the island and the thought of having more people to help him out of his predicament is comforting to him. Also, in my opinion the fact that one of the captives is a white Christian is a great motivating factor for Crusoe. Robinson has become much more devout with the arrival of Friday and this seems to be a motivating factor to save the captive (along with the fact that the man is white). Finally, we must remember that the "cannibals" are largely unarmed and Robinson as a venerable artillery.
I completely agree with Jacob. I'm usually pretty likely to believe anything though, so I just may be overly convincing myself that it's not unrealistic for him to finally fight the cannibals at this point. Due to his advanced weapons he has a greater advantage over the natives, plus he now has Friday on his side which makes his chance of success greater than before. Looking at the death toll and the amount of people Friday actually killed in comparison to Crusoe, you can see what a great asset he was. I also agree with Jacob that the ultimate reason why he ended up fighting was to save a fellow Christian. Right before Crusoe came upon the natives’ camp he reverted back to his formal resolution about the immorality of killing the natives without cause. He said (in the Norton Critical Edition), "...I would act then as God should direct; but that unless something offer'd that was more a Call to me than yet I knew of, I would not meddle with them" (181). But then when Crusoe realizes that one of the captives is not a native but a "European" he concludes he must fight. As he says, "... I was fill'd with Horror at the very naming of the white-bearded Man...I had now not a Moment to loose; for nineteen of the dreadful Wretches sat upon the Ground...and had just sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian" (182). So his resolution to fight at that moment came about because he felt he had a just cause. He was going to save a Christian man like himself, from a fate he himself spent years of his life dreading. Another factor which differentiates Crusoe's current choice to fight from the other times is that Crusoe is planning to leave the island. Previously, Crusoe did not only fear fighting because he thought he would be unable to kill the natives that landed on his island, but he feared killing them because he was worried about the reinforcements that would be sent in search of the men he killed. He never really doubted his ability to kill 20 natives; he just feared if he killed them hundreds of natives would land on his island in return, which would overwhelm him. But now that he's going to be leaving the island anyway, he doesn't have to worry about that anymore.
Today in society everyone goes out of there way to help each other. We sit next to strangers on the train,the bus and even on planes. For Robinson to be afraid of strangers rescuing him seems like of funny.But i can see where he is coming from that he was secluded on an island for so long with no mortal contact.
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