Robinson Crusoe 4.2

I was removed from the wickedness of the world here. . . I was lord of the whole manor; or if I pleased, I might call my self king or emperor over the whole country which I had possession of.
~     Robinson Crusoe, Penguin Classics, page 139

Defoe's didacticism has renown among my fellow students at least, and the narrator interrupts the plot narration in a very similar way to that of Scott's editorials, although Crusoe is a first-person narrator. He interrupts his various narrative styles with long stretches of religious reflection from his predicament as various hardships or encounters prompt those impulses. It feels very instinctive and true-to-life for those familiar with Christian modes, and yet the utter absurdity of his fear and observation of cannibalism turns the whole story a little farcical. - perhaps not such a strong word -  grotesque? hyperbolic? His fear seems real, but the characterization of "savages" seems exaggerated for violence, and the simplicity with which Friday is converted to goat's meat feels comically misinterpreted.

I suspect that in this, I must blame my contemporary racial sensibilities.

Although the moral meditations might be more to the novel's educational purpose, and a strong reason to allow young boys especially to read it (remembering all those passages from the early chapters when Crusoe bemoans disobeying his father and running off to sea), the novel is clearly fascinated with the ideals of survival - the minimum tools, and a fantasy of what can be done for oneself, as one carries one's civilization within. The wastrel traveler becomes farmer, landowner, goatherd, builder, botanist, landscaper, hunter, slaver, and constable, with moments of doctor and priest as well. The meticulous way Robin's survival techniques unfold and build on each-other nearly undoes all the regret he had for disobedience and torturing his parents. Because finding out what a person can do AWAY from the ridiculous social structures and restrictions of humankind is EXCITING. Hence, Boyscouts.

The final chapters present some complication to the simplistic interpretation as Crusoe's sojourn as punishment for his childhood stubbornness. Crusoe is clearly rewarded for his success on the isle. Though it is dangerous, the emotional reward from success alone is much greater than his financial success in society. He marries and has three children, plus two nephews, but expresses no satisfaction at them, nor much sorry when he loses his wife. The editors include an analysis of Crusoe's source-story, that of Selkirk, and conclude that he lesson learned from the book is a kind of natural minimalism - things can't make you happy, and solitude brings you closer to God.