Before leaving the island, Robinson instructs the new inhabitants of the island about how he has led his life for twenty eight years, teaching them how to manage the farming issues on the island and how to deal with the goats. He also informs them about the other sixteen Spanish men who are to come from the land of the savages. He leaves the island by taking his cap of goat’s skin, his parrot and the money preserved on December 19, 1686.
Following a long voyage Robinson arrives England after thirty five years’ absence. He finds
promises to pay his debt. Robinson is moved by the honesty of the Captain. Robinson does not take all the money and thanks the Captain for his honesty and kindness.
In less than seven months Robinson begins to deliver letters and goods from his plantation in Brazil, which pleases him. Later, he goes to the notary and makes the Captain have a share of his profits as a sign of gratitude, and also promises some money for the Captain’s son after his death. He feels he has paid his lifelong debt this way.
With his new fortune, Robinson is puzzled because now he has money to secure, and a plantation that he has to rule as opposed to uninhabited island where the only responsibility he had was to himself. He sends money to the widow that assisted him in England and to his sisters after which he considers his opportunities. He thinks of settling in Brazil, but because he lied to be a papist when he used to live there, he has to convert to Catholicism if he is to live in Brazil. Therefore, he changes his mind and resolves to go back to England and make new relations there that would settle him there as a merchant. For this purpose he sends several letters to his acquaintances in Brazil about his plantation along with some gifts to his partner.
Having been tired of sea journeys and misfortunes, Robinson decides to go to England by land. The Portuguese Captain finds some other merchants to accompany him in his journey.
Friday also accompanies him during all this process, but he is totally shocked by the change of climate. During the journey, the weather gets so cold and snowy that it is impossible for them to proceed, but they learn from a French man that a guide can help them get to France following a different route. Robinson and the others accept this, and the guide warns them to be fully armed to prevent themselves from the attack of wild animals.
The troop of men follow the new guide, but after some time, they encounter snow again, yet they can at least proceed. The guide leads the way about half a mile in front of them. All of a sudden, they hear the cries of the guide upon which Friday hastens to help him. Two wolves have attacked the guide, and Friday kills the wolves. However, the shots have alarmed the forest and a bear attacks Friday who in deed provokes the bear. Friday tricks the bear to climb up a tree and makes him come down after which he kills the bear. Robinson and others are amused by the show, but they have a long way to go and a wounded guide to carry. On their way they are attacked by more than three hundred wolves, but they manage to kill several of them and scare the rest. When they arrive at the village, they have to leave the wounded guide because of his decaying health and proceed with a new guide.
When Robinson finally arrives England, he sends several letters to Lisbon to sell his plantations in Brazil, and sets himself up as a new man in England taking two of his nephews into his care, marrying and having three children of his own in seven years’ time. During this period, it is the widow that prevents him from going abroad, but when his wife dies, he once more sets sail as a trader to East Indies.
During the voyage, on his way to Brazil, Robinson visits his island and gives the inhabitants 164
-supplies such as food and clothes. Returning from Brazils he also sends them several other supplies and seven women to the Spanish and promises the English inhabitants of the islands to send them English women once he arrives at England. He also learns that the island was attacked by 300 Caribbees but to his joy, the dwellers of the island defeated them and preserved Robinson’s colony.
Robinson tells that there are several other adventures but will keep recording them for another volume.
Analysis
The last part of the novel is important in portraying human relations which have been absent from most of the novel. First, Robinson finds the widow to whom he had entrusted his money thirty five years ago, and realizes that the widow had kept his money safe and gave it back despite her own miserable condition. Moreover, Robinson finds the Portuguese Captain who helped him to establish his plantation in Brazil, and learns that his plantation is still safe despite all those years of absence. Moreover, Robinson learns that his partner has also been loyal to him. These all indicate that there are still good people in the world who act just upon good will and highlight the innate goodness in men.
It is interesting that Robinson himself lacks such affections and he just tries to compensate for such faithfulness by giving some money. Human affairs are not important for him as are the numerous adventures he goes through. For instance, he narrates his journey to England by land, and this narration takes pages. On the other hand, we learn that Robinson married, had three children and lost his wife only in two sentences. This shows that family does not matter for Robinson as does his possessions. The same idea is validated when Robinson leaves England to visit Brazil and his island and gives a detailed account of those visits where as he does not say a word about what happens to his own children. The only person he talks about is his nephew whom he also makes a shipman and assists him in his journey to his island.
The last important point about Robinson is about the details that he provides from his visit to the island. He has already made the island his official colony and as the benefactor, brings supplies to the inhabitants. Until this point there is no problem. Nevertheless, among the
“supplies” he brings seven women to the island from Brazil, which presents Robinson as a
Self-Test
1. What is the name of the parrot that Robinson tames on the island?
a. Robinson b. Dolly c. Xury d. Poll e. Ismael
2. Which event makes Robinson pray consciously and seriously for the first time?
a. He sees a dream in which a man tells him to repent.
b. He sees grapes growing on the island.
c. The cannibals attack the island and Robinson survives.
d. Friday saves Robinson from the attack of cannibals.
e. A Spanish ship is wrecked near the island, and Robinson is delivered.
3. How does Robinson react upon seeing the footprint on the island?
a. He is happy to discover that the island is not uninhabited.
b. He is so afraid that he hides for a long time.
c. He tries to send signals so that the owner of the footprint can find him.
d. He is very anxious to be enslaved by the new comers.
e. He thinks it is a sign of God that he is not alone.
4. To whom does Robinson entrust his money in England?
a. the Portuguese Captain b. his father
c. the widow of the English Captain d. his brother
e. his partner in his plantation business
5. How many children does Robinson have when he is back in England?
a. None b. Two c. Four d. Five e. Three
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-Key to Self-Test
1. D 2. A 3. B 4. C 5. E