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This text explores Robinson Crusoe's capitalist ideals as he builds wealth through labor and resourcefulness on a deserted island. Discover how Crusoe transforms from a castaway to a prosperous individual in this tale of self-reliance and economic growth.
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Thecapitalideals as reflectedthroughRobinson’sattitudetowardsthegoods.
What is capitalism? • Inthesimplestterms,capitalism can be defined as thecondition of possessingcapital-theoriginalfundsorprincipal of an individual,company,orcorporation,whichprovidethebasisforfinancialandeconomicoperations.
Thetermcapitalismalsodescribesan ideologywhichfavorstheexistence of capitalists(individualswhoaccumulatecapitalwhichthenbecomesavailableforinvestment in financialorindustrialenterprises.
Inthestory of Robinson Crusoe, Defoedescribeshow a seventeenthcenturyEnglishmanamassedcapitalandorganized a labourforcetoworkforhim in CaribbeanandBrazilIn his firstvoyage he startswith f40 in"toysandtrifles," goestotheGuinea , andcomesbackwithfivepounds nine ounces of goldworth f300. This is thefirstcircuit of his capital.
Example:”Enteringinto a strictfriendshipwiththiscaptain,whowas an honestandplaindealingman,I wentthevoyagewithhim,andcarried a smalladventurewithme ,which,bythedisinterestedhonesty of myfriendthecaptain,I increasedveryconsiderably,for I carriedabout f 40 in suchtoysandtrifles as thecaptaindirectedto buy.This f40 I had musteredtogetherbytheassistance of some of myrelationswhom I correspondedwith.” (Defoe,12)
WhatCrusoeestablishedwas not a market economy Of coursesuch as emerged in England but a plantationandsettlereconomysuch as wasusedbycapitalism in thenon-Europeanworld.
Robinsonlivedwith his widowsome time.He had a plantationandsugarhouse.Bythisway,he couldturninto a planteramongthemandgrowrich.
Example:”I purchased as muchlandthatwasuncured as many as mymoneywouldreach,andformed a plan formyplantationandsettlementandsuch a one as might be suitabletothestockwhich I proposedtomyselftoreceivefromEngland.I had a neighbour,a Portuguese of Lisbon,but born of Englishparents,whose name wasWells,and in muchsuchcircumstances as I was.I calledhimmyneighbour,because his plantationlaynextto mine,andwewent on verysociablytogether.Mystockwas but low,as well as his;andweratherplantedforfoodthananything else,forabouttwoyears.However,webegantoincrease,andourlandbegantocomeintoorder;sothatthethirdyearweplantedsometobacco,andmadeeach of us a largepiece of groundreadyforplantingcanes in theyeartocome.” (Defoe,25)
He madeprofit in his business. • Example: • “I went on thenextyearwithgreatsuccess in myplantation.I raisedfiftygreatrolls of tobacco on myownground,morethan I had disposed of fornecessariesamongmyneighbours,andthesefiftyrolls,beingeach of above a hundredweight,werewellcured,andlaidbyagainstthereturn of thefleetfromLisbon.Andnow,increasing in businessandwealth,myheadbeganto be fullprojectsandundertakingsbeyondmyreach,such as are,indeed,oftentheruin of thebestheads in business.” (Defoe,28)
Robinson Crusoe,as a protagonist,in his famousnovel,is seen as a symbol of individualismthatledtotherise of capitalism. • He is thetruesymbol of an architect,a carpenter,a knifegrinder,a baker,a saddler,a farmer,a taileretc.
Peopleusetheword "capital" tomeanmoney, but thatwasn'twhat it meanttoRobinsonCrusoe. He had no money, andmoneywouldhavebeen of no usetohimany rate, but he created "capital" forhimself. All "capital" comesfrom "labour" acting on "land". So he was on theway of building a new life withthematerials he got .
He had no sign of a visitor on island.Therewas no man but somecreatures.He wasaloneandmiserable
Inthirteentripsto his wreckedshipwasabletofurnishhimselfwithmanythings, taking a vastarray of materialsandtools he nevermade but werestill his toenjoy. Thesewereusedtogaincommandovernatureandoverother men. Thechiefimportance in his initialstock of means of productionwere a plentifulsupply of gunsandammunition.
“When I reachedtheshipwreck,alltheshipprovisionsweredryanduntouchedbythewaterandbeingverywelldisposedtoeat,I wenttothebread-roomandfilledmypocketswithbiscuit,andeat it as I wentaboutotherthings,for I had no time tolose.I alsofoundsomerum in thegreatcabin,of which I had indeedneedenough of tospiritmeforwhatwasbeforeme.Now I wantednothing but a boat,tofurnishmyselfwithmanythingswhich I foresawwould be verynecessarytome. Itwas in vainto sit stillandwishforwhatwas not to be had,andthisextremityrousedmyapplication.” (Defoe,36)
“I had otherthingswhichmyeyewasmoreupon,as firsttoolstoworkwith on shore,and it wasaftersearchingthat I foundoutthecarpenter’schest,whichwasindeed a veryuseful prize tome,andmuchmorevaluablethan a ship-loading of goldwouldhavebeen at that time.” (Defoe,37)
“Mynextcarewasforsomeammunitionandarms,thereweretwoverygoodfowlingpieces in thegreatcabin,andtwopistols,andtwooldrustyswords. • Besidesthesetools,I foundtwosaws,an axe,and a hammer,andwiththecargo I put tosea.” (Defoe,38)
“I got on board theship as before,andprepared a secondraft,andhaving had experiencethefirst,I neithermadethissounwieldy,norloaded it so hard,but I broughtawayseveralthingsveryusefultome;as first,in thecarpenter’sstores I foundtwoorthreebagsfull of nailsandspikes,a greatscrew-jack,a dozenortwodozen of hatchets,andaboveall.” (Defoe,40)
“I wenttoworktomakeme a littletentwiththesailandsomepoleswhich I cutforthatpurpose;andintothistent I broughteverythingthat I wouldspoileitherwithrainor sun.” (Defoe,44)
Theentranceintothenewplace I madeto be not by a door,but by a shortladdertogooverthe top.Intothis fence orfortresswithinfinitelabor,I carriedallmyriches,allmyprovisions,ammunitionandstores.(Defoe,45)
He made a tableand a chairlargeshelves of thebreadth of a foot a halfoneoveranother,allalongoneside of mycave,tolayallmytools,nailsandironwork.Itlookedlike a general magazine of allnecessarythings.
“Inthenextplace I was at a greatloss of candle ;sothat as soon as it wasdark,whichwasgenerallyby seven o’clock,I wasobligedtogotobed.I rememberedthelump of beeswaxwithwhich I madecandles in myAfricanadventure,but I had none of thatnow.Theonlyremedy I had was,thatwhen I had killed a goat,I savedthetallow,andwith a littledishmade of clay,which I baked in the sun,towhich I added a wick of someoakum.I mademe a lamp,andthisgavemelight,though not a clearsteadylightlike a candle. “ (Defoe,58-59)
Inthemiddle of allmylabours it happenedthatrummagingmythings,I foundlittlebag,which,as I hintedbefore,had beenfilledwithcornforthefeeding of paultry,not forthisvoyage but before as I suppose,whenshipcamefromLisbon.Whatlittleremainder of corn had been in thebagwasalldevouredwiththerats,and I sawnothing in thebag but husksanddustandbeingwillingtohavethebagforsomeotheruse.I shookthehusks of cornout of it on oneside of myfortificationundertherock.
REFERENCES • Cody,David,AssociateProfessor of English,HardwickCollege • Defoe,Daniel,RobinsonCrusoe,Publishing Workshop Coverillustration,Atkinson art Gallery,London • Hymer,Stephen,Robinson CrusoeandtheSecret of PrimitiveAccumulation.
