Robinson Crusoe From Post-Colonial Perspective

This thesis aims at carrying out a post-colonial study of Robinson Crusoe. With the focus of two key elements in post-colonial theories---Self and Other, this thesis explores two issues: how Crusoe constructs the Self and how Friday becomes a silent Other through Crusoe's transformation.Crusoe constructs the Self through two ways in the process of colonization. The first way for him is to construct the Self through himself by recording daily experiences to bring European advanced culture into the island, and resorting to God and sanctifying his endeavors towards the natives. This makes him believe that he is singled by God so that he can carry out any activity in God's name. The other way for Crusoe is to construct the Self at the cost of the native Others. By demonizing their cannibalism, Crusoe asserts his superiority over them.In regard to Crusoe's transformation of Friday, Friday is transformed in terms of lifestyle, language, religion and so on. However, he has no resisting consciousness, thus becoming a forever silent Other.By analyzing Robinson Crusoe in terms of Self and Other, this thesis comes to the conclusion that Crusoe's construction of the Self is based on Eurocentrism while Friday's loss of his cultural identity is due to Crusoe's cruel transformation. It provides readers with a new research perspective of classic literary works.