Rising Bourgeoisie's Conquest Spirit Guided By Puritanism In Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe, written by Dannie Defoe, is regarded as the frontier of the Realistic work in English literature. This is a novel filled with Puritanism, and is also influenced by the Enlightenment. Meanwhile the spirit of the new rising bourgeoisie is also embodied in the demonstration of the hero's characters. This thesis aims at examining the Defoe's efforts in displaying the hero's spirit of adventures and explorations, which is under the influences of the Puritanism and the new rising bourgeoisie, and the pursuit of accumulation in wealth led by Puritan individualism, in this way to reveal the influence of Puritanism in the hero's conquest of the world. The hero of the novel is not satisfied with the easy life as a middle-class, revolting his father's will to adventure on the sea. During a series of punishments for his original sin, he begins to realize God's decree. Through practicing God demanded Calling, he conquers the desert island, the cannibal, and the world beyond the desert island. In the end he gains the grace from God and achieves his aim of accumulation in wealth guided by the conquest spirit which is advocated by the Puritanism, such as perseverance and continuous labour. Meanwhile, as a representative of the new rising bourgeoisies, the spirit of conquest in Robinson Crusoe reflects the new rising bourgeoisie's ambition of conquering the whole world.