Robinson Crusoe

During the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century came the rise of the novel. What came with it was teaching lessons of great importance that had been previously done by biblical stories, hagiographies and didactic allegorical tales but paid closer attention to everyday life and ordinary people. From the story of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe society is shown the constant battle between being a devout religious follower & a moral, economical businessperson and the importance divine dispensation and providence. As Crusoe sometimes learns lessons Defoe hopes that those reading his text are able to learn not only take from the good lessons Crusoe learn’s in his life but also learning from the bad and what they should not do. The battle of the devout, religious follower and the moral businessperson is shown and argued through the concept of surplus in the Protestant religion. As Crusoe quotes from the bible, “Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, or the Pride of Life”, he is talking about what is wrong with the world and how those who rid themselves of any surplus of things they do not need, will live a morally just life. (155) This quote from the bible speaks on everything in the world, the desires of the body, and everything that they eyes see and pride in one’s achievements and possessions, and how these are not from the Father but are from this frugal world. It claims that the Father gives the world what they need and anything that they want is a sin. This is reinforced through Crusoe and his problem of accumulation, one only needs enough money for a comfortable survival and no more because any surplus is a sin and will just cause you to fall from a positive ground. (75) As Crusoe speaks directly on the bible it may seem that the religious debate in the text is the winner. However, this story is clearly not in support of morally reforming this class as proven in the end when Crusoe talks about all the money he has made. Considering the virtues attached to the