Survival and Relationships in Robinson Crusoe and Marianela
Robinson Crusoe: Living Conditions: In order to survive, he hunts goats and birds that also inhabit the island. Gradually improving, he first begins to live in a cave. He goes to his ship and finds tools, a pond, supplies, and other items. With these, he could make furniture; it was then that he started to build a house, followed by a table, a chair, and everything else he needed. Years passed, and he began to despair, marking the days and writing a diary. He returned to his ship to look for ink. Over time, he had already made furniture and got the idea to plant fruit seeds, thus creating his garden. Until one day, he fell sick and spent days in bed, until he remembered that snuff and alcohol could help him recover. He gave thanks to God, though he was not very religious. Several days passed, and he became ill again. While he was sick, he read the Bible. One day, while exploring the island, he found a spring, which made him glad. He continued with his garden and began to divide his time between rainy and dry days. He built another house and placed two fences around it for protection. Later, he aimed to make bread and pots, so he started looking for materials to build an oven. The day he made a pipe, he felt very proud. When he had been on the island for 11 years, it occurred to him that it was better to have hunted goats in a pen, so he started to build a corral and began to tame the goats. He realized that the goats could provide milk and cheese, and he could make cream. He also had pets: a parrot he named Paul, and two cats and a dog. Puritanism: The self-made man, perseverance even in the most difficult conditions, sexual apathy, self-control, etc. Think Utilitarian when he talks to his parrot, Poli. He does not engage in genuine interpersonal communication but seeks simple personal utility. He speaks of self as a hero who manages to survive on the island alone, relying on the same skills.
Marianela was very fond of Paul; she did not care about the defects that Paul had, but she valued his feelings and values. Additionally, she highlights hope, as Paul never loses faith that he can recover his sight. Trust was shared between Paul and Marianela, who were inseparable friends, keeping secrets and supporting each other. Paul always tried to help Marianela improve, achieving little. Dr. Paul Golfín helped him regain his sight, showing support without preferences. Paul regains his sight thanks to Dr. Golfín and leaves for another woman who he believes is more attractive than Marianela. Paul tries to adapt to the “new world,” becoming selfish. Three Ways of Seeing the World: The first stage is theological, where man explains phenomena through supernatural beings and divine powers. This stage is characterized by the predominance of imagination over all other human faculties, embodied by Marianela. The second stage is metaphysical, where the causes of phenomena become abstract ideas. This stage is represented by Paul, whose blindness forces him to use his intelligence to explain the world around him. The third stage is positive, represented by the Golfíns, where metaphysical hypotheses are replaced by scientific research of all phenomena. The Philosophical Determinism maintains that nothing happens by chance; everything is due to necessary causes. Knowing the causes of an event makes it possible to predict the existence and characteristics of the effect. Universal determinism asserts that all universal phenomena occur according to causal laws.