STEP 5 Think further and prepare for your test: Robinson's Puritan mindset
Read the text and decide if the statements are true or false. Then look at the prompts in brackets and write some extra reflections in your exercise book. You can use the final text as revision material for your test.
Robinson Crusoe's character, especially as his island adventures set in, becomes more and more aligned with the Puritan mindset and its belief in the sanctity of labour and industry as a path to, or at least a sign of, divine grace. (Refer back to T38 and T39 in your textbook to find evidence to support this statement regarding Robinson.) For Puritans, diligent work was not merely a means to an end, but a moral imperative, a way to serve God and demonstrate one's devotion. Success in worldly endeavours, particularly through hard work, was often seen as evidence of God's blessing and a potential indicator of one's election for salvation. (Many critics see this work ethic as the basis of the capitalistic outlook and Robinson as its first prototype. Discuss this and enrich the text with your thoughts.)
While this passage focuses on his discovery of wealth rather than its accumulation, Crusoe's earlier years on the island are a testament to this principle. His efforts in building, cultivating, and organising his environment were not just about survival; they were also an expression of his Puritan work ethic. This passage, where he reaps the rewards of his plantation (which would have been built through significant labour and management, even if by others), subtly reinforces this idea. He sees his prosperity as 'the providence of Heaven,' a divine arrangement that rewards his past efforts and perhaps, his ultimate return to a pious path after his initial rebellious wanderings. (Refer back to the plot and enrich with an account of his rebellion and the sense of his restlessness and journeying.) The very act of managing and securing this new fortune, which he views as a 'great charge upon me,' suggests a continued sense of responsibility, further aligning with the Puritan emphasis on diligent management of God-given resources. (Refer back to his concerns in STEP 4 to support this statement.)
A: Crusoe's Puritan mindset developed before his island adventures, as a result of his early business dealings.
B: Crusoe's diligent work on the island was only driven by the immediate need for survival, rather than any underlying moral or religious imperative.
C: Although Crusoe was not directly responsible for the success of his plantation, it shows how the novel, through the extract, focuses on the sense of divine reward for hard work.
D: Crusoe's anxiety about managing his newly acquired wealth is presented as an example of his Puritan sense of responsible handling of God-given resources.
E: The way Crusoe is presented in the extract suggests that his behaviour changes as the story progresses and he can therefore be considered a dynamic character.