REVISE – Man Friday

Read the actions and say if they are carried out by Robinson or by Friday.

1 He shows his gratitude through many gestures.    ________
2 He teaches him his language.    ________
3 He places the other man's foot over his head.    ________
4 He demonstrates how to eat and drink.    ________
5 He expresses his desire to eat his own kind.    ________
6 He teaches the other what is right and wrong.     ________

Complete the text with the words given. 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.

The relationship between Robinson Crusoe and Friday quickly establishes a clear ________ dynamic, marked by Crusoe's assertion of ________ and Friday's forced assimilation. This power imbalance is evident in several key 'gestures' and actions that highlight Crusoe's ________ mindset and his need to reinforce his own ________. (Refer to page 224 in your textbook and define what is meant by colonisation.)
One of the most significant acts of ________ is Crusoe's naming of Friday. Crusoe gives him this name, derived from the day of their meeting. This act immediately wipes out Friday's previous ________, and by extension, his cultural heritage and personal history. It is a symbolic act of ________, transforming Friday from an individual with his own background into an object defined solely by his relationship with Crusoe. (Refer to T39 in your textbook and STEP 4 and focus on the other actions of assimilation that Crusoe carries out.) Friday's immediate gesture of placing Crusoe's foot upon his head further solidifies this power structure, even if it is a gesture of ________ in his own culture, it also represents absolute ________.
Finally, Crusoe's description of Friday serves a crucial purpose: to make Friday more acceptable to readers. (Refer to T39 in your textbook and STEP 2 to give examples of how Robinson Crusoe does this.) This careful portrayal minimises Friday's 'otherness' and aligns him with European aesthetics. (Refer to section 5.1 in your textbook and reflect on the reasons why this novel could have been appreciated in this historical moment.)

Complete the comparisons that Robinson uses to describe Friday using as or like.

1 His hair was long and black not curled ________ wool.
2 The colour of his skin was but tawny, yet not of an ugly tawny ________ the Brazilians are.
3 His nose was not flat ________ the Negroes.
4 He has the same complexion ________ a European has.
5 His teeth were white ________ ivory.

Choose the correct alternative to complete the description.

He was ________ young man in his twenties. He was ________ built with strong arms and legs. He was ________, and ________. He had a very manly face, though when he smiled, his expression turned ________. His hair was ________, and straight. His forehead was very ________, and his eyes were ________. The colour of his skin was not quite black, but almost of an ________ colour. His face was ________; his nose was ________, but not flat. He had ________ lips, and teeth ________ like ivory.

Both as and like translate the Italian 'come'. Complete the rule that explains the difference between them.
Like is a ________ so it is used before a ________ or pronoun to talk about similarity. As is a ________ and it is used before a ________ or before an expression beginning with a preposition.