ROBINSON CRUSOE vs VENDREDI


        As opposed to Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, Tournier's is not a disobedient son, but a father who has left behind his wife and two children in his search for happiness in the New World. The fate that hangs him over the head has nothing to do with the Christian notion of sin; it is simply predicted to him by the tarot cards of Van Deyssel, the Dutch captain of his ship.
The shipwreck and what follows immediately upon this, are comparable to the events in Defoe's book. Tournier's Robinson, just like Defoe's, recovers provisions from the wreck (a.o. a big quantity of gunpowder).
        But Tournier's Robinson's ups and downs are much more extreme. Psychologically, he has a very hard time on the island, which he therefore calls the Island of Disconsolateness. After a vain endeavour to build a boat - the same problem as in Robinson Crusoe: the boat is too heavy to carry to the sea - he is so disappointed that he 'lets himself go': he becomes like an animal, slumbering in a slough in the midst of his own excrements.
        But a vision of his younger sister, who died ten years before, establishes a change. Like Defoe's Robinson, he starts to rebuild a Western culture: he writes in a 'log-book', he keeps record of the time by means of a water-clock; he draws a map of the island; he does some agriculture and cattle-breeding; he builds temples and musea (the Museum of Humanity,the Museum of Measures and Weights...) The island is now called Speranza ('Hope'), after the name of a girl he used to know. He writes a Constitution, in which he proclaims himself the Governor of the islan, and a Penal Law. Immediately after this, he perceives the cannibals for the first time, and fortifies his town.

        But in the mean time, his reflection in the mirror troubles him, and raises doubts about his identity; he finds himself disfigured. He also has a strange inner experience when, at a certain moment, the water-clock suddenly stops. He starts looking at the island with other eyes at what he calls 'the other island'.
        Then he finds a cave in which he buries his provisions. He descends to the bottom of the cave, into the 'earth's womb', where he has visions of his mother. Later on, the island arouses his sexual desire. He couples with 'a pleat in the landscape', and so - as it appears later - gives birth to flowers.

         When the cannibals come back to the island to carry out their deadly cannibal, the victim escapes and runs in the direction of the spying Robinson. Robinson wants to shoot him, so that no one would spot his hiding-place, but by an unexpected movement of his dog, he hits the pursuers instead. The native throws himself at his feet. Robinson calls him Friday and decides that he will be his servant.
        At first, Friday is perfectly obedient. The only thing that worries Robinson is his demonic laughter , ans also the intimate contact Friday seems to have with Robinsons dog.
        Gradually, Friday obeys Robinson less and less. He occupies himself with wild, abdsurd little games. First he dresses himself in garments from Robinsons case, later he dresses cactuses. He pulls trees out of the ground and plants them upside down - he reverses, or subverts, Robinsons order. Later on, Friday, too, couples with the earth, at the same spot where Robinson did; the result is that now other flowers grow there. In 'holy anger', Robinson attacks Friday. But he cannot restore his authority. Shortly after this, Friday is smoking Robinsons last piece of tobacco in the cave. When the latter comes shows up, Friday throws the pipe deeper into the cave, where the gunpowder is buried. The cave explodes.
        This is the turning point. Robinson is a broken man; his visions of 'the other island' will now change his whole personality. Friday will become his initiator into another state of consciousness, a life beyond time, * towards the here and now, no longer directed towards the earth, but towards the air and the sun. He follows Friday, who engages in extraordinary activities, such as fighting with the monstrous he-goat Andoar and making a kite and a wind-harp. In his log-book, he now only writes poetic, mystical reflections.
        An English ship casts anchor off the coast of the island. After a dinner on board, Robinson chooses to remain on the island. But when the ship leaves, it appears that Friday has left with it, against Robinsons expectations. Robinson cannot bear this prospect of solitude and decides to commit suicide. But at that very moment he finds the the cabin-boy, who has decided to leave the ship, because there he was badgered too much. Robinson calls him Sunday after the day of the resurrection, the youth of all things, the day of 'our Master the sun'...
 


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Creada: 22/02/2000 Última Actualización: 27/03/2000