A reply to Maximillian E. Novak

Friday's spontaneous burst of joy during that scene may echo representations of encounters between natives in contemporary accounts of desert islands.1 What is even more important, however, is that this affectionate, heartwarming meeting of father and son indirectly references the cold, alienated relationship Crusoe had with his own father. [...]in Novak's words, " [t]he 'other,' as represented by Friday, is not merely to be accepted as human, he is seen as capable of the kind of familial love that the 'civilized' world can only barely remember" (242). According to Novak, alongside "transformational moments" there are also some set pieces involving surprise, particularly at the end, when Crusoe at last finds the opportunity to escape from his island and when he takes so large a part in recovering a ship from mutineers who plan to become pirates. (213) Finally, just before the bear "could set his hind Feet upon the Ground, Friday stept close to him, clapt the Muzzle of his Piece into his Ear, and shot him dead as a Stone" (213-14). [...]Crusoe and the travelers, as well as the reader, all expecting a dangerous, violent confrontation with a wild beast, are instead invited to imagine a genteel balletduet of Friday (as performer and choreographer) and the bear. The oscillation between fear and laughter, the hallmark of the grotesque, characterizes not only the self-portrayal of Crusoe's clothing but also Friday's killing of the bear (although I suspect most of us today would not laugh at witnessing the killing of an animal). [...]the minor, almost negligible, scene in the Pyrenees, tagged as part of a simple adventure story can, upon second thoughts, reveal the author's innermost sensibilities and thematic concerns.