Robinson Crusoe: Frame Story 1 key example

The beginning of the journal repeats much of what Robinson has already shared about his initial time on the island. This repetition, while it may bore the reader, is in part aimed at legitimating everything Robinson has said so far. Robinson the narrator, an extension of Defoe the author, may sense that the reader wonders how Robinson could remember all of these details after what appears to be many years (only later will the reader know the immense length of time Robinson spent on the island). To do away with these potential doubts, Robinson embeds his somewhat banal journal into the text, less worried about exposing his reader to boring repetition than he is about losing his credibility as a narrator.

Robinson seems to have a few reasons for having kept the journal during his first year. To begin with, narration seems to both be a means and an end for him. Regardless of who might read it in the future, Robinson wants to render his life legible. This is related to his narcissistic streak; Robinson is devoted to keeping track of minute details of his life that no one else would care to know about. That being said, it is understandable that someone in Robinson's position would keep a journal. At its most fundamental, it is an activity that allows him to pass the time as well as keep track of it. Writing down what he gets up to makes it possible for Robinson to attach meaning to experiences and tasks he would not otherwise appreciate to the same degree. Another reason he has for keeping the journal is that it bolsters his hope that he will make it off the island eventually. By making space for a potential future reader in his life experiences, he is able to reassure himself that he will someday find himself among other people again.