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Daniel Defoe · English Literature

When Robinson Crusoe finds himself stranded on the 'Island of Despair', how does he visually organize his psychological situation to avoid slipping into complete madness?

  1. He draws detailed abstract landscape paintings on the walls of his cave.
  2. He draws up a written ledger balancing the 'Evil' of his situation against the 'Good'.
  3. He builds a small stage and performs Shakespeare plays for his tame goats.
  4. He writes letters to imaginary ships and throws them into the ocean daily.
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Correct answer: He draws detailed abstract landscape paintings on the walls of his cave.

Demonstrating his ingrained commercial and puritan mindset, Crusoe divides a page of his journal into 'Evil' and 'Good' columns. He lists his isolation under Evil, but counters it under Good by noting that he alone survived while the rest of the crew drowned. This accounting strategy allows him to rationalize his suffering, master his despair, and recognize the hand of divine providence.

Difficulty: Medium Question 9 of 12

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