Excerpt

Nothing can describe the confusion of thought which I felt when I sank into the water; for though I swam very well, yet I could not deliver myself from the waves so as to draw breath, till that wave having driven me, or rather carried me, a vast way on towards the shore, and having spent itself, went back, and left me upon the land almost dry, but half dead with the water I took in. I had so much presence of mind, as well as breath left, that seeing myself nearer the mainland than I expected, I got upon my feet, and endeavoured to make on towards the land as fast as I could before another wave should return and take me up again; but I soon found it was impossible to avoid it; for I saw the sea come after me as high as a great hill, and as furious as an enemy, which I had no means or strength to contend with: my business was to hold my breath, and raise myself upon the water if I could; and so, by swimming, to preserve my breathing, and pilot myself towards the shore, if possible, my greatest concern now being that the sea, as it would carry me a great way towards the shore when it came on, might not carry me back again with it when it gave back towards the sea.

The wave that came upon me again buried me at once twenty or thirty feet deep in its own body, and I could feel myself carried with a mighty force and swiftness towards the shore – a very great way; but I held my breath, and assisted myself to swim still forward with all my might. I was ready to burst with holding my breath, when, as I felt myself rising up, so, to my immediate relief, I found my head and hands shoot out above the surface of the water; and though it was not two seconds of time that I could keep myself so, yet it relieved me greatly, gave me breath, and new courage. I was covered again with water a good while, but not so long but I held it out; and finding the water had spent itself, and began to return, I struck forward against the return of the waves, and felt ground again with my feet. I stood still a few moments to recover breath, and till the waters went from me, and then took to my heels and ran with what strength I had further towards the shore. But neither would this deliver me from the fury of the sea, which came pouring in after me again; and twice more I was lifted up by the waves and carried forward as before, the shore being very flat.

Summary and Analysis

Crusoe was initially very confused. Although he was a competent swimmer, he found it terribly difficult to even breath till he was carried quite a distance in the direction of the shore by a gigantic wave. It left him nearly dead. But he was conscious enough to recognise his situation and finding the land nearer than expected, he sprang to his feet and tried to run to a safer distance . However, the waves were relentless. One after another wave crashed on to him ferociously . Crusoe felt weak against their force . Within moments he was buried by twenty to thirty feet of water .He somehow managed to hold on to his breath and swim against the wave reflect. His main concern now was the fact that the waves might crash him against the rocky shore.Then within seconds his head shoot out from under the water and he could breath again. He felt the gound beneath and tried running with last bit of strength left in him. But alas, the waves were on to him again and “twice more” he was lifted up by the waves and carried forward.

Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe is a work of fiction depicting the adventures life of an English traveller who left home in search for freedom and excitement . After many misadventures he finds himself stranded on an isolated island . His last shipwreck on the way to Guinea was disastrous and nearly cost him his life. In the passage above the protagonist narrates his pathetic struggle against the gigantic sea waves . He gives detail description of his psychological and physical condition . His intimate confession, his terror increases the realistic tone of the novel. The vivid sesnsory images adds authenticity to this fictional experience .

1.What went through Crusoe’s mind as he sank into water ?

Crusoe was very confused as he found himself sinking while fighting against the great waves. Although he was a great swimmer ,the waves still left him breathless and half dead on the sea shore.

2.Crusoe was in the sea as –

He had gone for a swim [ ]

He was shipwrecked [ ]

He was participating in a swimming competition [ ]

(Tick the correct option)

Answer: option b

3.How did he manage to reach the shore?

Crusoe was carried by the mighty waves to the seashore . He held his breath and swam against the waves with all his might and when he felt the ground underneath he ran as fast as he could.

4.Change the following phrases:

a.Deliver myself from – Rescue myself from

b.Carried me a vast way – Transported myself to a great distance

c.Make on towards the land –To move in the direction of the land

d.Great way towards the shore -A long distance moving in the direction of the shore line .

e.It gave back towards the sea – wave reflect , getting blocked by rocks the wave went back towards the sea.