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(Rise of the novel-251) Reading Session

It is impossible to express the astonishment and confusion of my thoughts on this occasion. I had hitherto acted upon no religious foundation at all; indeed, I had very few notions of religion in my head, nor had entertained any sense of anything that had befallen me otherwise than as chance, or, as we lightly say, what pleases God, without so much as inquiring into the end of Providence in these things, or His order in governing events for the world. But after I saw barley grow there, in a climate which I knew was not proper for corn, and especially that I knew not how it came there, it startled me strangely, and I began to suggest that God had miraculously caused His grain to grow without any help of seed sown, and that it was so directed purely for my sustenance on that wild, miserable place

This touched my heart a little, and brought tears out of my eyes, and I began to bless myself that such a prodigy of nature should happen upon my account; and this was the more strange to me, because I saw near it still, all along by the side of the rock, some other straggling stalks, which proved to be stalks of rice, and which I knew, because I had seen it grow in Africa when I was ashore there.I not only thought these the pure productions of Providence for my support, but not doubting that there was more in the place.

These lines are taken from Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe .It was written in the Eighteenth Century. The new-grown barley and corn on the island, which Crusoe calls a “prodigy of Nature,” is really symbolic of the spiritual and emotional growth that is taking place within himself. These grains were a main source of food for Crusoe. It is at this time that he realizes that he can be dependent upon himself in order to survive. This is also the time in which he realizes that his “misfortune” of becoming stranded on an island is really a blessing for all of his party was dead. This quotation shows the dramatic change in his character.

Don’t forget to:1) read more of the novel..It’s

pretty interesting2) Do your best for theTest next

week ISA.