Now I am going to analyse an extract from chapter XIII from Robinson Crusoe:

The extract is composed by two different parts: in the first one the reader can find Friday's detailed description and in the second one the narrator describes what happened when Robinson saved Friday.

Friday's physical aspect seems to reach perfection: he is described as a young man, tall, strong, and friendly. The narrator provides the reader a positive connotation of Friday. He choose to describe Friday in a very detailed way and to immediately compare him to a European. Even if Friday has a different colour of skin, he has "the sweetness and softness of a European".

He is described as different from the other population the European knew: the reader is free to imagine what his physical aspect could be like. The narrator provides some characteristics but it is the reader himself that had to build a mental picture of Friday.

The second part of the extract describes what happened between the two characters: Friday's characterisation comes to surface thanks to his actions. Robinson saved his life and he subjects himself to Robinson. So Friday is grateful and recognizes Robinson's importance in his life. He is honest and immediately begins to serve his new "Master".

Robinson aspects Friday's submission but he seems to respect his new slave. The narrator wants to underline the fact that not only Europeans, but also the native population accept slavery. At the same time, the narrator destroys all the prejudices that European ordinary people had.

The intelligent reader can understand that Robinson represents the typical European man but also entire Europe involved in the process of colonialism.

Robinson uses reasons to solve problems and take profit from various situations. At the end, Robinson begins to teach Friday his language. The reader can understand that thanks example that recalls to the cultural influence Europe had on other countries.