Robinson Crusoe as a religious allegory.

Robinson Crusoe is a story of suspense, action and adventure. It is not only about the outward voyage over the sea. It is also an inner voyage like that of Bunyan's 'The Pilgrims Progress' in which the hero moves towards God. Robinson Crusoe is a religious allegory. It is an adventure in which Robinson explores himself and God. When Robinson finds himself a prisoner

                  

                           Locked up with the eternal bars and blots of the ocean, is an . . .             

                           uninhabited wilderness.

He seeks God and converses with him. Robinson Crusoe is the puritan drama of the soul.

Robinson speaks of God's blessing when leaving for London. He resolves not to set his foot on the ship if it would please God  to spare his life. When his life on the ship is in danger he prays, "Lord, be merciful to us." The captain and the crew are at their prayers. When the ship is stranded but somehow Robinson reaches the shore, he address to God in thankfulness:

                   

                          Lord! how was it possible I could get on shore.

            The novel has God on almost every page. Robinson finds himself alone on the desolate island. When he sees a foot print, he loses faith in the mercy of God. His fear banishes all his religious hope. When he sees the cannibals feasting upon the human flesh, he is filled with horror. He says, "Lord have mercy upon me".

When all goes well Robinson prays to God, praises Him and thanks Him but when he feels afflicted, he protests to God. He is thus, like Milton, a blend of Puritanism and Renaissance. Like a puritan, he wants to justify the ways of God, and assert eternal providence(God). 

As the novel is full of religious and spiritual ideas, mystery is expressed through prophecy, dreams and the mysterious footprint. There is the first prophecy of Robinson's father that if he takes the foolish step of going to sea, God will not bless him. This prophecy comes true. Robinson's own dream of fighting with the cannibals and saving the life of one savage who becomes his slave, comes true. We have in the novel God, providence, prophecy, dream and the footprint. These make the novel religious, mysterious  and spiritual. Defoe had puritan learning from his childhood. He had religion in his blood. So Robinson Crusoe is considered as a religious allegory.