Summary
Crusoe and Friday prepare to escape the island by building a large canoe, but their plans are interrupted when cannibals arrive with prisoners. Friday's desperate loyalty to Crusoe becomes clear when he'd rather die than be sent away alone. When Crusoe spots the cannibals preparing to kill a European prisoner, he faces a moral crisis—should he intervene in something that's not his business? Despite his doubts, he and Friday launch a coordinated attack, killing most of the cannibals and rescuing two prisoners: a Spanish sailor and, remarkably, Friday's own father. The rescue transforms their small community from two to four people, creating what Crusoe playfully calls his 'kingdom' with subjects of different faiths. The chapter explores the complexity of moral action—Crusoe initially questions whether he has the right to judge others' customs, but ultimately decides that protecting innocent life justifies intervention. Friday's reunion with his father reveals the depth of family bonds that transcend cultural differences. The successful rescue also demonstrates how preparation, teamwork, and decisive action can overcome seemingly impossible odds. Most significantly, it shows how acts of courage can create unexpected communities and change the trajectory of everyone involved.
Coming Up in Chapter 16
With four people now on the island, Crusoe's world is about to expand even further. A ship appears on the horizon—but the visitors it brings may not be the rescue Crusoe has long hoped for.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
RESCUE OF PRISONERS FROM CANNIBALS Upon the whole, I was by this time so fixed upon my design of going over with him to the continent that I told him we would go and make one as big as that, and he should go home in it. He answered not one word, but looked very grave and sad. I asked him what was the matter with him. He asked me again, “Why you angry mad with Friday?—what me done?” I asked him what he meant. I told him I was not angry with him at all. “No angry!” says he, repeating the words several times; “why send Friday home away to my nation?” “Why,” says I, “Friday, did not you say you wished you were there?” “Yes, yes,” says he, “wish we both there; no wish Friday there, no master there.” In a word, he would not think of going there without me. “I go there, Friday?” says I; “what shall I do there?” He turned very quick upon me at this. “You do great deal much good,” says he; “you teach wild mans be good, sober, tame mans; you tell them know God, pray God, and live new life.” “Alas, Friday!” says I, “thou knowest not what thou sayest; I am but an ignorant man myself.” “Yes, yes,” says he, “you teachee me good, you teachee them good.” “No, no, Friday,” says I, “you shall go without me; leave me here to live by myself, as I did before.” He looked confused again at that word; and running to one of the hatchets which he used to wear, he takes it up hastily, and gives it to me. “What must I do with this?” says I to him. “You take kill Friday,” says he. “What must I kill you for?” said I again. He returns very quick—“What you send Friday away for? Take kill Friday, no send Friday away.” This he spoke so earnestly that I saw tears stand in his eyes. In a word, I so plainly discovered the utmost affection in him to me, and a firm resolution in him, that I told him then and often after, that I would never send him away from me if he was willing to stay with me. Upon the whole, as I found by all his discourse a settled affection to me, and that nothing could part him from me, so I found all the foundation of his desire to go to his own country was laid in his ardent affection to the people, and his hopes of my doing them good; a thing which, as I had no notion of myself, so I had not the least thought or intention, or desire of undertaking it. But still I found a strong inclination to attempting my escape, founded on the supposition gathered from the discourse, that there were seventeen bearded men there; and therefore, without any more delay, I went to work with Friday to find out a great...
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Moral Courage - When Doing Right Requires Doing Something
The tension between staying out of others' business and acting when witnessing harm to innocent people.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify situations where staying neutral actually enables harm to continue.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you witness unfairness and feel that familiar tension between 'not my business' and 'someone's getting hurt' - that's your signal to consider strategic action.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Moral intervention
The decision to step into a situation where others are being harmed, even when it's not your direct responsibility or business. Crusoe struggles with whether he has the right to judge another culture's practices, but ultimately decides protecting innocent life matters more than cultural relativism.
Modern Usage:
We face this when deciding whether to report workplace harassment, intervene in domestic disputes we witness, or speak up when we see bullying.
Cannibal
In Defoe's time, this term was used broadly for indigenous peoples who practiced ritual consumption of enemies, often misunderstood by Europeans. The word comes from 'Carib' and was loaded with colonial prejudices about 'savage' versus 'civilized' behavior.
Modern Usage:
Today we use 'cannibalistic' metaphorically for destructive competition, like 'cannibalistic business practices' where companies destroy each other.
Loyalty conflict
When someone must choose between competing loyalties - in this case, Friday torn between returning to his people and staying with Crusoe. This creates emotional tension because both choices involve loss and sacrifice.
Modern Usage:
We see this when employees must choose between loyalty to their team and loyalty to company policies, or when adult children balance loyalty to parents versus their own families.
Providential rescue
The 18th-century belief that God arranges coincidences and opportunities for those who act righteously. Crusoe sees the arrival of his father and the Spanish prisoner as divine reward for his moral courage.
Modern Usage:
We express this as 'everything happens for a reason' or 'what goes around comes around' when good actions lead to unexpected positive outcomes.
Cultural superiority
The assumption that one's own cultural practices and beliefs are naturally better than others. Crusoe initially questions this attitude but still operates from it when he assumes Friday's people need to be 'civilized.'
Modern Usage:
This shows up in workplace dynamics, immigration debates, and any situation where people assume their way of doing things is obviously the right way.
Makeshift community
A group of people from different backgrounds who come together by circumstance rather than choice, creating new social bonds and hierarchies. Crusoe's 'kingdom' includes an Englishman, a Caribbean native, and a Spaniard.
Modern Usage:
We see this in disaster relief situations, military units, or any workplace where people from different backgrounds must quickly learn to function as a team.
Characters in This Chapter
Crusoe
Protagonist and moral decision-maker
Faces his biggest ethical dilemma about whether to intervene in the cannibals' ritual. His decision to act despite his doubts shows personal growth from passive observer to active protector. He's learning that leadership sometimes means making hard choices without perfect information.
Modern Equivalent:
The manager who has to decide whether to report unethical behavior up the chain
Friday
Loyal companion and cultural bridge
Reveals the depth of his loyalty by refusing to leave Crusoe behind, even to return to his own people. His desperate attachment shows how relationships can transcend cultural boundaries. His reunion with his father adds emotional weight to the rescue mission.
Modern Equivalent:
The work friend who won't take a promotion if it means leaving their mentor behind
Friday's father
Rescued prisoner and family connection
His unexpected presence among the prisoners transforms a rescue mission into a family reunion. Represents the human cost of the cannibals' raids and shows that victims have their own families and stories. His gratitude helps cement the new community bonds.
Modern Equivalent:
The family member whose rescue brings everyone together and changes the whole dynamic
The Spanish sailor
Fellow European castaway and future ally
Represents Crusoe's connection to the wider European world and suggests there are other survivors who might need help. His presence expands Crusoe's sense of responsibility beyond just his immediate circle.
Modern Equivalent:
The coworker from another department who becomes part of your group after you help them through a crisis
The cannibals
Antagonists and moral catalyst
Their arrival forces Crusoe to move from observer to actor. They represent the external threat that galvanizes the community and provides the moral crisis that drives character development. Not individualized because Defoe presents them as a collective threat.
Modern Equivalent:
The group of bullies whose behavior finally forces someone to take a stand
Key Quotes & Analysis
"You do great deal much good, you teach wild mans be good, sober, tame mans; you tell them know God, pray God, and live new life."
Context: When Crusoe suggests Friday should return home alone
Friday sees Crusoe as having transformative power and believes in his mission to help others. This reveals Friday's deep respect for what Crusoe has taught him and his belief that this knowledge should be shared. It also shows Friday's understanding that Crusoe needs purpose and meaning.
In Today's Words:
You could really help people back there - teach them better ways to live and give them hope for something better.
"I am but an ignorant man myself."
Context: Responding to Friday's faith in his ability to help others
Shows Crusoe's growing humility and self-awareness. He's learned enough about himself to recognize his limitations, which paradoxically makes him more qualified to help others. This moment of doubt makes his eventual decision to act more meaningful.
In Today's Words:
I don't have all the answers - I'm still figuring things out myself.
"Why send Friday home away to my nation?"
Context: When he realizes Crusoe plans to send him back alone
Friday's broken English can't hide his emotional devastation. The repetition and desperate questioning show that being separated from Crusoe feels like abandonment. This reveals how much their relationship means to him and foreshadows his unwavering loyalty.
In Today's Words:
Why are you trying to get rid of me? What did I do wrong?
Thematic Threads
Moral Courage
In This Chapter
Crusoe overcomes his hesitation to intervene when cannibals threaten innocent prisoners
Development
Evolved from earlier self-preservation focus to active protection of others
In Your Life:
You face this when deciding whether to speak up about workplace harassment or family abuse
Community Building
In This Chapter
The rescue creates a diverse four-person community with different faiths and backgrounds
Development
Expanded from Crusoe's isolation to partnership with Friday to multi-cultural group
In Your Life:
You build community when you welcome people different from yourself into your circle
Loyalty
In This Chapter
Friday chooses to stay with Crusoe rather than leave alone, showing deep commitment
Development
Deepened from initial gratitude to profound mutual dedication
In Your Life:
You show this loyalty when you stick with someone through difficult times rather than taking easier paths
Strategic Action
In This Chapter
Crusoe and Friday coordinate a precise attack plan to maximize rescue chances
Development
Built from earlier impulsive decisions to calculated, partnership-based planning
In Your Life:
You use this when facing workplace conflicts or family crises that require careful timing and allies
Cultural Understanding
In This Chapter
Crusoe initially questions his right to judge others' customs before choosing universal human dignity
Development
Introduced here as new complexity in moral decision-making
In Your Life:
You navigate this when respecting cultural differences while maintaining core values about human treatment
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What made Crusoe change his mind about intervening when he saw the cannibals with their prisoners?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do you think Crusoe initially hesitated to act, even though he was horrified by what he witnessed?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about your workplace or community - when have you seen someone hesitate to speak up about wrongdoing because it 'wasn't their business'?
application • medium - 4
If you witnessed someone being harmed but weren't sure if intervening was your place, what factors would help you decide whether to act?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter suggest about the difference between respecting cultural differences and protecting innocent people from harm?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Intervention Decision Tree
Think of a situation where you witnessed wrongdoing but weren't sure if you should get involved. Create a simple decision tree showing the factors that would help you choose whether to act. Start with the situation at the top, then branch out the key questions you'd ask yourself, and map the potential consequences of action versus inaction.
Consider:
- •What are the real risks to the person being harmed if no one acts?
- •What support or allies could you gather before taking action?
- •How could you document or prepare evidence to make intervention more effective?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you either spoke up for someone or wish you had. What held you back or motivated you to act? How did the situation turn out, and what would you do differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 16: Unexpected Visitors and Dangerous Alliances
As the story unfolds, you'll explore to evaluate whether potential allies can be trusted, while uncovering preparing thoroughly before taking action. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.