Voyage and return stories

A voyage and return story is an adventure story about a life changing experience. The hero can be alone or with a group and is forced or has chosen to break away from their familiar environment. These voyage and return stories are also known as robinsonades. Indeed, Robinson Crusoe written by Daniel Defoe in 1719 is a paradigm because it is the original model for voyage and return stories. The robinson’s archetype of the castaway hero. This novel has helped  to popularise the genre. In the cause of our study we should discuss how this source material has been used by other novelists as a source of inspiration and we shall address the evolution of the genre.

To begin with, we are going to comment on a painting representing Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday. The painting is typically victorian. We have a 19th century representation of z 18th century book. Well, there is a white man in the foreground, holding a lamb which is a symbol of purity and a gun. Behinf himn we can see man Friday, his committted servant. In the background we can see an exotic environment which was much in favour at that time. The place seems to be paradisiac with animals living in harmony and the green and peaceful landscape. What is suggested in this painting, is that Robison shows the way to his servant.it clearly illustrates the 19th century concept of the white man’s burden, according to which i twas the mission of the whithe man to civilise. On the island, R. has reconstructed his familiar environment in other term he has recreated civilisation.

Readers of that were obviously fascinated by the nobility of this man but  also by the paradisiac setting. We can also find this idyllic aspect in Coral Island, which is a 19th century robinsonade written by Ballantyne.

Coral island in which the heros are british young boys, contains the same ingredients as R.C but the setting here is more idyllic. Indeed, it  is all about dream and fascination. In the extract called perpetual summer there is a particular insintance on harmony. The first three lines : «  We continued to live on our island in an iterrupted harmony and happiness » perfectly illustrates what previously said.The place is a real garden of eden, a paradise on earth with «  perpetual summer » « fruit trees » « lagoon » « plentiful supply of food. What is striking in a « perpetual summer » is the impression of liberty and harmony. The chararacter see life through pink colored glass which leads the readers to live the same idyllic adventure through their eyes. The boys live a pleasant  life of leisure and pleasure in an island in which surviving is not a challenge and finding food is child’s play.

Lord of the flies written in by Golding, differs from the other works by its dystopic aspect. It marks a drastic change in the evolution of the genre.

While in Robinson Crusoe and Coral Island, there is a lack of verisimilitude, in lord of the flies Golding tries to reveal  the real human nature inside the little boys who gradually lose their humanity . In our xtract «  who thinks there may be ghosts » from the fifth chapter  there is a conflict between the two main characters Jack and Ralph, with Piggy as R’s ally, that reaches a breaking point. Ralph and Piggy exemplify civilized human order, while Jack represents a brutal anarchy that may devolve into animal behavior. There is a lexical field of confrontation such as : «  fronted him  tempestuously » ; « struggle » ; « shut up !you fat slug ». this extract foreshadows the fact that the boys will no longer reside in civilized culture. The novel debunk the myth of chilhood innocence.

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