What do a man shipwrecked for years on an abandoned island, and a starving runaway have in common? Here, the familiar parable about a son who takes off with his father’s inheritance and a story of adventure as a man struggles to survive on a savage island meet. They both experienced trials that changed their lives forever. They learned valuable lessons, and gained priceless wisdom as both men struggle to survive in their alike, but incredibly different circumstances. The novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, and “the parable of The Prodigal Son” has many similarities, along with several differences.
First of all, the Prodigal Son chose to leave home with his father’s inheritance, but Robinson Crusoe did not choose to be shipwrecked on an abandoned island. In “the parable of the Prodigal Son,” the son decided he wanted to leave home with his inheritance to have a “better life,” while Robinson Crusoe left on a ship and shipwrecked unintentionally. Crusoe left without his parents’ permission, and the Prodigal Son left against their wishes. He had the option to go where he went, and Crusoe had no say in what happened on the voyage.
Secondly, despite their differences, Robinson and the Prodigal Son do have their similarities. Both Robinson Crusoe and the Prodigal Son lived in wealth for a while on their time away from home. After Robinson found a way to live on the island, he found riches all around him and lived in luxury as the king of his island. Likewise, the Prodigal Son lived like a king spending his father’s inheritance on everything that would satisfy him. Both had the best of life for a time in their alike, but very different situations.
Lastly, when The Prodigal Son returned back home, his father was there with everyone else rejoicing, while Robinson’s family was dead, and life just went on. After years of being missing, Robinson returned to his home to find his family dead, and everyone acting like he was never missed. In comparison, the Prodigal Son...