Journal #1 Christopher Columbus...Could He Be A Robinson Crusoe?

QUOTE:
“And there I found many islands filled with people innumerable, and of them all I have taken possession for their highnesses, by proclamation made and with the royal standard unfurled, and no opposition was offered to me” (Columbus 32).

SUMMARY:
Columbus is describing his findings on islands in the Caribbean. He is sending very optimistic news back to his supporter in Spain; however, he assumes that he has now taken the islands in his possession.

RESPONSE:
Although many quotes from Columbus’s letters remind me of reading Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, this one especially seems to express the same type of conceit Crusoe has. Not only does Columbus say that he has taken possession of the natives, he also writes, “no opposition was offered to me,” which seems to be naïve; but considering that he is writing to his supporter, anything could have actually happened. On the other hand, Columbus may have the necessary state of mind any explorer must have in order to intrude on the lives of indigenous people.
Columbus also believes that he has God on his side, which at the time, justifies basically everything the Europeans do. Robinson Crusoe, who also believes God is on his side, feels like he can take possession of anything he comes across; much like Columbus, who names each island he lands on as if it is automatically in his possession. Columbus also considers the “infinity of small hamlets and people without number” (Columbus 33) as having no importance, which seems uncouth, but is understandable for an explorer out for the most profitable find.
After reading the next letter, the tone has changed and Columbus is writing about how he feels betrayed when he loses his control over the new land. This seems slightly ironic because he feels robbed of “his” land when he was the one who basically robbed the natives of their land. However, Columbus now writes about different motives for his journey in the first place. He no longer claims that he is looking for honor or wealth, similarly to when Robinson Crusoe decides that he will only serve God, instead of himself.