The Double Standard in Robinson CrusoeWhile reading the excerpts from Robinson Crusoe I was quite struck by the evident double standard on the part of our "hero". This double standard theme is present in most antiquated texts. In explanation, whatever action the white European male does is exceptional behavior, but if another character, such as a woman or a non-European, does the same thing it becomes unobjectionable. An obvious example is Mr. Crusoe whose chosen profession was that of a slave trader turned slave, a condition that was not an attractive lifestyle for him, but was fine for those who did not fit into his racial group. He formulates an escape for himself, an action that would have infuriated him if a slave had attempted to escape him when he was in his role as a slave trader. Furthermore, I was thrilled, as was Allison, that he threw the Moor into the sea and threatened him with death if he didn't return to shore, and with some existence in the role of slave. The fact that Crusoe did not offer the Moor the same stab at freedom that he was giving himself was unforgivable. Directing my discussion to the excerpt involving Friday, once again the double standard was evident, although it was realized in a different variation. Here Crusoe the theme of slavery was still present, but also the discussion of the apparition on Friday. He was quite loud in pointing out Friday's face and how that face matched or varied with the appearance of other ethnic groups. I found this to be very much in line with the precedent established by the writings of early explorers from Columbus onward. These men gave descriptions of the people they encountered on their travels and made comparisons to everything from beasts to animals to mythical beings. Last semester in my history seminar my final paper was on the historical context of William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and I found many parallels with the writings of the primary texts I used to Defoe's