The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe characters

Appears from the start

An Englishman from York who rejects the secure life his parents planned and repeatedly goes to sea. Restless, practical, and intensely self-reliant, he narrates how disaster forces him to build a life with almost no human assistance.

Appears from the start

Crusoe's elderly father, a prosperous immigrant who urges his youngest son to remain in England and enjoy a moderate, stable life. He warns that misery often follows those who abandon that middle condition.

First appears in chapter 2

A boy enslaved alongside Crusoe in North Africa. He helps Crusoe escape by boat and proves brave and capable during their voyage down the African coast.

First appears in chapter 2

The captain of a Portuguese ship that rescues Crusoe and Xury off the African coast. Generous and commercially shrewd, he helps Crusoe reach Brazil and begin life there as a planter.

First appears in chapter 15

A man Crusoe rescues from captors on the island. Crusoe names him for the day of the rescue. Intelligent, energetic, and eager to learn, he becomes Crusoe's companion after decades of solitude.

First appears in chapter 16

Friday's father, brought to the island as a captive. His reunion with Friday gives Crusoe new information about nearby peoples and the fate of other Europeans.

First appears in chapter 16

A European survivor living among people on the mainland before Crusoe and Friday help rescue him. He becomes part of their plan to contact possible allies and enlarge the island settlement.

First appears in chapter 17

The lawful commander of an English vessel seized by mutineers. Put ashore with loyal companions, he allies with Crusoe in an attempt to recover his ship.

First appears in chapter 18

One of the most dangerous members of the mutinous English crew. Defiant and difficult to subdue, he is left on the island when the lawful captain regains control.

First appears in chapter 2

A trusted friend in England who manages Crusoe's money after his early voyages. Her honesty helps preserve what remains of his affairs during his long disappearance.

First appears in chapter 3

Crusoe's business associate in Brazil, entrusted with part of the plantation when Crusoe leaves on a trading voyage. His management becomes important when Crusoe returns after many missing years.