My father, a wise and grave man, gave me serious and excellent counsel against what he foresaw was my design. . . . He told me i
t was for men of desperate fortunes, on one hand, or of aspiring superior fortunes, on the other, who went abroad upon adventures, to rise by enterprise, and make themselves famous in undertakings of a nature out of the common road. . . . I resolved not to think of going abroad any more. . . . But, alas! a few days wore it all off: and, in short, to prevent any of my father's further importunities, in a few weeks after I resolved to run quite away from him. Which statement below most clearly represents the theme of this passage? A. People sometimes contribute to their own misfortunes. B. The father advises the narrator against going abroad. C. We must always be careful to not take risks. D. Crusoe decides to ignore his father's advice.
Answer: A. People sometimes contribute to their own misfortunes.
In this excerpt, we are introduced to Crusoe's father. Crusoe explains that his father warned him about a life of wandering, and instead advised him to stay put. Although Crusoe decided to follow his advice, very soon he realized he could not fight his curious nature, and decided to go abroad. This shows that Crusoe contributed to his own misfortune by not listening to his father's advice.
