In the first pages of the book, Defoe shows how both Crusoe and his father need to control their circumstances and how these needs bring the two characters into conflict with one another.

Crusoe’s father tries to control what Crusoe does with his life. He fears that Crusoe will suffer misfortunes and hardships, and he does not want to be responsible for those hardships. His father even promises to provide well for Crusoe if only he will stay home and not go to sea. “In a word, that as he would do very kind things for me if I would stay and settle at Home as he directed, so he would not have so much Hand in my misfortunes. . . .” Crusoe’s father also seeks to control the situation by offering as an example his older son who joined the army against his father’s wishes and was latter killed.

At the same time, Crusoe needs to control his own life. He feels pulled to go to sea, and that there is no other option. As he states on page 3, “I would be satisfied with nothing but going to sea,” and on page 6 that his “thoughts were so entirely bent upon seeing the world. . . .” He spends an entire year reasoning with his father in an effort to change his mind. Crusoe’s need brings him in direct conflict with his father’s desire to have his son at home.

Crusoe finds himself embroiled in conflict with his father over his need to go to sea. After his father tells him that he should stay home and not go to sea, Crusoe resolves to try to do as his father wishes. However, within a few days, Crusoe realizes he cannot obey his father, and he then resolves to run away. He knows this will hurt his father. Indeed, it takes almost a year before Crusoe can carry out his plans. During that year, Crusoe remained “obstinately deaf” to his father’s pleas. Crusoe’s father remains “positively determined against what [he] knew my Inclinations prompted me to.”

Crusoe needs to go to sea. His father needs Crusoe to stay home. Each man spends much effort to convince the other of his own view and needs in the situation. Each man needs to control the situation. Defoe uses this conflict between Crusoe’s needs and his father’s needs to create a compelling beginning to Robinson Crusoe.