The mood remains somber in large parts of the novel's early chapters. Defoe gives the reader an overwhelming amount of foreshadowing in the narrative's exposition, which makes the reader proceed with trepidation, anticipating all the mistakes and misfortunes that are to come. At the same time, however, there is an adventurous mood that underlies the entire narrative, even in the grimmer parts of the story. The fact that their narrator lived to tell his tale allows the reader some respite from the heavy mood, which is bolstered by the matter-of-fact tone he rarely strays from in his narration of these experiences.
A notable development in the mood takes place after Robinson repents and devotes himself to Christianity in Chapter 7, at which point the overall mood becomes more peaceful and hopeful. He accepts his life on the island and finds reasons to be grateful to God for his fate. In addition, the mood also becomes increasingly lighter after Robinson meets Friday. Both of these turning points remind Robinson that he is not as alone as he had thought he was in his darker, more hopeless moments. This shift in mood also prompts the reader to marvel at divine providence at work in Robinson's life.
