It was the first warm day of the spring. It was warm everywhere. Nobody wanted to be in the university. But nobody knew where else they could be. So that was fine.

Professor Dulaim started the English literature lecture with a quiz.

What did Robinson Crusoe find out when he returned to his wife?

  1. That he did not love her the way he loved Friday.
  2. That she was pregnant.
  3. That she was married.

What did Robinson Crusoe do after drinking tobacco and rum mixture?

  1. Expressed his love for Friday.
  2. Set his house on fire.
  3. Accidentally broke his canoe.

And so on.

Professor Dulaim thought it very funny.

Then it was homework-checking time. A girl with a very short haircut was to represent Hell in literary tradition.

“Well, first we learn the description of Hell from the Bible. It goes like that, But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and…edo…ido…idolaters, what the hell is that, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death,” she said fast and carelessly.

And so on, but shortly, for she wasn’t really prepared. Nor was she prepared for some places. But no one was on that warm day of that last spring.

“Good, good,” said professor Dulaim. “Now, let’s talk about Robinson Crusoe.”

And so on.

“So, it’s a kind of spiritual autobiography…and you can see these Christian patterns, going against father, who is in some way God, fall, resurrection, all that nonsense…”

And so on. Students typed down and wrote down.

“You could say that he comes to denial of the Christian spirituality here,” Professor Dulaim winked, or it was a curious shade on his face.

“He comes to the…” students typed down and wrote down.

He was a very useful professor.