Daniel Defoe – Robinson Crusoe
Literature's Most Famous Castaway
The novel was written by Daniel Defoe and it was the sixty-year-old’s first novel, published in 1719.
Daniel Defoe
Defoe was born in London circa 1660. His surname was Foe, he later changed it an attempt to sound more aristocratic. Daniel Defoe lived through several dramatic events. The plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of 1666 were both witnessed by the young Defoe.
The late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries were periods of great social and political upheaval and Defoe became involved with campaigns for social justice. This eventually lead to his imprisonment.
Defoe came to writing late in life, before putting pen to paper he had worked as a merchant. From the publication of his first novel he was immensely popular, however he lived most of his life in debt and was arrested for this crime on a number of occasions. Upon his death in 1731 some debts were still to be paid.
Source for Robinson Crusoe
Legend has it that Robinson Crusoe is based on the true story of Alexander Selkirk, dubbed ‘the real Robinson Crusoe’. Selkirk was a Scotsman, who spent four years as a castaway. In 1709, he was rescued from an island in South America. The island has since been renamed Robinson Crusoe Island.
Analysis of the Novel
Because the novel is written in the first person, many people thought that the book was in fact a true account of a man’s shipwreck and survival on a desert island. The book was hugely popular and was reprinted frequently during its first year in publication.
Part of the reason for the novel’s success is that Defoe completely captured the mood of the early eighteenth century. This was an exciting time with the discovery of new lands. Voyages of discovery were a matter of great interest and the daring of those who sailed on them was deeply captivating. Therefore, Robinson Crusoe was viewed as a hero of the era.
The novel consists of diary entries as well as retrospective writings from Crusoe. This results in Defoe repeating a lot of information, especially at the beginning of Crusoe’s shipwrecked existence. This again is an indication of the novel being a product of its time. People of the eighteenth century were becoming increasingly interested in documenting and charting events. Diaries were a popular way in which to achieve this.
Synopsis
Robinson Crusoe is a young Englishman. He has a deep passion for the sea and is drawn to life as a sailor, despite the reservations of his parents. Crusoe embarks on voyages to remote continents, however on one voyage his ship is destroyed off the coast of South America.
Crusoe spends the next twenty eight years on the deserted island. He manages to salvage some items from the ship to sustain him. He sets about scavenging for food, building shelter and farming the animals which inhabit the island.
He spends his days watching the horizon in the hope of rescue. After many years of solitude, Crusoe is exploring the island when he makes an interesting and unexpected discovery: A footprint.
Modern Interpretations
The story of a man marooned has never lost its appeal. Subsequently, Robinson Crusoe has inspired many film and television adaptations. It has also been used repeatedly as a source for other works, such as, The Swiss Family Robinson and 2000’s Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks.
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