Concetti Chiave
- Daniel Crusoe was a merchant and journalist who later became a secret agent, writing novels around the age of sixty.
- His novels are structured as "Fictional" autobiographies, focusing on a single hero's adventures with a retrospective first-person narration.
- "Robinson Crusoe" tells the story of a young man shipwrecked on a desert island, reflecting themes of individualism and societal replication.
- The desert island setting allows Robinson to demonstrate his qualities, creating a society similar to 18th-century England, highlighting colonial themes.
- The novel is narrated in the first person with a realistic style, emphasizing individualism, pragmatism, and religious themes of 18th-century English society.
Indice
Life of Daniel Crusoe
Was Born in 1660 into a middle class family of Dissenters. After studying, he left school and entered the world of business as merchant. He started to write in Whig papers with a periodical “The review”, in fact he showed great qualities as a journalist. Queen Anne didn’t like his critical attitude and decided to arrest him. He made three appearances in the pillory which turned into triumph when his friend threw him flowers. He became a secret agent for the new government when he denied his Whig ideas. He started to write novels when he was about sixty and he died in 1731.
Novel's structure
His novels are "Fictional" autobiographies. A series of episodes and adventures, unifying presence of a single hero and lack of a coherent plot with a retrospective first-person narration (autobiographical diary). The author's point of view coincides with the main character's and the characters presented through their actions and not by a description.
Robinson Crusoe - Plot
was a Young man born in York in a middle class family who left home at the age of 19. He travels around the world to make his fortune. He becomes the owner of a plantation in Brazil which makes him rich and starts a voyage to Africa to get more slaves. During this journey he is shipwrecked on a desert island where he will remain for 28 years (realistic novel). Most of the plot is around his life on the island and is written in the form of a autobiography. On the island he meets Friday, a native person who already lived there.
Setting(The desert island, in the Pacific Ocean)
It’s the ideal place for Robinson to prove his qualities and demonstrate he deserved to be saved by God’s Providence. Robinson organises the same kind of society as exists in his country that's not a return to nature, but a chance to exploit and dominate nature. The society Robinson creates on the island is not an alternative to his society, but a similar one and it is an exaltation of 18th-century English society, in fact he was considered the prototype of the English Coloniser.
Characters
1- Robinson has become a legendary figure thanks to his hard work, creativity and determination, he manages to organize his daily life perfectly. He belongs to the middle class, his character is restless and he desires to find his own identity, in fact he disobeys his father and starts a voyage to make his fortune. He is pragmatic, has an individualistic attitude and a rational approach to reality. His life on the Island develops the issue of the relationship between the individual and society.2- Friday is the first native character portrayed in the English novel. Robinson rescues him, gives him a name (to remind him the day in which he was rescued), he teaches him only a few words: yes, no and master. r and to read the Bible. So Friday becomes the symbol of the colonised and Robinson is the coloniser, who impose his culture without respecting their diversity.
Style
The novel is narrated in the first person and provides a realistic description of everyday life through clear and precise details. Defoe concentrate his description on the primary qualities of objects (extension and number rather than color and flavour).The language is simple and concrete to reinforce the impression of reality.
Themes
Robinson Crusoe is regarded as the first modern novel, it's based on a true story of a Scottish Seamen. The main themes are:1)Individualism and pragmatism are the main themes because Crusoe’s goal was to reproduce English society on the island, and individualism and pragmatism are the most important values of English society of that time.
2)Religion is another important theme because this novel is full of religious references to God, sin, Providence and salvation, the hero reads the Bible to find comfort and guidance and this gives to the novel a moral tone. Defoe explores the conflict between economic motivation and spiritual salvation.
Domande da interrogazione
- What is the significance of the setting in "Robinson Crusoe" and how does it reflect the protagonist's character?
- How does Daniel Defoe portray the character of Friday in "Robinson Crusoe"?
- What are the main themes of "Robinson Crusoe" and how do they relate to the time period it was written in?
- How does Daniel Defoe's background influence his writing style and themes in his novels?
- In what ways is "Robinson Crusoe" considered the first modern novel, and what real-life story inspired it?
The desert island setting in the Pacific Ocean is crucial as it provides Robinson Crusoe with the ideal environment to demonstrate his qualities, such as hard work, creativity, and determination. It reflects his character by showing his ability to organize and dominate his surroundings, mirroring the societal values of 18th-century England and showcasing his role as a prototype English Coloniser.
Friday is portrayed as the first native character in the English novel, symbolizing the colonized. Robinson Crusoe rescues him, names him, and teaches him only basic words and to read the Bible, reflecting the colonizer's imposition of culture without respecting diversity. This relationship highlights the themes of colonization and cultural imposition.
The main themes of "Robinson Crusoe" include individualism, pragmatism, and religion. These themes reflect the values of English society during the 18th century, emphasizing the importance of reproducing English societal values on the island, the conflict between economic motivation and spiritual salvation, and the moral tone of the novel through religious references.
Daniel Defoe's background as a journalist and his experiences, including his critical attitude towards authority and his role as a secret agent, influenced his writing style and themes. His novels, characterized by realistic descriptions, clear details, and first-person narration, reflect his journalistic qualities and explore themes such as individualism, pragmatism, and religion, mirroring his life experiences and societal observations.
"Robinson Crusoe" is considered the first modern novel due to its structure as a fictional autobiography, focusing on the individual experiences and adventures of a single hero without a coherent plot. It was inspired by the true story of a Scottish seaman, making it a realistic novel that explores themes relevant to its time, such as individualism, pragmatism, and religion, marking a departure from previous literary forms.
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