Robinson Crusoe Daniel Defoe

Daniel Defoe 1660 – 1731 Defoe’s father was a Dissenter – a Protestant who refused to follow the Anglican Church As a child, Daniel survived the Plague in 1665, and the Great Fire of London in 1666 Because of his family’s religious stand, Daniel was denied entry to the major universities

His life Defoe was expected to be a minister, but he preferred business and politics He was successful, until he became a part of the rebellion against King James II in 1685 Defoe was exiled because of his part in the failed attack The King was removed in 1688, and Defoe returned to England

Defoe turned to writing to earn a living He became a journalist and publicist; he even acted as a spy, using false names and various disguises Defoe spent most of his career satirizing the most corrupt institutions of his time Sometimes, his work earned him public punishment His quality of satire eventually even earned the respect of the government He wrote more than 500 books and pamphlets Defoe is considered one of the originators of the novel as a genre and Robinson Crusoe is the first novel written in English Defoe’s work was intended for the middle-class reader, and his simple style revolutionized literature

About the Selection The novel is written in the first person It is inspired by the life of a sailor, Andrew Selkirk, who was marooned on a deserted island and lived to tell his story Written as a "mock travelogue" imitating a popular literary form of the time The satire of the piece is aimed at humanity in general The people in the selection in the text are criticized for being "shortsighted and impractical intellectuals" experimenting with society and science

Literary Terminology First Person Point-of-View - First person singular point of view uses the “I” pronoun to refer to the narrator. This narrator is usually the protagonist of the story, and this point of view allows the reader access to the character’s inner thoughts and reactions to the events occurring. All of the action is processed through the narrator’s perspective, and therefore this type of narrator may be unreliable. Satire – A literary work that mocks or ridicules the stupidity or vices of individuals, groups, institutions, or society in general Novel - A long, fictional narrative written in prose, usually having many characters and a strong plot

Class Work Read the selection, page 289, and discuss as necessary Literary Critique, page 296, #s 1-5 Writing Workshop, page 296