Biography of Daniel Defoe - In Short

            

portrait of Daniel Defoe

            Born in 1660 in London, England, Daniel Defoe was the son of James Foe, a butcher. Defoe changed his last name and graduated from the academy of Newington Green before he pursued business. Daniel was interested in politics, and travelled often. While on his journeys he often sold goods, but always ran the risk of impending bankruptcy. Eventually, in 1962, he was bankrupt, and gave up on the business industry, choosing to pursue his interest in literature and politics. He published his first piece, a political pamphlet, in 1683 and worked as a journalist up until the early 1700’s.  Throughout the early 1700’s his political writings were often the focus of much criticism and controversy, landing him in jail several times for opposing powerful political parties.

             In 1719 Defoe decided to begin writing fiction, publishing Robinson Crusoe.  Defoe was 59, and composed the story from a number of short essays he had written over the years. Robinson Crusoe was followed by a handful of other novels, often highlighting the life of anti-hero’s and criminals that played the lead roles. Eventually by the 1720’s Defoe returned to writing his editorial pieces of the past, but focused primarily on politics, morality, and social order in England.

            (This is interesting, as one could digest the narrative of Robinson Crusoe as a      

            Ultra simplified version of the ideal society that Defoe may have longed to

            see in his present day England. This may have been as a result of the chaotic       

            events in England at the time)

            Defoe died April 24, 1731, leaving behind a legacy of novels, and the classic tale of Robinson Crusoe. He is remembered as a gifted author and journalist, having created many forms of literature, many of which still popular today, and some even reproduced as films.