Thesis Statement

The circumstances of Defoe as an author and a puritan, accompanied by the plot of the novel itself, influence the manner in which Crusoe as a character is motivated to create and construct his shelters.  Defoe’s knowledge and understanding of construction would dictate the manner that the shelters would be constructed by Crusoe’s character in the novel. Defoe’s puritan views would also add an idealistic interpretation of what Crusoe’s shelters and lifestyle would be portrayed as. Crusoe’s hard working mentality, and his constant strive for improvement are examples of this, and are prevalent throughout the story. The external pressures of the island would also affect how the shelters would come to be, influencing how they might protect Crusoe against the elements and other threats, or how they would be constructed from the materials in the surroundings. The progression and “renovation” of his shelters, as well as the construction of new elements, such as the Bower would also portray Crusoe’s inclination to strive for more comfort after having his basic needs met. This evaluation of the narrative draws many parallels to the hierarchy of needs and how Crusoe responds to his ascent on that hierarchy. Defoe’s symbolizes the construction of a civilization on a savage island, by building Crusoe’s character up in a progression of developments on the shelters themselves.

Defoe's Inspiration: Alexander Selkirk

The life of Alexander Selkirk, an English sailor who was stranded on an island for over four years, provided the background story for Defoe’s own castaway novel, Robinson Crusoe. Many elements of Crusoe’s time on the island, such as the illness and the taming of goats are taken from Selkirk’s story. At 7:22 in the video, it is mentioned that Selkirk began building shelter because keeping busy was the best way to prevent the depressions that accompanies loneliness in that situation. It is possible that the same applies to Crusoe. While there is much stress on the security of each of his shelters within the book, each of Crusoe’s walls was tedious in construction; in fact the first wall had taken nearly a whole year.

“The piles or stakes, which were as heavy as I could well lift, were a long time in cutting and preparing in the woods… I spent sometimes two days in cutting and bringing home one of those posts and a third day in driving it into the ground.”

From this it can be gathered that while the pales physically secured Crusoe from harm’s way, the productivity generated by the construction also helped to secure Crusoe’s mental well-being just as building a shelter did for Selkirk. 
             The video also shows a large contrast between Crusoe's life on the island and Selkirk's. While Defoe borrows elements from Selkirk's adventures to help construct the world of Robinson Crusoe, Defoe creates Crusoe to be a much more idealized character than Selkirk; which may be attributed to Defoe's view on the creation of a civilization as a Puritan. For instance, Selkirk dedicates his time almost entirely to the construction of shelter and the gathering of food whereas Crusoe goes beyond the necessities and takes time to write a journal and read the bible.

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.

Historical Timeline

Timelines are an effective visual tool to understanding any sequence of events or historical period. To put the events of Daniel Defoe's lifetime into context, we have created an animated timeline, which illustrates the epochal nature of Defoe's history and how key events influenced each other.

In order to understand a story we must first understand its author. Daniel Defoe was born in London in a very uneasy time in London. As a child, Defoe survived the Great Fire and the Great Plague of London, only to witness riots, wars, and numerous political upheavals.
Defoe became deeply involved in political matters at an early age. Beginning with the Monmouth Revolution, he became an active supporter of constitutional change, which eventually led to his arrest in 1703.
It is not surprising that his writing took the form of critical commentary. Defoe's publications were as controversial as his actions. He wrote a number of publications attacking European Affairs and the British Monarchy, and promoting dissention and non-conformity before inventing the English novel with his epic adventure tale, Robinson Crusoe.

Chronology of Daniel Defoe's Life

Taken from the Oxford World's Classics Edition of Robinson Crusoe

Daniel Defoe: A Biographical and Historical Timeline

Daniel Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe during an eventful and tumultuous time in England. The Colonial British Empire was rapidly expanding, much of Europe was at war, and Defoe himself was involved in a number of political controversies. In order to understand the story of Robinson Crusoe, one must survey the historical landscape of Defoe's own life to understand the motivations and experiences that led the author to write it.

The first timeline is a history of the British Colonial Empire, spanning from just before the 1600's to the 1740's. It outlines the history of trade, industry, and navigation in the British Empire, as well as a number of key events that impacted them.

The second timeline takes into account Daniel Defoe's life. It overlays biographical information with major events in England and Europe that would have impacted his life.

You can view the interactive timelines using the links below:

British Colonial Timeline

Daniel Defoe Timeline