Daniel Defoe and the rise of the novel

​​In a nutshell

Daniel Defoe was an English writer and journalist known for his novel Robinson Crusoe ​and the influence of his journal The Review from 1703 to 1713. During the 18th century, England faced what is called the rise of the novel, writing became an official profession and reading increased in a significant way.

The Author's Life

Daniel Defoe was born in 1660 in the heart of a Protestant family. He started his career writing in Whig papers. One of his greatest accomplishments was his journal The Review, published between 1703 and 1713. In addition, he became popular by writing intellectual and political pamphlets until the rule of Queen Anne. Since the Queen did not like his critical point of view, she had him arrested, imprisoned, and tried. He was even put in the pillory three times. 

In order to obtain his freedom back, he denied his Whig beliefs and became a government secret agent. In his 60s, he started to write novels such as Robinson Crusoe, Captain Singleton, Moll Flanders, Colonel Jack, and The Fortunate Mistress. ​As a result of the success of his books, he was able to afford a nice standard of life until his death in 1731.

Note: during the 18th century, the pillory was a device made of wood to lock head and hands. It was used for public humiliation and physical punishment.​

The Rise of Novel

During the 18th century, England showed great intellectual and economical progress as a result of the increase in literacy. People felt strongly attracted to reading stories about pirates and thieves, adventure, crime, political pamphlets, and newspapers. Writing became a profession regulated by economic criteria and authors were valued by the number of pages they wrote.

Most novels written in the 18th century appealed to the middle class, the goal of the writers was that the novel could be understood even by the less educated classes. Some novels' message was punishment or reward, this was influenced by the Puritan ethics of the middle class. 

Since writing had become a profitable profession, writers began to please the public by writing about their own personal experiences. Therefore, novels illustrated a 'realistic' reality to which many people could relate. In order to accomplish this, the authors used more descriptive and detailed settings. A sort of 'hero' was developed which represented common sense and reliability. Additionally, great importance was given to money and the improvement of social status. Daniel Defoe was the first novelist to create this type of fiction.

Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe was a novel published in 1719, it is based on the real life experiences of Alexander Selkirk, a seaman who landed on the desert island of Juan Fernández in Chile, from which he was rescued in 1709. Also, Defoe used as inspiration other books that were popular in his time. 

THE PLOT 

Robinson Crusoe is divided into three sections. The first section portrays how, in spite of his father's warning, Robinson leaves at nineteen years old to sea to make wealth. After several adventures, he arrives in Brazil, where he establishes a plantation. One day, during a trip to Africa to buy slaves, he is shipwrecked on a remote island where he spends twenty-eight years, two months, and nineteen days. The second section contains Robison's experiences on the island in a diary style. It describes how he recreated the world he has left behind, how he saves a young savage from cannibals and makes him his servant under the name of Man Friday, and how an English ship finally rescued him. In the third section, Robinson returns to England to find out his plantation in Brazil made him rich. 

THE MIDDLE-CLASS HERO

Robinson Crusoe belongs to the middle class which his father always considered to be the best to accomplish happiness. The search for his own identity and Robinson's restlessness opposite to the model imposed by his father was the element in common with the classical heroes of travel literature of the 18th century.

ECONOMIC MOTIVATION AND SPIRITUAL SALVATION

This novel contains a lot of religious references to God, sin, Providence and salvation. The protagonist reads the bible to find support and has constant experiences with good and evil. Moreover, he writes a diary to record his life events and see God's will in them. So, Defoe analyses the struggle between economic motivation and spiritual salvation.

THE ISLAND 

Most of the story takes place on the island. It was the perfect setting for Robinson to show he deserved God's salvation. On this island, Robinson becomes the prototype of the English colonizer, his perspective of being there was a chance to dominate and exploit nature.

SOCIETY AND THE INDIVIDUAL

Robinson's life on the island shows the relationship between the individual and society in private and public contexts. The experience of the hero's life on the island is an exaltation of the 18th century's society and its beliefs of mobility, materialist productivity, and individualism. Defoe describes that even if God is the center of everything, the individual can have control over his destiny by action.