Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe is a 1719 novel by Daniel Defoe about an English sailor who is shipwrecked on a remote tropical island and survives there for 28 years.

Robinson Crusoe is a 1719 novel by Daniel Defoe about an English sailor who is shipwrecked on a remote tropical island and survives there for 28 years. It is widely regarded as one of the earliest major English novels and has had major influence on adventure fiction and later “Robinsonade” stories.

Publication and authorship

Robinson Crusoe was written by Daniel Defoe and first published in 1719 in London. Its full original title is The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner.

Plot

The novel tells the story of Robinson Crusoe, an Englishman who leaves home for sea travel, is shipwrecked, and survives alone on a desert island for nearly three decades. During his isolation, he builds shelter, grows food, and later encounters other people, including Friday.

Literary importance

The book is often described as one of the earliest major English novels and a major influence on realistic fiction. It also helped establish a long tradition of survival and castaway stories.

Themes

Commentary on the novel commonly highlights survival, self-reliance, ambition, civilization, and power. The narrative also includes religious and moral reflection.