Scarica Daniel Defoe: Life and Novel-Writing Pioneer e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! DANIEL DEFOE LIFE He was born in 1660 into a family of dissenters, a Protestant sect which refused the authority of the Church of England He studied modern languages, geography and economics at Newington Green, one of the best Dissenting academies His father wanted a religious career for him but he began working as apprentice and then he went into the business on his own. He suffered 2 bankruptcies so he started to write in Whig paper. As a journalist he published the Review, a periodical which became famous in England. He became a famous and well-paid intellectual by writing political essays till the reign of Queen Anne. The queen didn't like his critics and had him arrested, tried and imprisoned. He also made 3 appearance in the pillory but it wasn't shameful for him because the crowd threw flower at him instead of rocks. To be free he denied his Whig ideas and became a secret agents for the new government. When he was about 60 he started to write novels which were very successful. He published Robinson Crusoe, Captain Singleton, Moll Flanders, Colonel Jack and Roxana. He earned a lot of money and he could afford a comfortable standard of life. He died in 1731 DEFOE'S NOVEL He is regarded as the father of the English novel His narrative technique was original and became the basis for the development of the realistic novel His novels are fictional autobiographies and they pretending to be true stories through the biographical details and memories of the protagonist. The novels are preceded by a preface by the author which confirm their authenticity. The structure of the novel is characterised by a series of episodes and adventures held together by the presence of a single hero The lack of a coherent plot is due to the fact that Defoe neither planned and revised his works. His main aim was to produce a large and effective output not intended for a critical audience. Defoe used retrospective first person narration and the author’s point of view coincided with the character’s. The characters are presented from the inside rather than from the outside and they appear in isolation. ROBINSON CRUSOE PLOT STYLE ® ls Daniel Defoe’s masterpiece and it was published in 1719 ® This novel is about the adventures of Robinson Creutznaer, anglicised Crusoe, born in York in 1632 of a German father and an English mother. ® Attheageof 19 he decided to leave home, his family and the prospect of a comfortable life as a member of the trading middle class in order to travel around the world and make his fortune. ® His first voyage leads him to Guinea and then back to England. ® Duringthe second voyage he is captured by Moorish pirates but manages to escape; he is rescued by a Portuguese ship and brought to Brazil. ® There he becomes the owner of a plantation and needing more labour sets out on a voyage to Africa to get more slaves. During this journey he is shipwrecked on a desert island where he will remain for 28 years. ® Therestofthe novel tells how he rebuilds the same kind of society as exists on his country. ® Hevwritesa diary where he records his experiences and debates ideas addressing himself, the reader and God. ® After 12 yearshe find footprint on the shore and then also human bones and flesh left by cannibals. Robinson attacks them and they escape and leave one of their captives whom he calls Friday, after the day of his rescue. ® Whenother cannibals land on the island Robinson and Friday attack them and free two others prisoner, one of whom turns out to be Friday's father. ® The novel ends with Robinson's return to England and his discovery that his plantation in Brazil has prospered and made him very rich. The novel has an objective approach to the events through clear and precise details. He concentrates his description on the primary qualities of the objects. The language is simple and matter of fact and there is the first-person narration.
