Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe

This novel is based on a true story of a man named Alexander Selkirk who lived in the early eighteenth century and also the plot has some facts of Daniel's life itself. Robinson Crusoe was first published in 1719 in the title of "The Life and Strange adventures of Robinson Crusoe". This work is the pioneer of realistic fiction in the literary genre, it was adapted to stage, television and movies. Daniel Defoe is a versatile writer who produced works with the following elements such as psychology, religion, politics, supernatural and so on. 

Overview:

Author: Daniel Defoe

Century: 18th century

Source: The Life and Strange adventures of Robinson Crusoe

Themes: Natural world & Man, Religion and Society

Major Characters: Robinson Crusoe, Friday, Xury

Plot Summary

Robinson Crusoe is an eighteen year old youth whose family resides in England, Crusoe's father wanted him to become a lawyer but he dreams of going to sea voyages and the whole family is against this young boy so he ran away along with his friend to London. From the the beginning itself the misfortune starts in the form of bad weather and the ship is landed in Yarmouth helplessly, after knowing the situation of the Crusoe's family his friend urges him to go back to home but he refused and make his way to London through land. 

Crusoe made a voyage to Guiana and wanted to become a trader but the bad luck continues, the ship was attacked by the pirates of turkey, for two years Robinson was made as a slave then he planned to escape and made it successful by escaping in a small boat with the help of Xury. Both of them went to Brazil, there he made enough money to make a good voyage by doing planting. The fate shows his cruel face again by a shipwreck and everyone dies except Crusoe, he managed to find an island after the terrible incident.

The isolated island has no men and Crusoe helplessly lived there for twenty seven years. He is lucky to take some provisions from the broken ship, and started to build a home and other essential things, he learns to cook, grow crops and raise goats. He leads a miserable life in the initial days and once tried to build a boat to reach land again but it almost swept him away so he never tried it again. For the first fifteen years, there was no sign of men but later one day he saw a footprint of savages who seldom comes from a mainland who use the island for killing the prisoners. Crusoe saved a prisoner by scaring them using his gun and he named him as Friday.

Friday is extremely grateful to Crusoe for saving his life and becomes a devoted servant of  Crusoe. He taught English to him and takes on the christian religion. They lead a happy life together for few more years and again the savages came to the island, Friday and Crusoe saved the life of two men including Friday's father. The reunion of the father and son was very joyous and island become populated everyday. A ship reached the island who are in trouble and forced to fight with another crew to capture a ship. Crusoe get a promise from the captain to take him and Friday to England after their success in the fight. The small group attacked the enemies and won, as he promised the captain takes the both to England.

Even though Crusoe has gone away for long time he finds that his plantation have done well and he is wealthy now, he returned to the English country side and settling down there. Crusoe get married and have three children, when his wife dies he once again goes to the sea.  

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