CM2 Defoe and the Novel Flashcards
When did Defoe live ?
1660-1731
Who was Defoe ?
1) A prolific writer who could writer about almost every topic
2) One of the greatest journalists and the father of journalism
3) Not taken seriously by literary men
4) A Dissenter
5) The son of a butcher
6) A suspected government spy
7) Not a gentleman born or raised though he aspired to be one and changed his name from Foe to Defoe
What are the 3 main genres at the time ?
the epic
the lyric
the dramatic
What does Clara Reeves says about the novel ?
It is more realistic and more familiar than the other genres.
What does Alain Bony says about the novel ?
He says that since 1750, there i systematically a distinction between romance (ancient) and novel (new)
What is formal realism ?
The premise that the novel is a full and authentic report of human experience.
Therefore, there are details of the individuality of the characters, times, places, action that need to be specified.
What is Robinson Crusoe’s genre ?
There are elements of the novel in Robinson Crusoe, but also elements of a fictional and spiritual autobiography, elements of the picaresque novel, of the Bildungsroman etc.
