CM3 Defoe's Robinson Crusoe Flashcards
When did Robinson Crusoe came out?
In 1719
What was the particular taste at the time?
People liked exoticism and travel stories.
Who liked the book a lot?
Children and philosophers
What is the fundamental question developed by Robinson Crusoe?
Can one live on one’s own, without any link to civilisation?
Can one start from scratch and reinvent everything that seems natural to someone living in society?
What is the story about?
One man’s survival on a desert island
As what is it sometimes refered to?
As the first English novel
What is more famous RC or Daniel Defoe?
Robinson Crusoe is so famous that it is a European myth
What is Robinson Crusoe a myth about?
A myth about the modern condition
What did the 19th century Robinsonades celebrate?
European colonial power
What are the common themes you can find in RC?
1) to be/to have
2) the individual in quest for identity
3) refusing pre-set patterns
4) trying to include God in his experience
5) trying to master nature, his environment, himself
6) chaos/order
What are the keywords of RC ?
1) the individual
2) civilisation
3) economics
4) useful/useless
5) rational/Irrational
In which ways is Robinson Crusoe representative of Daniel Defoe’s interest in economics?
Robinson plants, grows food, improves his production, he is careful of what he has and adventurous when he needs to
