Robinson Crusoe

Question 1

What are some similarities between Daniel Defoe and Aphra Behn?

Answer 1

• Both spies
• Both from lower class backgrounds
• Defoe = Presbyterian (Anti-Catholic in RC); Behn = maybe Catholic
• Both died in debt
• Both relied on their writing for money

Question 2

What is the full title of this book?

Answer 2

“The Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe”

Question 3

What does the narrator describe his state in life as at the beginning of “Robinson Crusoe”?

Answer 3

“The Middle State”

Question 4

On what real-life event is this narrative based?

Answer 4

The writings of Scotsman Alexander Selkirk, who disagreed with his captain and was asked to be set on an island, where he stayed for four years.

Question 5

What is the significance of September 30th in this novel?

Answer 5

September 30th is Crusoe’s birthday. Events occur on this date throughout the narrative, including his getting shipwrecked on the island.

This helps establish the presence of Providence in the novel: there is a divine force invested in Crusoe, which is something he has to learn.

September 30 Events:

• The day he breaks away from his Father and friends
• The day he was made a slave on the Sallee
• The day he escaped a previous wreck
• The day he escaped from slavery
• The day he was born (both biologically and into his new life on the island)
• The day he was shipwrecked.

Question 6

What was a potential alternative career for Defoe?

Answer 6

Presbyterian minister

Question 7

What is “Robinson Crusoe’s” contribution to the development of the novel?

Answer 7

• Focus on the individual, especially through character evolution

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Question 8

What is “Robinson Crusoe’s” contribution to the development of the novel?

Answer 8

• Focus on the individual, especially through character evolution
• Consciousness-centered
• Focus on middle-class character (from the “middle state” of life)
• Focus on daily life (in the extreme, in this case)
• Watt: The solitude of Crusoe “cried out” for an examination of personal relationships, which would become a hallmark of the novel. (And is maybe why we wouldn’t call this a novel.)

Question 9

How is this a Protestant tale?

Answer 9

It places emphasis on the virtues of:

• independence
• hard work
• self-examination