Dafoe's Robinson Crusoe

The first English novel?

Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719. It is a fictional story about a man who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island after his ship sinks. Many people think that Robinson Crusoe is the first novel in English. There are many film versions of the book.

Daniel Defoe (c1659-1731)

Defoe was an English writer and journalist. He wrote hundreds of books on different topics, including politics, crime and psychology. He is famous for Robinson Crusoe and for making novels popular in Britain.

Dafoe’s inspiration

Alexander Selkirk was Scottish sailor who lived on an island near Chile four years. After his rescue, his story was in British newspapers. Defoe probably got the idea for his story after Reading about Selkirk.

Exploration and discovery

In the 18th century, Europeans travelled all over the world exploring its oceans and continents. They began to produce much more accurate maps and this helped to increase trade. Their expeditions helped to expand scientific knowledge in areas such as geography, astronomy, anthropology and mathematics.



More information on Defoe and Robinson Crusoe:

• Bio.com
• Wikipedia
• Cliff's Notes
• The Defoe Society
• The Literature Network
• Biblio.com