Abstract
The paper relates that Daniel Defoe's book, "Robinson Crusoe," remains a classic tale of survival and redemption. This paper examines the book, the author, and why it is considered to be the first "real" novel.

Tags:Defoe, Crusoe, Watt, Woolf

Abstract
This paper examines Daniel Defoe's ambivalent attitude towards the supernatural as seen in his novels "Moll Flanders" and "Journal of the Plague Year". The paper asserts that ambivalence is reflected in his realistic characters, who express contradictions in their feelings towards supernatural experiences. The paper points out that Defoe incorporates events that include the supernatural world into both novels, raising questions about his reasons for including such spiritual accounts in novels otherwise prided on their realism. The paper maintains that, most likely, the scenes involving supernatural phenomenon represent the divine world in which Defoe was living. The paper concludes that Defoe's attitude towards the supernatural remains unclear, for although he cannot deny its significance, he does lightly mock it by creating characters that remain themselves in doubt.

From the Paper
"The supernatural plays an important role in Journal of the Plague Year because it sets the tone for most of the novel. Right from the start it is made to be a true account of events and these celestial interferences are prominent factors in portraying the attitude of H.F. In the early parts of the novel, H.F. struggles with the decision of whether he should stay in London or leave to escape the plague that was upon the city. He attributes his decision to stay mostly as "the direction of the Divine power" and "an intimation from heaven." His motivation comes mostly from a superstition common to people of his time and, as he goes on to explain, he felt his staying in London was the will of God and that ultimately God would protect his health and well-being. After explaining all this to his reader, H.F. makes the decision to remain in London, weathering and recording the plague's progress. The contradictions in H.F.'s views arise when, in the beginning of his story, he describes the black magic beginning to be found throughout the town. He calls the belief in astrologers, fortune tellers, and the like as "horrid delusions" and is disgusted by the fact that so many people are allowing themselves to fall into these money making traps."

Tags:doubt, divine, belief, realism, cynicism

Abstract
This paper examines how Charles Darwin's "Journey of the Beagle" and Daniel Defoe's 18th century novel, "Robinson Crusoe", both provide 18th and mid 19th century encapsulations of the observable, natural world from the point of view of a naturalist and an unwitting traveler and survivor. It looks at how the deployment of narrative, drama, and personal experience in the accounts of both Defoe and Darwin exhibit similar literary elements, such as the use of dramatic narrative, dialogue, and the cataloging of picaresque or memorable details. It also discusses how Darwin sees himself in a different guise, the guise of a scientific observer, as well as an individual experiencing life in a strange place, while Defoe's fictional explorer, Robinson Crusoe, only sees himself as the latter.

From the Paper
"Darwin, however, does not debate the classification of animals in relation to humanity; rather he classifies the animals simply as animals thus showing not only a less moral, but also a less andocentric view of the world than Defoe's literary progeny. Crusoe's narrative may have inspired wonder in his readers, but there is no corresponding wonder in the strangeness and lack of civilization rather Crusoe is delighted to find the early trappings moral civilization in wild places and wonders at his potential ability to recreate that civilization so far away from it. Once again, Crusoe's narrative and contrast between civilized and uncivilized, between the good practice of home and the wild unchristian island, is cast in a moral, rather than an exploratory tone from the beginning."

Tags:robinson, nature, animals, travel

Abstract
This paper is a review of Daniel Defoe's novels "Robinson Crusoe" and "Moll Flanders". The paper specifically discusses to what extent these novels represent a microcosm of the world of Defoe. The paper follows a tendency toward the poststructuralist method of deconstruction, which seeks to unlock a reflection of the text by exposing its counter side, and therefore showing what the work of Defoe, can tell us about the past.

From the Paper
"Before an attempt can be made to construct any critical theory regarding Defoe's vision of society and civilisation, it is necessary to put into context the corridors of thought which may lead to its interpretation. The idea that a response to a work is the same as its meaning demands the question: Can a work can have as many meanings as we have responses?"

Tags:christianity, class, colonialist, imperialistic

Abstract
This seven-page paper looks at the novel Moll Flanders, written by Daniel Defoe, discussing theories on the moral and ethical issues and giving a brief outline of the plot.

Abstract
Both Alexander Pope and Daniel Defoe approached women differently but with equal passion in their literature. One might say of Pope too that on the whole his poetry suggests he has discovered a woman's world--the world of female portraiture and feminized mock-epic and feminine "Gothic" sensibility--but not women. As early as the 1697 Essay upon Projects, Defoe had criticized conventional restrictions on women, calling there for the foundation of "An Academy for Women."

Abstract
The paper compares De La Fayette's "The Princess of Cleves" and Defoe's "The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" and points out that "The Princess of Cleves" was written from a woman's point of view while "The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" is from a man's point of view. The paper further notes that De La Fayette's environ is based on mainland Europe and the lives of the landed gentries and the aristocrats, while Defoe's work contains few scenes on Europe. The paper adds that Defoe's work is a first-person point of view writing while De La Fayette's - as a result of how women were during the time - can only be surmised as a second-person point of view. The paper also discusses how these works' images are mainly of the personalities in Europe and their intrigues and counter intrigues. The paper concludes by highlighting these works' differences and how they both portray different pictures of Europe at the time.

From the Paper
"The point view therein the two books as coming from a man and a woman is quite important because during that time women are considered property and are subservient to men. Wives and daughters are considered under the supreme authority of the husband/father. As a result of these, it could be possible that the image of early modern Europe portrayed by De La Fayette may be not from a first person account but gathered from stories and tales of people she has had dealings with. Unlike Defoe's Crusoe, since he is a man it is highly likely that what he has written came from actual observations from someone who has been there and done that - so to speak. Take for instance some lines in Defoe's Crusoe: "I went down to my farm, settled my family, bought ploughs, harrows, a cart, wagon-horses, cows, and sheep, and, setting seriously to work, became in one half-year a mere country gentleman. My thoughts were entirely taken up in managing my servants, cultivating the ground, enclosing, planting, etc." This was a scene in a country farm estate and chances are Defoe has indeed had experience owning a farmland in the country and doing the matters that needed to be done to properly manage the place."

Tags:gentries, aristocrats, nobility

Abstract
This paper addresses the character development by Defoe of Robinson Crusoe. The paper explains that Defoe had to use characteristics of an individual who was had firm beliefs in religion and politics, a person who was adventurous, loyal to his country, able to compromise, able to stand solitude, able to plan ahead, and a character who was self-reliant and courageous. The paper asserts that while most characters would not work in this setting, Defoe used his life and his own characteristics to create Robinson Crusoe.

From the Paper
"When it came to writing a novel, Daniel Defoe was the creator of the novel. "For us he is not just a novelist, he is the originator of novels" (Mullan 47). If Daniel Defoe was the first author of novels, then his character of Robinson Crusoe is important. Developing the character of Robinson Crusoe, Defoe had to use characteristics of an individual who was had firm beliefs in religion and politics, a person who was adventurous, loyal to his country, able to compromise, able to stand solitude, able to plan ahead, and a character who was self-reliant and courageous. While most characters would not work in this setting, Defoe used his life and..."

Tags:character, development, characteristics

Abstract
This paper discusses the novel, "Moll Flanders," and the issues raised about morality in the life of the title character. The paper begins with a summary of the novel with quotes from the text, giving the reader a background for the later analysis. Common themes of religion, poverty, crime, marriage, and overall ambiguity are analyzed, with attention given to the time period in which the novel was written and the literary style.

From the Paper
"In Daniel Defoe's novel Moll Flanders, it is difficult for readers to determine the true moral and value system that the ambiguous Moll adheres to. Some readers may see her as a product of the society in which she was born and raised; other readers may see her as a free agent acting of her own volition. Defoe's brilliant writing style and technique ensures that readers have a favourable impression of Moll at the end of the novel, developing a character who has endured improbable hardships throughout the course of her life."

Tags:brother, childbirth, children, crime, daniel, defoe, flanders, gaol, heroine, incest, jail, lancashire, london, marriage, moll, necessity, need, newgate, poverty, prison, religion, transport, transportation, virginia, wife

Abstract
The paper examines how the novel embodies the economic and social problems in Britain in the first decades of the eighteenth century. This paper explains that the book is intended to teach a moral lesson, and that the nature of the main character, Moll, as a "fallen woman" threatens the stability of the social Great Chain of Being, as addressed by Alexander Pope in his "Essay on Man".

From the Paper
"Defoe's approach to this novel is ironic, for he infuses his social criticism with a dual morality. On the one hand is the standard Christian morality that Moll breaks at every turn. Defoe also offers a critique based on natural law, seeing man as motivated mainly by self and self-interest, just as Pope said. The Great Chain of Being is a product of Christian morality, while Defoe's critique of the society of his time shows it to be so overwhelmed by natural forces and self-interest that people like Moll have no choice but to do what they can to overcome the poverty into which they are born."

Tags:virtue, crime, hierarchy, class, debauchery