University of Mosul

College of Education for Humanity

Department of English

2023 Realism in Defoe's

Robinson Crusoe

Submitted by
Abdullah Maysar Mohammed

Supervised by
Dr. Ammar Hashem Saleh
3 Introduction
3 Daniel Defoe: life and works
4 The concept of realism
4 Types of realism
6 Robinson Crusoe
6 Social Class and the Effect of Realism
7 The Influence of Setting
9 Realism in Defoe's Robinson Crusoe
9 Social Class
11 Characters
12 Selkirk
13 The Narration of the Novel
15 Religion
17 Conclusion
18 References

2
1 Introduction

1.1 Daniel Defoe: Life and Works

Daniel Defoe was born on 24 April 1731. He was an English writer, trader,
journalist, pamphleteer, and spy. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe,
published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of
translations.1 He has been seen as one of the earliest proponents of the English novel
and helped to popularize the form in Britain with others such as Aphra Behn and
Samuel Richardson.

Defoe wrote many political tracts, was often in trouble with the authorities, and
spent a period in prison. Intellectuals and political leaders paid attention to his fresh
ideas and sometimes consulted him. Defoe was a prolific and versatile writer,
producing more than three hundred works books, pamphlets, and journals — on
diverse topics, including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology, and the
supernatural. He was also a pioneer of business journalism and economic journalism2

Defoe is distinguished by a clear and direct writing style, far from commissioning.
It is also characterized by the abundance and accuracy of details that describe events,
places, people, and even feelings accurately, which makes the reader live the work in
its smallest details. What distinguishes Defoe's style is the simplicity of writing that
targets all types of people, which makes his works live longer than others.

1
Paula R Backscheider, "Daniel Defoe", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2008.
2
John Gavin Adams, "Letters to John Law", Newton Page,978, 1,2012.

3
1.2 The Concept of Realism

Realism is a movement that has appeared since the Eighteenth century in English
literature and was a movement out of the ordinary and a movement against
Romanticism and other movements of literature. In contrast to the romantic and classic
style, realism focused on depicting real, everyday life and events that could happen
anywhere. Realism has been known for depicting middle- and lower-class characters
and the problems and adventures they encounter in their lives. Realism was also
concerned with discussing the social problems that were prevalent in society at the
time. Unlike previous movements such as Romanticism, realism was not based on
history and myths, or ancient literature, but rather concerned with real characters taken
from daily life.3

1.3 Types of Realism

A- .Magical realism.

A type of realism that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. Magical realism
portrays the world truthfully plus adds magical elements that are not found in our
reality but are still considered normal in the world the story takes place. One Hundred
Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (1967) is a magical realism novel about
a man who invents a town according to his own perceptions.

B- .Social realism.

A type of realism that focuses on the lives and living conditions of the working
class and the poor. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (1862) is a social novel about class
and politics in France in the early 1800s. On the other hand, socialist realism is a type
of realism created by Joseph Stalin and adopted by Communists. Socialist realism

3
M.R Sethi, Main tendencies of the 18th century novel, (Munich: GRIN print, 2020), p 1 – 15.

4
glorifies the struggles of the proletariat. Cement by Fyodor Gladkov (1925) is a
socialist-realist novel about the struggles of reconstructing the Soviet Union after the
Russian Revolution.

C- .Kitchen sink realism.

An offshoot of social realism that focuses on the lives of young working-class

British men who spend their free time drinking in pubs. Room at the Top by John
Braine (1957) is a kitchen sink realist novel about a young man with big ambitions
who struggles to realize his dreams in post-war Britain.

D- Naturalism.

An extreme form of realism influenced by Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution,

Naturalism, founded by Émile Zola, explores the belief that science can explain all
social and environmental phenomena. A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner (1930),
a short story about a recluse with a mental illness whose fate is already determined, is
an example of naturalism.

E- .Psychological realism.

A type of realism that’s character-driven, focusing on what motivates them to

make certain decisions and why. Psychological realism sometimes uses characters to
express commentary on social or political issues. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor
Dostoyevsky (1866) is a psychological realist novel about a man who hatches a plan to
kill a man and take his money to get out of poverty—but feels immense guilt and
paranoia after he does it. 4

4
Dan Brown, "What Is Literary Realism? Definition and Examples of the Realism Genre in Literature", Masterclass
platform, 2021.

5
1.4 Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe's novel is one of the first novels to deal with realistic fiction, a
literary genre that presents fictional characters and events in a way that makes the
story possible to happen in the real world. Defoe based his novel on the story of
Scotsman Alexander Selkirk, who lived alone for four years on a remote island that is
today part of Chile. 5

The novel talks about a young man from a German family who decides to sail and
go on sea adventures against the wishes of his parents. Most of Crusoe's voyages
ended in failure, which led him to slavery, and after two years of that incident Crusoe
was able to escape with a person named Xuri and they were rescued by a Portuguese
ship and then they brought Crusoe to Brazil. He worked in the sugar trade and then in
the tobacco trade. After years in Brazil, his nostalgia for adventures began to rise
again with Crusoe, and then he decided, in cooperation with some traders in Brazil, to
sail on an unfortunate journey that led him to live on a remote island alone. Robinson
spent 28 years on the remote island. Crusoe managed to escape after eliminating the
cannibals, who discovered them by accident, with the help of Friday, who was rescued
by Crusoe, and with the help of an English captain as well. In the end, he returned to
the city of Lisbon and then was able to accumulate his fortune, which he founded in
Brazil.

1.5 Social Class and the Effect of the Realism

Social class is defined as a group of individuals who have the same economic
position. This concept has spread since the beginning of the nineteenth century after
the change that took place in Western societies due to the Industrial Revolution as well
as the political revolutions. Society was divided into three main classes, at first, the
upper class or the bourgeoisie, the middle class, and finally the lower class. After the

5
Tim Severin, In Search of Robinson Crusoe (New York: NY: Basic Books, 2002)

6
Orientalist operations carried out by the European countries, a new class appeared to
us, which was known as the class of others or the savages that were stripped from their
humanity according to the description and treatment of white European societies.
Many philosophers have tackled the topic and problems of class such as the French
philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, and Thomas Hobbes.6

Class is one of the basic issues that have been dealt with in realist literature. In
contrast to the previous literary ages, which shed light on the upper class, such as the
literature of the Middle Ages, realistic literature was distinguished by highlighting the
largest classes in society, namely the middle and lower classes. One of the first works
that dealt with the life of the middle and low classes is the novel Robinson Crusoe. he
introduced his main character, Crusoe, from a middle class. Crusoe’s family wanted
him to lead a normal, average life, but the young man's ambition refused to remain
within the middle class and wanted him to make his way to a higher position in
society. Crusoe's character is an example of the human race at the time and the
struggle to reach the upper echelons of society. Defoe also dealt with the savage class
and the cruelty of life on them because of the greed of the European classes to exploit
their lands and exploit them as well and consider them as a tool more than humans.
What distinguishes this novel is the realism that dealt with the problems of social
classes in a way that the reader can imagine the events occurring naturally, and the
reason is that Defoe’s novel discussed real issues and problems at the time.

1.5 The Influence of Setting

The setting is one of the most important elements in writing, such as writing stories
or novels and plays as well, which is no less important than the plot and characters.
The setting is defined as when and where the story takes place. The plot and even the
characters cannot be understood without the background because it is fundamentally
related to it. The type and function of the setting varies with the type of work. For

6
Brian Duignan, "social class", Britannica, 13,5, 1998.

7
example, in fiction, the writer uses his imagination to create a completely imaginary
place and time and then connects it to the characters and plot in order to make the
reader live the event, such as in the works of the writer John Ronald Reuel Tolkien,
who created a completely imaginary place and time. Also, some works combine real
and fantasy places, such as the play Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.

Realistic works are characterized by realistic settings and far from imagination, and
it is one of the basic things that distinguish realistic works. Realistic works are also
characterized by accurate descriptions of time and place, as in Robinson Crusoe's
novel. Defoe described time and place wonderfully and accurately. For example, in
Robinson Crusoe, the sea and the atmosphere were described in such a way that the
reader lived the event in an integrated manner.

In the end, the setting is one of the most important elements that build a literary
work and make the reader fully aware of the work. Also, knowing the time and place
of work makes the reader more attached to the characters because of their knowledge
of the surrounding world.7

7
Raymond Malewitz, "What is a Setting?", Oregon State University,214,10, 2022.

8
2. Realism in Defoe's Robinson Crusoe

There are many elements included by the writer to give a realistic touch to the
novel. For example: focusing on social classes, especially the middle class and the
lower class, accurate description of events, which makes the reader live the event in
the smallest details, focusing on negative things in society and showing them as they
are, without frills, depicting human suffering and focusing on moral values and
diagnosing them in order to amend.

2.1 Social class

The Oxford Dictionary defines class as a 'system of ordering society whereby

people are divided into sets based on perceived social or economic status'. Literature
according to Marx echoes the social institutions from which it comes and literature is
an economic product, that often reflects an author's idea or vision of class8. Defoe
focused on the middle class and presented a main character from the middle class and
its struggles in society.

' I was born in the year 1632, in the city of York of

a good family, tho' not of that country, my father being
a foreigner of Bremen, who settled first at Hull: he got
a good estate by merchandise, and ... "that the middle
station of life was calculated for all kinds of virtue and
all kinds of enjoyment; that peace and plenty were the
handmaids of a middle fortune; that temperance, moderation,
quietness, health, society, all agreeable diversions, and all
desirable pleasures were the blessings attending the middle
station of life 9

8
Britannica,1998
9
Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe (New York: Noble Books and Barnes Print, 2003), p 1.

9
 Through the aforementioned lines and the details provided, it is clear that the
novel speaks of an ordinary person in society who lives a normal life and has an
ambition that he seeks to achieve and pave his way to higher places in society, just like
any person in society at the time. It is possible to consider the character of Robinson
Crusoe as a sample that reflects most of the people in the middle class and their
struggles in life, and this thing reflects the concept of realism in the novel.

In the beginning, some people, including Robinson's father, believed that the
middle class was the best way to live a comfortable life, but if we look at the matter
realistically, it will become clear to us that belief in this is nothing but something far
from reality, and it is nothing but arguments designed to mitigate the bitter reality and
difficulties Which divided people into categories, and the lower the rank of a person in
society, the more difficult, miserable, and sad life became, and the more his struggle
for life increased. Since the beginning of the eighteenth century, when the influence of
class on society increased, people began to try to make their way to reduce the
differences socially, living, and economically... Like Robinson Crusoe, who defected
from the concept of his father and began seeking to get rid of his middle class towards
the higher classes, believing that happiness lies in the highest human class. Other
novels spoke and portrayed social differences and society's suffering because of
classes, as in Pierce Egan’s Colorful Life in London (1812), as well as in Jane
Austen's novels.10

Apart from the middle and lower classes, Defoe spoke of a group of people
classified as outside the human classes, who are known as savages. A savage can be
defined as anyone or anything not European.

"So I gave Xury a piece of rusk bread to eat and a

dram out of our patron’s case of bottles

10
K Downing, The Middle Station of Life — The Anxieties of Social Mobility (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014) p1788.

10
 "He offered me also sixty pieces of eight more for my
boy Xury, which I was loth to take; not that I was
unwilling to let the captain have him, but I was very loth to
sell the poor boy’s liberty, who had assisted me
so faithfully in procuring (pp. 31- 42)

Defoe talked about the naivety of the savages and how they were attacked and
controlled by Europeans brutally, as well as making them voiceless slaves. Defoe
described the relationship between Europeans and savages directly and realistically,
and it contained brutality and animalistic behaviors, far from the alleged European
description and far from reality, and this thing added a realistic touch free from the
alleged European frills.

2.2 Characters

Realism is characterized by the use of realistic characters over a complicated plot.

Elements of Realism include the focus on social issues, struggles of everyday life, and
truths of everyday life. Robinson Crusoe engages in a specific type of realism that
unites, first, a real physical world with Puritan typology, and second, a realistic
character development with the paradigms of spiritual biography. As Defoe depicts the
problem of survival, he creates an intense material existence in his novel.

"My raft was now strong enough to bear any reasonable

weight. My next care was what to load it with, and how to
preserve what I laid upon it from the surf of the sea;

but I was not long considering this. I first laid all the planks or
boards upon it that I could get, and having considered well
what I most wanted, I got three of the seamen’s chests. (p.63)

Crusoe must scavenge the shipwreck, forage for food, and build his own shelter.
Further, he makes mistakes and suffers practical consequences; he makes a canoe too
heavy to push into the water, for example, wasting months of work. Through typology,
11
however, this physical world, so insistently literal, coexists with a transcendent reality.
Because a type affirms the literal existence of both type and antitype, Defoe can
situate a divine reality in the midst of phenomenal life without allegorizing the
material world and without reducing the divine into a merely symbolic presence.

Some of the most famous material elements of the narrative, such as the footprint and
the earthenware pot, are biblical types. Further, Crusoe's characterization brings to life
the patterns of conversion, repentance, backsliding, and growth common in Puritan
literature.11 This role is not limited to the character of Crusoe only but to all
characters, such as Robinson's father, who prefers and encourages ordinary things,
such as encouraging Robinson to be a lawyer. The savages also, their roles and
behaviors were depicted with all realism and the amount of naivety and purity that
some of them carry, such as Xury, as well as the brutality and animalism that others
carry, such as the indigenous inhabitants of the island.

2.3 Selkirk

Alexander Selkirk (1676-1721) was a Scotsman famously marooned for four years
and four months on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean until his rescue by a passing
British ship in February 1709. This story inspired Defoe to write the title and character
of his novel.12

As the novel is based on a true story, it gives the work a realistic direction and
strength in the events and descriptions, which were somewhat similar to the story of
the Scottish sailor. This adaptation is one of the things that helped classify the novel
among the realistic works that contributed to the spread of the novel on a large scale.
There are some notable differences between Crusoe and Selkirk, with the former being
shipwrecked, not deliberately marooned, and then ending up on a desert island off the
east coast of South America, not the west coast. Crusoe survives 27 years and

11
Kim Sharon, "American Literature", Duke University Press, 75,4,2003.
12
Mark Cartwright, "Alexander Selkirk", World History Encyclopedia, 15,1,2021.

12
ultimately finds a companion in Friday, which Selkirk never did in his four years and
four months of solitude. Whether one takes Crusoe as an entertaining account of
survival or an allegory for spiritual redemption, a significant contribution to the
success of the novel is the convincing level of detail. Defoe has expertly woven
maritime details taken from such old sea salts as Rogers and Dampier into the
framework of Selkirk’s story and created an entirely believable account of human
survival. The book was an instant classic and has become one of those rare novels that
is as much loved by literary critics as by general readers.

2.4 The Narration of the Novel

The use of accurate and broad details in writing is one of the basic aspects of realist
literature. Defoe used the style of writing in detail in describing and constructing
events. This attention to detail helps create a real feeling for the reader, making it
easier to visualize and understand the events of the novel. It also makes the story more
engaging, as the reader can understand the challenges and struggles that Crusoe faces
daily.

"Now, though we thought that the wind did a little

abate, yet the ship having thus struck upon the sand,
and sticking too fast for us to expect her getting off,
we were in a dreadful condition indeed, and had nothing to do

but to think of saving our lives as well as we could” (p.54)

In the text above, it could be noticed that the use of details in describing the events
in succession, as well as accurately describing the characters and their interaction with
each other. The description is not limited to the events and the interaction of the
characters only, but also to the detailed description of the characters, their suffering,
their struggle with the surrounding environment, internal conflict, and disappointment.

13
 "SEPTEMBER 30, 1659. - I, poor miserable Robinson
Crusoe, being shipwrecked during a dreadful storm in the
offing, came on shore …NOV. 4. - This
morning
I began to order my (p 89)

Defoe also employed date and time in the style of writing and narration and
made the events based on a complete system of the time. This can be seen in all parts
of the novel and how time is accurately linked to events and characters.13

“He found he was upon the coast of Guiana, or the north

part of Brazil, beyond the river Amazon, toward the river

The Orinoco, commonly called the Great River; began to consult

with me what course he should take, for the ship was leaky,

and very much disabled, and he was going directly back

to the coast of Brazil”, (p.52)

Among the points that were depicted and presented in detail, are the place and
nature. Defoe's account of the events is very detailed, giving us the exact location and
the exact latitude indicating the geographical position, and the precious description,
such as mentioning the name of the island coast and even the river. This helps to
create a sense of place for the reader, making it easy to visualize and understand the
setting of the novel. The setting in a novel and the physical environment of a
character, such as a room or a house, help to explain and demonstrate the
characteristics of a character. For example, Robinson Crusoe was able to build a house
from scratch, showing his character was strong-willed and determined. A character's
physical or social environment is not only a trait but can cause it or be caused by it

13
Kibin, "An analysis of setting in the Robinson Crusoe", kibin platform,1,1,2023.

14
because it is artificial. This can also be seen in Robinson Crusoe, as the closed borders
around his fortified island refuge reflect his isolation.

However, the setting of the island is a landscape and thus independent of

humans, but nonetheless, the island, and the other lands Robinson has visited, remain
relevant to him in the story, as they provide Robinson with the tools to change his life
Direction and premonition of opportunities for future events. The repetitive and
monotonous setting also reflects upcoming events. The scenes in this novel are so
graphic that Defoe may have used this technique to convince the reader that they were
real. Defoe's storytelling combined with his realistic attention to detail allowed the
reader to imagine the events as if he had placed himself in the situations he described,
especially evident in the detailed diaries.

Defoe himself must have had a thorough knowledge of geography, as he

described many places and indigenous peoples and the cultures associated with them.
Besides, Defoe gave us an unforgettable experience Impressions of desert island life.
In the scene, before Crusoe is stranded on the island for 28 years, he travels to York,
Hull.14

2.5 Religion

At the heart of Defoe's novel is the spiritual autobiography of one man. Crusoe, a
York sailor. He first rebelled, then atoned for his sins, and then converted himself and
others to Christianity. The novel begins with Crusoe’s rebellion: ignoring his father's
plan for him, which is an act against God's authority. Robinson then meets the
vicissitudes of fate - a series of misfortunes bring him to a deserted island. Once there,
he eventually atoned for his sins and made a serious religious conversion. The novel
then became a collection of religious observations.

In addition to the redemptive structure of the novel, the readers can also see
many biblical themes unfolding in the novel. For example, Crusoe's own story is very

14- Kibin, 2023.

15
similar to the parable of the prodigal son. Crusoe's character is also very much like
biblical characters like Jonah (swallowed by a whale/giant fish) or Job (losing
everything and his loved ones), whose faith is tested many times and causes even
greater pain. He goes on adventures without God's blessing. Therefore, it is contrary to
providence.15

"When he came to a rising ground, at some distance, he

spoke to me - or I heard a voice so terrible that
it is impossible to express the terror of it.
All that I can say I understood was this:
‘Seeing all these things have not brought
thee to repentance, now thou shalt die;’
at which words, I thought he lifted up the
spear that was in his hand to kill me”, (p.112)

Defoe depicted scenes of repentance and divine punishment in a very wonderful

way, in the form of psychological punishment, regret, self-blame, and even self-
hatred. All of these aspects led to physical illness. The scene of the terrifying man in
Crusoe's vision is nothing but a symbol that reflects the bad deeds that Robinson did
and turned away from God. Crusoe's punishment and repentance is a scene that
embodies the realism of man and the internal war or struggles that an ordinary person
experiences in his life when he commits bad things. This aspect reflects human
instinct and the beliefs that grow in his mind from childhood, especially in societies or
families in which the religious tint prevails, such as the Crusoe family.

15
Alexandra G Macy, The Socio-economic and Religious Aspects in Robinson Crusoe (California: CMC Senior Theses,
2011), P 199.

16
 Conclusion

Realism aims to convey a complete and true picture of life at any point in time
and history. It reflects the lives of ordinary readers. To achieve this, the author writes a
story from the point of view of one or more protagonists living ordinary lives, who
may find life a bit boring or unhappy, but who may have a heroic side in exceptional
circumstances that drive them to take action toward an end in life. Realism was also
reflected by focusing on the middle and lower class, who constituted the majority in
society and were described in a way that made their events and lives possible to take
place anywhere. Although the protagonist of Defoe's novel, Crusoe, who encounters
extraordinary events throughout the novel, saves a savage and more embarrassed man
and returns him to civilization, can be called a hero, it is defined as a realistic novel.
The element of Robinson Crusoe's realism can be seen in his characters, their actions,
his writing style, and the setting of the novel.

17
References

Alexandra G Macy, "The Socio-economic and Religious Aspects in Robinson

Crusoe" (California: CMC Senior Theses, 2011).

Brian Duignan, "social class", Britannica, 13,5, 1998.

Dan Brown, "What Is Literary Realism? Definition and Examples of the Realism
Genre in Literature", Masterclass platform, 2021.

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe (New York: Noble Books and Barnes Print, 2003).

John Gavin Adams, "Letters to John Law", Newton 978, 1,2012.

K Downing, The Middle Station of Life — The Anxieties of Social Mobility

(London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).

Kibin, "An analysis of setting in the Robinson Crusoe", kibin platform,1,1,2023.

Kim Sharon, "American Literature", Duke University Press, 75,4,2003.

M.R Sethi, Main tendencies of the 18th-century novel, (Munich: GRIN print,
2020).

Raymond Malewitz, "What is a Setting?", Oregon State University,214,10, 2022.

Mark Cartwright, "Alexander Selkirk", World History Encyclopedia, 15,1,2021.

Paula R Backscheider, "Daniel Defoe", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,

2008.

Tim Severin, In Search of Robinson Crusoe (New York: NY: Basic Books, 2002).

18
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Duignan, Brian. "social class", Britannica, 13,5, 1998.

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Genre in Literature", Masterclass platform, 2021.

Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe (New York: Noble Books and Barnes Print,
2003).

Adams, John Gavin. "Letters to John Law", Newton Page,978, 1,2012.

Downing, K. The Middle Station of Life — The Anxieties of Social Mobility

(London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).

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Sharon, Kim. American Literature, Duke University Press, 75,4,2003.

M.R Sethi, Main Tendencies of the 18th-century Novel, (Munich: GRIN print,
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Malewitz, Raymond. "What is a Setting?", Oregon State University, 214,10, 2022.

Cartwright, Mark. "Alexander Selkirk", World History Encyclopedia, 15,1,2021.

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19