Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe is an English adventure story written by Daniel Defoe and first shared with the world on April 25, 1719. This book is very important because many people think it was one of the first real stories told like a novel, changing how stories were written forever.

The book tells about a man named Robinson Kreutznaer who got lost and ended up living alone on a hot, empty island for 28 years. The island was close to the coasts of Venezuela and Trinidad. While he was there, he met some scary groups of people, and also some others who were in trouble. After many years, he was finally saved.

Many readers first thought Robinson was a real person because the book was written to seem like he wrote it himself. Even though it’s a made-up story, it became very popular very quickly. By the end of 1719, just a few months after it came out, it had been printed four times already! Today, Robinson Crusoe is one of the most printed books in the whole world. Because of its influence, many other stories, movies, and shows have copied its idea, and now we even have a special name for these kinds of tales: the Robinsonade.

Plot summary

Robinson Crusoe sets sail from Kingston upon Hull, England, in 1651, even though his parents wanted him to study law. His ship gets wrecked in a storm, and after another dangerous trip, he ends up on a lonely island near the coasts of Venezuela and Trinidad. He is the only survivor, along with the captain's dog and two cats.

On the island, Crusoe uses tools from the ship to build a safe home, grow food, and make things he needs. He also learns to hunt and raises goats. Years later, he meets someone called Friday, who helps him. Together, they plan to leave the island. Eventually, Crusoe returns to England and finds out his family thought he was gone forever. He then travels to Lisbon to get his wealth from Brazil, with Friday by his side.

Characters

The story follows Robinson Crusoe, the main character who ends up on a deserted island after a shipwreck. There, he meets Friday, a native person he saves and who becomes his loyal friend and helper.

Other important characters include Xury, who was once Crusoe's servant and later given to a sea captain; The Widow, who looks after Crusoe’s things while he is away; and the Portuguese Sea Captain, who helps Crusoe and supports him after he leaves the island. Crusoe also rescues The Spaniard and Friday’s father from danger. The story also includes Traitorous crew members who cause trouble near the end, and The Savages, who live on the island and pose a threat to Crusoe.

Sources and real-life castaways

See also: Castaway § Real occurrences

In the time when Daniel Defoe was writing, there were many true stories about people who were stranded far away from home. One famous person thought to have inspired Defoe's book is a sailor named Alexander Selkirk. He spent four years alone on an island called Más a Tierra near Chile. Selkirk was saved in 1709.

Other stories that might have inspired Defoe's book include a sailor named Pedro Serrano, who was stuck on a small island for many years. There were also other tales of people who were lost and alone, which may have helped shape the story of Robinson Crusoe.

Reception and sequels

The book was published on 25 April 1719 and became very popular. By the end of that same year, it had already gone through four editions.

By the end of the 1800s, no book in Western literature had been printed as many times, in as many different forms, or translated into as many languages as Robinson Crusoe. It was even translated into languages like Inuktitut, Coptic, and Maltese, with over 700 different versions. These included special editions for children with pictures and no text.

Because of this huge success, the word "Robinsonade" was created to describe stories that are like Robinson Crusoe.

The author, Daniel Defoe, wrote a sequel called The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe in 1719. He planned for this to be the final story, but then he wrote a third book in 1720 titled Serious Reflections During the Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe: With his Vision of the Angelick World.

Interpretations of the novel

The novel Robinson Crusoe has been studied and interpreted in many ways since it was first published. One idea is that Crusoe tries to create a small version of his own society on the island. He uses tools and grows food, and even calls himself the "king" of the island. The relationship between Crusoe and another character, Friday, has been seen as a way to show how one culture can influence another.

Some people think that Crusoe is not a great hero, but a normal person who learns and grows through his experiences. The story shows how he becomes closer to his beliefs through time and being alone on the island.

The book also has many religious ideas. The author, Defoe, was known for his strong beliefs, and these show in the story. Crusoe’s journey includes moments of thinking about his past and learning from his experiences. Important events in the story happen on his birthday, showing how his life changes both physically and spiritually.

The novel has been used to talk about economics, showing how one person can manage resources and make choices without help from others. When Friday arrives, it also shows how trading and working together can benefit everyone.

The story has inspired many other books and has been seen in different ways by readers over time. It has led to many discussions about culture, society, and personal growth.

Legacy

Influence on language

The book became so well-known that the names of the main characters, Crusoe and Friday, are now used in everyday language. During World War II, people who stayed hidden in the ruins of the German-occupied city of Warsaw for three winter months until they were rescued by the Red Army were called Robinson Crusoes of Warsaw. The term "Man Friday" (or "Girl Friday") also comes from the story.

Influence on literature

Robinson Crusoe is often considered the beginning of realistic fiction. Its popularity led to many similar stories being written in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries. One famous example is The Swiss Family Robinson, which uses Crusoe’s name in its title.

Other well-known books and stories have been inspired by Robinson Crusoe, including Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, where a character named Ben Gunn is a friendly castaway. In Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s book _Emile, or on Education, the main character is encouraged to learn from Crusoe’s experiences. The story has also inspired many other writers and creators over the years.

French writer Michel Tournier wrote Friday, or, The Other Island in 1967, which reimagines Crusoe’s story with new themes. In 1963, J. M. G. Le Clézio, who later won the Nobel Prize in Literature, published a novel called Le Proces-Verbal that references Robinson Crusoe.

Other stories with similar themes include William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, J. G. Ballard’s Concrete Island, and Andy Weir’s The Martian.

Comic strip adaptations

The story was turned into comic books by Classics Illustrated in 1943 and 1957. A British artist created a version called Jill Crusoe, Castaway between 1950 and 1959. The popularity of Robinson Crusoe also inspired many desert island cartoons that began appearing in magazines in the 1930s.

Stage adaptations

There have been many stage versions of the story, including pantomimes and musicals. One famous version was performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1796. Jacques Offenbach also wrote an opera called Robinson Crusoé in 1867.

Film adaptations

The first film version of the story was made in 1902 by Georges Méliès. Over the years, many films have been inspired by or based on Robinson Crusoe, including versions for children and comedies. Some of these films include Robby, Man Friday, and Cast Away.

Animated adaptations

In 1988, an animated version called Classic Adventure Stories Robinson Crusoe was released for children. In 1995, the BBC began airing a series called Robinson Sucroe.

Radio adaptations

The story was adapted for BBC radio in 1998, with a dramatization by Steve Chambers.

TV adaptations

In 1964, a French TV series called The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe was made. The 2008–2009 Crusoe TV series was another modern take on the story. Reality TV shows like Expedition Robinson and Survivor are also inspired by the idea of surviving on an isolated island.

Editions

Here are some different versions of the book Robinson Crusoe that you can find:

• The life and strange surprizing adventures of Robinson Crusoe: of York, mariner: who lived twenty eight years all alone in an un-inhabited island on the coast of America, near the mouth of the great river of Oroonoque; ... Written by himself., Early English Books Online, 1719.
• Robinson Crusoe, Oneworld Classics 2008. ISBN 978-1-84749-012-4
• Robinson Crusoe, Penguin Classics 2003. ISBN 978-0-14-143982-2
• Robinson Crusoe, Oxford World's Classics 2007. ISBN 978-0-19-283342-6
• Robinson Crusoe, Bantam Classics
• Defoe, Daniel Robinson Crusoe, edited by Michael Shinagel (New York: Norton, 1994), ISBN 978-0393964523. Includes a selection of critical essays.
• Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Dover Publications, 1998.
• Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Signet Classic 1961 with afterword by Harvey Swados
• Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe Rand McNally & Company. The Windermere Series 1916. No ISBN. Includes 7 illustrations by Milo Winter