Participatory Notes Essay

Participatory Notes normally know as P-Notes or PNs are instruments given by enlisted outside institutional financial specialists (FII) to abroad speculators, who wish to put resources into the Indian financial exchanges without enrolling themselves with the market controller, the Securities and Exchange Board of India †SEBI. SEBI allowed outside institutional financial specialists to enroll and take an interest in the Indian securities exchange in 1992. Contributing through P-Notes is straightforward and thus extremely well known among remote institutional speculators. Substance 1 Working 2 Need 3 Participatory Notes Crisis of 2007 4 Trends in PN 5 References Working Participatory notes are instruments utilized for making interests in the securities exchanges. Nonetheless, they are not utilized inside the nation. They are utilized outside India for making interests in shares recorded in that nation. That is the reason they are likewise called seaward subordinate instruments. In the Indian setting, outside institutional financial specialists (FIIs) and their sub-accounts for the most part utilize these instruments for encouraging the support of their abroad customers, who are not keen on taking part straightforwardly in the Indian securities exchange. For instance, Indian-based financiers purchase India-based protections and afterward issue participatory notes to remote speculators. Any profits or capital increases gathered from the basic protections return to the financial specialists. Need Secrecy: Any element putting resources into participatory notes isn't required to enlist with SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India), though all FIIs need to mandatorily get enrolled. It empowers enormous multifaceted investments to do their tasks without uncovering their personality. Simplicity of Trading: Trading through participatory notes is simple in light of the fact that participatory notes resemble contract notes transferable by underwriting and conveyance. Expense Saving: Some of the elements course their speculation through participatory notes to exploit the assessment laws of certain favored nations. Illegal tax avoidance: PNs are turning into a most loved with a large group of Indian tax criminals who use them to initially remove assets from nation through hawala and afterward get it back utilizing PNs.

A Scene Analysis of Julius Caesar, a Play by William Shakespeare

A Scene Analysis of Julius Caesar, a Play by William Shakespeare Shakespeare has been hypnotizing individuals with his composed word for many years, from his works to his plays. His accounts manage love, disloyalty, murder, demise, and even self destruction; even in the tale of Julius Caesar does he finish up regarding this matter. Act one Scene 3 is the piece of the play where the meteor showers assault the city of Rome, and where Cassius concedes how emphatically he is against Caesar’s rule. The scene should be a defining moment for the show in the sense it is uncovered exactly how horribly Caesar is seen by Cassisus, and exactly how far Cassius will go to ensure he doesn't see him rule. Shakespeare did this by depicting his characters feelings precisely and properly. The scene opens with the characters Casca and Cicero both are open figures in Rome, both are talking about the red hot tempest outside that is appeared unexpectedly. Casca trusts it to be a terrible sign of what is to come, while Cicero things it is just a characteristic event. When Cicero leaves the character Cassius enters, he clarifies how he accepts that the Oman is the Gods method of anticipating what might be on the horizon, and that not at all like Cicero he sees no motivation to fear the Gods. This is the place Cassius’ â€Å"big head† to state is uncovered, he expresses this â€Å"You are dull, Casca, and those sparkles of that ought to be in a Roman you do need, or, more than likely you use not† (Act 1 Scene 3 Page 3). Without saying Cassius has quite recently offended Cicero, and expressed he accepts there is no motivation to fear the Gods, since they are basically disappointed with one act and very few. This demonstrates in his portrayal that Cassius trusts himself to be better than others, possibly that is because of the reality he is a gifted general in the military, and that he is very tricky. Throughout the scene he uncovers that he would prefer to execute himself at that point see a man like Caesar rule his nation. â€Å"Now would I be able to, Casca, name to thee a man most like this ghastly night, that roars, helps, opens graves, and thunders as doth the lion in the Capitol A man no mightier than thyself or me in close to home activity, yet tremendous developed, and dreadful as these odd emissions are† (Act 1 Scene 3 Page 3-4). Cassius is discussing Caesar concerning the way that he accepts that the Gods are discontent with him going to the legislative hall to be delegated ruler. In past scenes, Shakespeare has clarified that individuals don't think he is prepared to run, yet this scene shows how far somebody would go to not see him rule. Cassius chooses to go to the extraordinary, â€Å"I know where I will wear this knife at that point. Cassius from subjugation will convey Cassius† (Act 1 Scene 3 Page 4). He would prefer to murder himself at that point see Ceasar rule, while Shakespeare has utilized self destruction as a plot point in the past this one changes from the rest by the decisions he made in the scene. Shakespeare in scene three doesn't disregard Cassius to consider his demise in his mind, he gives a companions to him to disclose his arrangement to. Nor does Cassius give a discouraging thinking or state farewells, he basically simply needs it realized he is murdering himself for a reason he genuinely has confidence in instead of for discouragement. A bond is demonstrated however through Cassius and Casca by the way that Cassius believes him enough to impart to him this arrangement, unafraid of disloyalty, and Casca comprehends his perspective indicating how incredible the companionship they hold is. The last piece of the scene is the defining moment of the entire play. Cassius intends to fool Brutus into accepting that Caesar is presently degenerate ruler, which will eventually prompt Caesars demise. Making the scene an essential second in the show, and one that no Spector could disregard. Shakespeare work won't vanish effectively nor will it be handily overlooked for the individuals who read one of his plays. This scene is about how solid somebody must trust in something to achieve it, and the connections individuals have with another. Shakespeare made this message understood all through the entire scene. There are hardly any scholars who have that ability and capacity, and by utilizing his characters genuine feelings, putting characters fittingly together, to make a really noteworthy scene.

Life, Death and Dissertation Writing

<h1> Life, Death and Dissertation Writing </h1> <h2> The Fundamentals of Dissertation Writing Revealed</h2> <p>One of the most troublesome undertakings with respect to school level composing is that of building up a thesis. There are an amazingly high number of understudies not having even started composing their expositions. The examination procedure engaged with composing a thesis science game probably won't be altogether different from various subjects. When composing a science exposition an individual ought to have great comprehension about the point that will be investigated. </p> <p>You may even request that the essayist help with creating the genuine thesis report. You may pick an appropriate essayist to form your exposition paper. In the event that the essayist isn't all around experienced, he can't make the paper. It's very conceivable that the particular essayist you select will be glad to help you.</p> <p>Deciding on the most perfectly awesome paper themes for your particular task is regularly too difficult to even think about doing alone. Getting your MBA is an enormous advance and picking a MBA exposition can be troublesome. In the event that you do require an extraordinary thesis, it's prudent that you get a genuine model exposition paper from a reliable source, similar to a companion or a family member. Along these lines, in the event that you ask me what the perfect exposition writing in UK is, I'll let you know PaperHelp is an assistance to pick. </p> <p>Get the assistance you should complete your alumni program thesis. So far as the understudies are included, composing an examination paper is among the hardest and disappointing endeavor as they would like to think. An exposition paper might be said as uncommon piece of archive since only a couple of understudies put it all on the line. Proficient essayist to dispose of the interest for composing an exposition It is outlandish for each post graduate understudy to create his own thesis paper. </p> <p>A doctoral qualification isn't a joke, and it isn't allowed without any problem. The choice on your doctorate in business organization exposition subjects will presumably stay with you for quite a while, from the second you start your proposition to the time that it is distributed as a book. Approach section in paper should deliver the act of your examination clear for people who aren't familiar with that. The system behind purchase PhD theory is very straightforward and intelligent. </p> <p>'Consider the explanation it's imperative to assault the subject you've picked,' she states. You additionally need to address whether the point is identified with your course and if it's been examined in another sense. There are numerous points for a proposal, the odds are practically perpetual! A staggering thesis theme from us will assist you with accomplishing much in almost no second. </p> <p>To save time delivering the reference list and be sure your references are effectively and reliably arranged, you may utilize our free APA Citation Generator. At long last, your paper will transformed into one of your most prominent ever accomplishments. To forestall unoriginality, you can deliver a thorough assortment of referencing materials in the exposition paper. It's essential to comply with a predictable reference style. </p> <h2>The Hidden Truth on Dissertation Writing </h2> <p>In most occurrences, understudies end up towards the finish of their coursework interested by methods for an assortment of inquiries and a few procedures. In such cases, they need exposition composing help from organizations, which can compose expertly and impeccably all together for the understudies to improve grade and a decent rate. As an outcome, such understudies scan for the best paper help to be certain their task will be delivered at the maximal level in concurrence with every single scholarly norm. Most of the understudies join low maintenance work during their scholastic course so it turns out to be additionally testing to oversee master life and scholarly life. </p> <p>You should make a rundown of a few specialist co-ops and after that look at or differentiate the administrations. Accordingly, when you have studies legitimate investigations, at that point we will flexibly you with the absolute best potential administrations. Our paper help administration offers you the information to locate the higher evaluations. Fortunately, there are top scholarly composing administrations that give dependable composing help to understudies everywhere throughout the world. </p> <h2>The Key to Successful Dissertation Writing </h2> <p>Talking through your modified exposition program or structure by methods for your administrator can help keep you fixated on the examination, and decide whether it's intelligent. Segment group is another issue particularly in case you're doing NVivo or Atlas-ti. Arranging is a fairly vital piece of taking care of cutoff times for thesis. It is desirable over acquire a far reaching plan of the whole me thod early. </p>

Essay For College Cover Page - How to Create a Stunning Cover Page

<h1>Essay For College Cover Page - How to Create a Stunning Cover Page</h1><p>There are such a significant number of various ways that you can spend your school paper. Everything relies upon your composing style and how you mean to make your paper stand apart from the rest. For instance, on the off chance that you are utilizing style you should seriously mull over your very own guide town. Or then again you should exhibit how you have an exceptional relationship with your auntie who lived in an extremely country area.</p><p></p><p>However, these are only two instances of the different ways that you can make your school paper stick out. The most significant thing is that you compose it well. While there are numerous brilliant authors that can make perfectly created expositions for school, a lot more individuals really can't. Everything relies upon your aptitudes, experience, and how you intend to utilize them.</p><p></p><p >The reason that you can do well with any paper for school is that it truly doesn't make a difference how you intend to make your exposition stick out. You will simply need to compose it well and compose well without fail. Your main responsibility is to convey in a manner that is fascinating but then not tyrannical. Being redundant is equivalent to simply going over something very similar. Simply act naturally and compose with passion.</p><p></p><p>So how would you know how you will have the option to plan for your school paper? The fundamental guideline that you ought to consistently remember is to compose from the heart. The purpose behind this is a few people appear to overlook that there is something many refer to as the 'heart.' This is a significant piece of the human psyche that is substantially more significant than some other piece of the human brain. The embodiment of your paper for school spread page is to utilize this part of your psyche and to communicate the significant things that you discover critical to you.</p><p></p><p>It's essential to truly think about the significance of your exposition. This is the most ideal approach to do it. Compose from the heart and that as well as compose from your own background too. Take any encounters that you are expounding on and use them to recount to your story in your paper for school spread page.</p><p></p><p>Some different ways that you can utilize your 'heart' is to look at the point of view of the staff or the board of the school you are applying to. Maybe you will find that you have an uncommon association with the staff of the school. Maybe you will find that you have a unique relationship with somebody in the network that you are applying to.</p><p></p><p>The last piece of this paper is your background. To recount to your story in a manner that is effortlessly recollected and that can be perused by anyb ody is the most significant piece of the exposition for school spread page. You simply need to ensure that you get the entirety of your thoughts into it.</p>

Tips for Writing Research Papers

<h1>Tips for Writing Research Papers</h1><p>Writing research papers has become simpler and increasingly gainful with the progression of time. On the off chance that you have been an essayist for quite a while, you most likely realize that a great deal of examination can go into paper composing. It is generally done as an individual or collective endeavor by the researcher.</p><p></p><p>A great approach to assist this with handling along is to conceptualize and begin a venture list. This is an incredible method to sort out your tasks and gives you a structure to make it simple for yourself. On the off chance that you are taking a shot at a huge venture, you might need to consider utilizing a task schedule to help keep you on track.</p><p></p><p>Research papers are frequently done more than a few days. You should ensure that you have a lot of activities every day. Be mindful so as not to get wore out from the task!</p ><p></p><p>A incredible approach to complete a venture in one day is to accept notes as you work. This may sound self-evident, however ordinarily this can spare you long stretches of valuable time in the event that you are utilizing a computer.</p><p></p><p>There are additionally various different exercises that you can partake in to help accelerate the examination papers that you have to compose. Keeping notes during lunch, taking incessant breaks, and remaining dynamic during breaks are only a couple of exercises that you can do.</p><p></p><p>Writing research papers can be a fun and remunerating action. You can discover a wide range of approaches to help accelerate your procedure as you work through composing these papers.</p><p></p><p>By composing research papers, you will increase significant information and find out about a wide assortment of subjects. You will likewise find what works and what doesn't. In the event that you stay with a venture for a little while, you can construct your insight and increase a comprehension of how powerful exploration is.</p>

Research Paper Topics Involving Libraries

<h1>Research Paper Topics Involving Libraries</h1><p>One of the best focal points of seeking after a doctorate in history is that examination paper themes including libraries will be accessible to you. Having a history degree will guarantee that you get the most obvious opportunity for taking advantage of your vocation and getting the most elevated level of acknowledgment from your associates. Having a wide information on library points is significant, as is realizing how to introduce data in a successful manner. This guide will cover a portion of the regions where you can become familiar with investigate papers including libraries.</p><p></p><p>There are numerous other research paper points including libraries to look over. There are various degrees of libraries that can be examined on. Probably the most widely recognized zones to look into incorporate the open library framework, neighborhood and local libraries, documents, galleries, and me morable destinations. Investigating these subjects ought to incorporate finding the fitting exploration procedure for the sort of library that you are inquiring about. For instance, on the off chance that you are investigating a school library, you should investigate utilizing diaries distributed by the American Library Association.</p><p></p><p>Research paper points including libraries include considering the historical backdrop of libraries. The historical backdrop of libraries has been a critical piece of our way of life for quite a long time. Understanding the historical backdrop of libraries is one of the principle advantages of seeking after a doctorate in history.</p><p></p><p>There are various significant focuses to consider while looking into a history degree. Above all else, you will need to acclimate yourself with libraries that exist on the planet today. Libraries were verifiably significant players in the public eye and th ey keep on doing as such in the advanced world. They should be situated in key areas in the country or in various areas, contingent upon their central goal. They should be staffed by individuals who recognize what they are doing, and yet, you should know which regions they need assistance in, in the event that you need to look into their issues.</p><p></p><p>Next, you will need to concentrate on recorded report examine. Exploring records will expect you to remove some time from your exploration to take a gander at verifiable reports from different periods. Not exclusively will you have to take a gander at records, yet you will need to analyze pictures too. Getting the best possible data for your examination paper subject will expect you to utilize some creativity.</p><p></p><p>Research paper points including libraries will likewise expect you to get some answers concerning libraries in your general vicinity and in different regions als o. Regardless of whether you are examining a library in a city or town or in a district, you will need to accumulate however much data as could reasonably be expected. Without this data, you won't have a fruitful research project.</p><p></p><p>Research paper themes including libraries will offer you a lot of chances to become acquainted with your subject. You will have a wide assortment of subjects to research so as to get the data that you requirement for your project.</p>

Daniel Defoe The Father of the Novel - Literature Essay Samples

The rise of the novel is one of the most frequently debated literary themes in the history of literature. Scholars have always been divided in two factions that argue whether Beware the Cat by William Baldwin or Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is the first English novel (Mackay, 32). While, on the one hand, scholars as Arthur F. Kinney and William A. Ringler claim that the ground-breaking satire Beware the Cat should be considered as the first English novel (Kinney, 398), on the other hand, intellectuals of the caliber of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf argue that The Life and Strange Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe, Ec. is the text that started this new genre. Robinson Crusoe, in fact, is usually recognized as the first English novel since this book breaks with the writing standards fixed by past literary tradition. The theme of religion, which was the core theme of 17th century writing, has a major role in the book, but it does not represent the only theme that Defoe touched upon in the novel. According to Quentin G. Kraft, in Robinson Crusoe there are two main themes: the spiritual autobiography and the economic matters. These two themes, however, are not the only innovation that Defoe presents in Robinson Crusoe; in fact, the use of the first-person narration together with the values embodied by Crusoe make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the English literature. The English writer James Joyce describes Daniel Defoe as â€Å"the first English author to write without imitating or adapting to foreign work, to create without literary models and to infuse into the creatures of his pen a truly national spirit, to devise for himself an artistic form which is perhaps without precedent† (321). Even if Joyce is right in describing Defoe as an innovator, the description he provides of Defoe is exaggerated. It is unquestionable that Defoe has succeeded in doing something new; however, it is not true that he wrote the whole book without emulating other works. A great portion of Robinson Crusoe is based on the imitation of the spiritual autobiography, a form of writing that had reached its maximum success in the 17th century. As Kraft argues in his article â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel,† the whole section of Robinson Crusoe in which Crusoe is on the island follows the typical pattern of the spiritual autobiography. In fact , Crusoe is shipwrecked on the island after having committed a sin, having disobeyed his father, and it is while he is on the island that Crusoe gradually turns to the bible and finally converts. Joyce also claims that Defoe’s innovation lies in the way he describes Crusoe, who personifies all the values of the perfect English man of the time who had to be able to adapt when in need (323). If necessary, indeed, Crusoe becomes an inventor, a farmer, a teacher, a governor, a slave trader, and a slave himself by breaking all the social schemes and creating a figure of man who is extremely modern. He is a person of superior intelligence, with a great ability to adapt and a strong natural survival instinct. When in Brazil, for instance, Crusoe has transformed himself into a plantation owner, and when captured by the pirates he has adapted himself to the condition of slave. On the island, Crusoe was able to build himself a shelter, to produce milk and cheese from the goats, to create different tools and a canoe. Similarly, after being rescued he transformed himself into a governor and a trader. Joyce is so amazed by Defoe’s description of Crusoe, that he defines it as a prophetic description of the English men of his century (323). Crusoe’s vivid and realistic description has been achieved through the first-person narration technique. According to Malinda Snow, this narration technique represents a further turning point in the history of fictional works, and it is another element that contributes to make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the history. In her article â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel,† Snow explains that Robinson Crusoe first-person narration differs from the first-person narration of the spiritual autobiography. While Robinson Crusoe n arrative style takes the cue from the scientific literature style, in which the narrator uses to report visible details realistically, the spiritual autobiography narration empathizes the abstract description of the soul by focusing the attention on the characterization of the emotion proved by the main character, creating a narrative that is, for the reader, a spiritual sensitive experience (181). The fact that in Robinson Crusoe the descriptions are vivid and realistic is remarkable from the first pages of the book. For instance, when Defoe describes the moment in which the sea comes calm again after the first storm, he writes, â€Å"but towards Night the Weather clear’d up, the Wind was quite over, and a charming fine Evening follow’d; the Sun went down perfectly clear and rose so the next Morning† (8). The first-person narrator, as well as the accurate use of the adjectives, make the reader visualize the scene while reading. For the reader is easy to identif y with the first-person narrator that describes the scene with meticulous detail. Yet when Defoe describes objects, animals or people that the reader is not familiar with, he tries to recall the unknown images to the reader by comparing the unfamiliar subject with things the reader already knows. A concrete example of this innovative technique can be found in the description that Defoe made of Friday. Defoe describes Friday nose as â€Å"small, not flat like the Negroes† (149) and his skin as â€Å"not quite black, but very tawny, as the Brasilians, and Virginians, and other Natives of America are† (149). When thinking about the savages the English could easily think of the African slaves that were traded during the 17th century, so Defoe tries to make the readers understand that Friday was different from the image that the English had of savages. Even the description of Crusoe’s daily routine is detailed and descriptive. The reader could easily transport himself on the island with Crusoe and imagine himself adapting to this new undiscovered world. When Defoe writes. â€Å"yet I built me a little kind of a Bower, and surrounded it at a Distance with a strong Fence, being a double Hedge, as high as I could reach, well stak’d, and filled between with Brushwood† (75), the reader, who still do not now the island, can imagine and visualize the shelter that Crusoe is building. It is in these descriptions that Snow’s point is more visible: Defoe describes everything Crusoe sees and does as a scientist would have reported on a text everything he had studied. However, Robinson Crusoe is not just a book full of detailed description, but it is also a book that explore the spiritual growth of its main character. The novelty of the story is given by the combination of these two elements. On one hand, there are all the characteristics typical of the spiritual autobiography: the pattern sin, repentance, forgiveness, the description of the emotion of the protagonist, and the devotional growth; on the other hand, there are all the elements of modernity: the economic issue, the first-person outward-looking narration, and the fictional elements of the story. Both Kraft and Snow agree on this: the originality of the narrative is conferred by the synthesis of the various elements. In particular, Kraft sustains that the loss of Crusoe’s religion at the end of the book is what make this story a novel (548). Crusoe sudden disconnection from God gave to Defoe the opportunity to keep writing the story. If Crusoe had not forgotten all his religious believes, he would not have been to sea again and the last twenty pages of the book would have not been written. As a matter of fact, without the last twenty pages Robinson Crusoe should be consider a simple spiritual autobiography. All the element of novelty such as the versatile ability of Crusoe that so fascinated Joyce, his interest for the economics and his colonial spirit would be mere elements of description, that would make Crusoe a man with who the English could easily identify, but his loss of religion makes the story completely new. It gives the prompt to further develop the story an d to write more books about this same topic, as the two sequels The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Serious Reflection During the Life Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe. On the whole, Crusoe had the ability to combine different styles, different themes and different settings generating a completely new genre. The vastness of the topic that Defoe explored has allowed him to reach a broader and more varied audience. The timeless fame he has reached is a further proof of the fact that Defoe was, undoubtedly, the first to create a text as innovative as Robinson Crusoe. Many writers have considered this book as an inspiration for their works, so that his book should be considered the first novel in the history of English literature. Work Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 3-220. Joyce, James. â€Å"Daniel Defoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 320-323. Snow, Melinda. â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel.† The Journal of Narrative Technique, Vol. 6 No. 3, 1976, pp.175-187. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30225591. Kinney, Arthur F. â€Å"Review of Beware the Cat by: The First English Novel, William A. Ringler, Jr.† The University of Chicago Press, Vol. 87, No. 4, 1990, pp. 396-399. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/438562 Kraft, Quentin G. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel.† College English, Vol. 41, No. 5, National Council of Teachers of English, 1980, pp. 535-548. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/375722. Mackay, Marina. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel, 2011, pp. 32. Wool, Virginia. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 283-288.

Daniel Defoe The Father of the Novel - Literature Essay Samples

The rise of the novel is one of the most frequently debated literary themes in the history of literature. Scholars have always been divided in two factions that argue whether Beware the Cat by William Baldwin or Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is the first English novel (Mackay, 32). While, on the one hand, scholars as Arthur F. Kinney and William A. Ringler claim that the ground-breaking satire Beware the Cat should be considered as the first English novel (Kinney, 398), on the other hand, intellectuals of the caliber of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf argue that The Life and Strange Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe, Ec. is the text that started this new genre. Robinson Crusoe, in fact, is usually recognized as the first English novel since this book breaks with the writing standards fixed by past literary tradition. The theme of religion, which was the core theme of 17th century writing, has a major role in the book, but it does not represent the only theme that Defoe touched upon in the novel. According to Quentin G. Kraft, in Robinson Crusoe there are two main themes: the spiritual autobiography and the economic matters. These two themes, however, are not the only innovation that Defoe presents in Robinson Crusoe; in fact, the use of the first-person narration together with the values embodied by Crusoe make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the English literature. The English writer James Joyce describes Daniel Defoe as â€Å"the first English author to write without imitating or adapting to foreign work, to create without literary models and to infuse into the creatures of his pen a truly national spirit, to devise for himself an artistic form which is perhaps without precedent† (321). Even if Joyce is right in describing Defoe as an innovator, the description he provides of Defoe is exaggerated. It is unquestionable that Defoe has succeeded in doing something new; however, it is not true that he wrote the whole book without emulating other works. A great portion of Robinson Crusoe is based on the imitation of the spiritual autobiography, a form of writing that had reached its maximum success in the 17th century. As Kraft argues in his article â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel,† the whole section of Robinson Crusoe in which Crusoe is on the island follows the typical pattern of the spiritual autobiography. In fact , Crusoe is shipwrecked on the island after having committed a sin, having disobeyed his father, and it is while he is on the island that Crusoe gradually turns to the bible and finally converts. Joyce also claims that Defoe’s innovation lies in the way he describes Crusoe, who personifies all the values of the perfect English man of the time who had to be able to adapt when in need (323). If necessary, indeed, Crusoe becomes an inventor, a farmer, a teacher, a governor, a slave trader, and a slave himself by breaking all the social schemes and creating a figure of man who is extremely modern. He is a person of superior intelligence, with a great ability to adapt and a strong natural survival instinct. When in Brazil, for instance, Crusoe has transformed himself into a plantation owner, and when captured by the pirates he has adapted himself to the condition of slave. On the island, Crusoe was able to build himself a shelter, to produce milk and cheese from the goats, to create different tools and a canoe. Similarly, after being rescued he transformed himself into a governor and a trader. Joyce is so amazed by Defoe’s description of Crusoe, that he defines it as a prophetic description of the English men of his century (323). Crusoe’s vivid and realistic description has been achieved through the first-person narration technique. According to Malinda Snow, this narration technique represents a further turning point in the history of fictional works, and it is another element that contributes to make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the history. In her article â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel,† Snow explains that Robinson Crusoe first-person narration differs from the first-person narration of the spiritual autobiography. While Robinson Crusoe n arrative style takes the cue from the scientific literature style, in which the narrator uses to report visible details realistically, the spiritual autobiography narration empathizes the abstract description of the soul by focusing the attention on the characterization of the emotion proved by the main character, creating a narrative that is, for the reader, a spiritual sensitive experience (181). The fact that in Robinson Crusoe the descriptions are vivid and realistic is remarkable from the first pages of the book. For instance, when Defoe describes the moment in which the sea comes calm again after the first storm, he writes, â€Å"but towards Night the Weather clear’d up, the Wind was quite over, and a charming fine Evening follow’d; the Sun went down perfectly clear and rose so the next Morning† (8). The first-person narrator, as well as the accurate use of the adjectives, make the reader visualize the scene while reading. For the reader is easy to identif y with the first-person narrator that describes the scene with meticulous detail. Yet when Defoe describes objects, animals or people that the reader is not familiar with, he tries to recall the unknown images to the reader by comparing the unfamiliar subject with things the reader already knows. A concrete example of this innovative technique can be found in the description that Defoe made of Friday. Defoe describes Friday nose as â€Å"small, not flat like the Negroes† (149) and his skin as â€Å"not quite black, but very tawny, as the Brasilians, and Virginians, and other Natives of America are† (149). When thinking about the savages the English could easily think of the African slaves that were traded during the 17th century, so Defoe tries to make the readers understand that Friday was different from the image that the English had of savages. Even the description of Crusoe’s daily routine is detailed and descriptive. The reader could easily transport himself on the island with Crusoe and imagine himself adapting to this new undiscovered world. When Defoe writes. â€Å"yet I built me a little kind of a Bower, and surrounded it at a Distance with a strong Fence, being a double Hedge, as high as I could reach, well stak’d, and filled between with Brushwood† (75), the reader, who still do not now the island, can imagine and visualize the shelter that Crusoe is building. It is in these descriptions that Snow’s point is more visible: Defoe describes everything Crusoe sees and does as a scientist would have reported on a text everything he had studied. However, Robinson Crusoe is not just a book full of detailed description, but it is also a book that explore the spiritual growth of its main character. The novelty of the story is given by the combination of these two elements. On one hand, there are all the characteristics typical of the spiritual autobiography: the pattern sin, repentance, forgiveness, the description of the emotion of the protagonist, and the devotional growth; on the other hand, there are all the elements of modernity: the economic issue, the first-person outward-looking narration, and the fictional elements of the story. Both Kraft and Snow agree on this: the originality of the narrative is conferred by the synthesis of the various elements. In particular, Kraft sustains that the loss of Crusoe’s religion at the end of the book is what make this story a novel (548). Crusoe sudden disconnection from God gave to Defoe the opportunity to keep writing the story. If Crusoe had not forgotten all his religious believes, he would not have been to sea again and the last twenty pages of the book would have not been written. As a matter of fact, without the last twenty pages Robinson Crusoe should be consider a simple spiritual autobiography. All the element of novelty such as the versatile ability of Crusoe that so fascinated Joyce, his interest for the economics and his colonial spirit would be mere elements of description, that would make Crusoe a man with who the English could easily identify, but his loss of religion makes the story completely new. It gives the prompt to further develop the story an d to write more books about this same topic, as the two sequels The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Serious Reflection During the Life Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe. On the whole, Crusoe had the ability to combine different styles, different themes and different settings generating a completely new genre. The vastness of the topic that Defoe explored has allowed him to reach a broader and more varied audience. The timeless fame he has reached is a further proof of the fact that Defoe was, undoubtedly, the first to create a text as innovative as Robinson Crusoe. Many writers have considered this book as an inspiration for their works, so that his book should be considered the first novel in the history of English literature. Work Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 3-220. Joyce, James. â€Å"Daniel Defoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 320-323. Snow, Melinda. â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel.† The Journal of Narrative Technique, Vol. 6 No. 3, 1976, pp.175-187. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30225591. Kinney, Arthur F. â€Å"Review of Beware the Cat by: The First English Novel, William A. Ringler, Jr.† The University of Chicago Press, Vol. 87, No. 4, 1990, pp. 396-399. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/438562 Kraft, Quentin G. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel.† College English, Vol. 41, No. 5, National Council of Teachers of English, 1980, pp. 535-548. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/375722. Mackay, Marina. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel, 2011, pp. 32. Wool, Virginia. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 283-288.

Daniel Defoe The Father of the Novel - Literature Essay Samples

The rise of the novel is one of the most frequently debated literary themes in the history of literature. Scholars have always been divided in two factions that argue whether Beware the Cat by William Baldwin or Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is the first English novel (Mackay, 32). While, on the one hand, scholars as Arthur F. Kinney and William A. Ringler claim that the ground-breaking satire Beware the Cat should be considered as the first English novel (Kinney, 398), on the other hand, intellectuals of the caliber of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf argue that The Life and Strange Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe, Ec. is the text that started this new genre. Robinson Crusoe, in fact, is usually recognized as the first English novel since this book breaks with the writing standards fixed by past literary tradition. The theme of religion, which was the core theme of 17th century writing, has a major role in the book, but it does not represent the only theme that Defoe touched upon in the novel. According to Quentin G. Kraft, in Robinson Crusoe there are two main themes: the spiritual autobiography and the economic matters. These two themes, however, are not the only innovation that Defoe presents in Robinson Crusoe; in fact, the use of the first-person narration together with the values embodied by Crusoe make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the English literature. The English writer James Joyce describes Daniel Defoe as â€Å"the first English author to write without imitating or adapting to foreign work, to create without literary models and to infuse into the creatures of his pen a truly national spirit, to devise for himself an artistic form which is perhaps without precedent† (321). Even if Joyce is right in describing Defoe as an innovator, the description he provides of Defoe is exaggerated. It is unquestionable that Defoe has succeeded in doing something new; however, it is not true that he wrote the whole book without emulating other works. A great portion of Robinson Crusoe is based on the imitation of the spiritual autobiography, a form of writing that had reached its maximum success in the 17th century. As Kraft argues in his article â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel,† the whole section of Robinson Crusoe in which Crusoe is on the island follows the typical pattern of the spiritual autobiography. In fact , Crusoe is shipwrecked on the island after having committed a sin, having disobeyed his father, and it is while he is on the island that Crusoe gradually turns to the bible and finally converts. Joyce also claims that Defoe’s innovation lies in the way he describes Crusoe, who personifies all the values of the perfect English man of the time who had to be able to adapt when in need (323). If necessary, indeed, Crusoe becomes an inventor, a farmer, a teacher, a governor, a slave trader, and a slave himself by breaking all the social schemes and creating a figure of man who is extremely modern. He is a person of superior intelligence, with a great ability to adapt and a strong natural survival instinct. When in Brazil, for instance, Crusoe has transformed himself into a plantation owner, and when captured by the pirates he has adapted himself to the condition of slave. On the island, Crusoe was able to build himself a shelter, to produce milk and cheese from the goats, to create different tools and a canoe. Similarly, after being rescued he transformed himself into a governor and a trader. Joyce is so amazed by Defoe’s description of Crusoe, that he defines it as a prophetic description of the English men of his century (323). Crusoe’s vivid and realistic description has been achieved through the first-person narration technique. According to Malinda Snow, this narration technique represents a further turning point in the history of fictional works, and it is another element that contributes to make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the history. In her article â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel,† Snow explains that Robinson Crusoe first-person narration differs from the first-person narration of the spiritual autobiography. While Robinson Crusoe n arrative style takes the cue from the scientific literature style, in which the narrator uses to report visible details realistically, the spiritual autobiography narration empathizes the abstract description of the soul by focusing the attention on the characterization of the emotion proved by the main character, creating a narrative that is, for the reader, a spiritual sensitive experience (181). The fact that in Robinson Crusoe the descriptions are vivid and realistic is remarkable from the first pages of the book. For instance, when Defoe describes the moment in which the sea comes calm again after the first storm, he writes, â€Å"but towards Night the Weather clear’d up, the Wind was quite over, and a charming fine Evening follow’d; the Sun went down perfectly clear and rose so the next Morning† (8). The first-person narrator, as well as the accurate use of the adjectives, make the reader visualize the scene while reading. For the reader is easy to identif y with the first-person narrator that describes the scene with meticulous detail. Yet when Defoe describes objects, animals or people that the reader is not familiar with, he tries to recall the unknown images to the reader by comparing the unfamiliar subject with things the reader already knows. A concrete example of this innovative technique can be found in the description that Defoe made of Friday. Defoe describes Friday nose as â€Å"small, not flat like the Negroes† (149) and his skin as â€Å"not quite black, but very tawny, as the Brasilians, and Virginians, and other Natives of America are† (149). When thinking about the savages the English could easily think of the African slaves that were traded during the 17th century, so Defoe tries to make the readers understand that Friday was different from the image that the English had of savages. Even the description of Crusoe’s daily routine is detailed and descriptive. The reader could easily transport himself on the island with Crusoe and imagine himself adapting to this new undiscovered world. When Defoe writes. â€Å"yet I built me a little kind of a Bower, and surrounded it at a Distance with a strong Fence, being a double Hedge, as high as I could reach, well stak’d, and filled between with Brushwood† (75), the reader, who still do not now the island, can imagine and visualize the shelter that Crusoe is building. It is in these descriptions that Snow’s point is more visible: Defoe describes everything Crusoe sees and does as a scientist would have reported on a text everything he had studied. However, Robinson Crusoe is not just a book full of detailed description, but it is also a book that explore the spiritual growth of its main character. The novelty of the story is given by the combination of these two elements. On one hand, there are all the characteristics typical of the spiritual autobiography: the pattern sin, repentance, forgiveness, the description of the emotion of the protagonist, and the devotional growth; on the other hand, there are all the elements of modernity: the economic issue, the first-person outward-looking narration, and the fictional elements of the story. Both Kraft and Snow agree on this: the originality of the narrative is conferred by the synthesis of the various elements. In particular, Kraft sustains that the loss of Crusoe’s religion at the end of the book is what make this story a novel (548). Crusoe sudden disconnection from God gave to Defoe the opportunity to keep writing the story. If Crusoe had not forgotten all his religious believes, he would not have been to sea again and the last twenty pages of the book would have not been written. As a matter of fact, without the last twenty pages Robinson Crusoe should be consider a simple spiritual autobiography. All the element of novelty such as the versatile ability of Crusoe that so fascinated Joyce, his interest for the economics and his colonial spirit would be mere elements of description, that would make Crusoe a man with who the English could easily identify, but his loss of religion makes the story completely new. It gives the prompt to further develop the story an d to write more books about this same topic, as the two sequels The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Serious Reflection During the Life Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe. On the whole, Crusoe had the ability to combine different styles, different themes and different settings generating a completely new genre. The vastness of the topic that Defoe explored has allowed him to reach a broader and more varied audience. The timeless fame he has reached is a further proof of the fact that Defoe was, undoubtedly, the first to create a text as innovative as Robinson Crusoe. Many writers have considered this book as an inspiration for their works, so that his book should be considered the first novel in the history of English literature. Work Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 3-220. Joyce, James. â€Å"Daniel Defoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 320-323. Snow, Melinda. â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel.† The Journal of Narrative Technique, Vol. 6 No. 3, 1976, pp.175-187. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30225591. Kinney, Arthur F. â€Å"Review of Beware the Cat by: The First English Novel, William A. Ringler, Jr.† The University of Chicago Press, Vol. 87, No. 4, 1990, pp. 396-399. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/438562 Kraft, Quentin G. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel.† College English, Vol. 41, No. 5, National Council of Teachers of English, 1980, pp. 535-548. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/375722. Mackay, Marina. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel, 2011, pp. 32. Wool, Virginia. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 283-288.

Daniel Defoe The Father of the Novel - Literature Essay Samples

The rise of the novel is one of the most frequently debated literary themes in the history of literature. Scholars have always been divided in two factions that argue whether Beware the Cat by William Baldwin or Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is the first English novel (Mackay, 32). While, on the one hand, scholars as Arthur F. Kinney and William A. Ringler claim that the ground-breaking satire Beware the Cat should be considered as the first English novel (Kinney, 398), on the other hand, intellectuals of the caliber of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf argue that The Life and Strange Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe, Ec. is the text that started this new genre. Robinson Crusoe, in fact, is usually recognized as the first English novel since this book breaks with the writing standards fixed by past literary tradition. The theme of religion, which was the core theme of 17th century writing, has a major role in the book, but it does not represent the only theme that Defoe touched upon in the novel. According to Quentin G. Kraft, in Robinson Crusoe there are two main themes: the spiritual autobiography and the economic matters. These two themes, however, are not the only innovation that Defoe presents in Robinson Crusoe; in fact, the use of the first-person narration together with the values embodied by Crusoe make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the English literature. The English writer James Joyce describes Daniel Defoe as â€Å"the first English author to write without imitating or adapting to foreign work, to create without literary models and to infuse into the creatures of his pen a truly national spirit, to devise for himself an artistic form which is perhaps without precedent† (321). Even if Joyce is right in describing Defoe as an innovator, the description he provides of Defoe is exaggerated. It is unquestionable that Defoe has succeeded in doing something new; however, it is not true that he wrote the whole book without emulating other works. A great portion of Robinson Crusoe is based on the imitation of the spiritual autobiography, a form of writing that had reached its maximum success in the 17th century. As Kraft argues in his article â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel,† the whole section of Robinson Crusoe in which Crusoe is on the island follows the typical pattern of the spiritual autobiography. In fact , Crusoe is shipwrecked on the island after having committed a sin, having disobeyed his father, and it is while he is on the island that Crusoe gradually turns to the bible and finally converts. Joyce also claims that Defoe’s innovation lies in the way he describes Crusoe, who personifies all the values of the perfect English man of the time who had to be able to adapt when in need (323). If necessary, indeed, Crusoe becomes an inventor, a farmer, a teacher, a governor, a slave trader, and a slave himself by breaking all the social schemes and creating a figure of man who is extremely modern. He is a person of superior intelligence, with a great ability to adapt and a strong natural survival instinct. When in Brazil, for instance, Crusoe has transformed himself into a plantation owner, and when captured by the pirates he has adapted himself to the condition of slave. On the island, Crusoe was able to build himself a shelter, to produce milk and cheese from the goats, to create different tools and a canoe. Similarly, after being rescued he transformed himself into a governor and a trader. Joyce is so amazed by Defoe’s description of Crusoe, that he defines it as a prophetic description of the English men of his century (323). Crusoe’s vivid and realistic description has been achieved through the first-person narration technique. According to Malinda Snow, this narration technique represents a further turning point in the history of fictional works, and it is another element that contributes to make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the history. In her article â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel,† Snow explains that Robinson Crusoe first-person narration differs from the first-person narration of the spiritual autobiography. While Robinson Crusoe n arrative style takes the cue from the scientific literature style, in which the narrator uses to report visible details realistically, the spiritual autobiography narration empathizes the abstract description of the soul by focusing the attention on the characterization of the emotion proved by the main character, creating a narrative that is, for the reader, a spiritual sensitive experience (181). The fact that in Robinson Crusoe the descriptions are vivid and realistic is remarkable from the first pages of the book. For instance, when Defoe describes the moment in which the sea comes calm again after the first storm, he writes, â€Å"but towards Night the Weather clear’d up, the Wind was quite over, and a charming fine Evening follow’d; the Sun went down perfectly clear and rose so the next Morning† (8). The first-person narrator, as well as the accurate use of the adjectives, make the reader visualize the scene while reading. For the reader is easy to identif y with the first-person narrator that describes the scene with meticulous detail. Yet when Defoe describes objects, animals or people that the reader is not familiar with, he tries to recall the unknown images to the reader by comparing the unfamiliar subject with things the reader already knows. A concrete example of this innovative technique can be found in the description that Defoe made of Friday. Defoe describes Friday nose as â€Å"small, not flat like the Negroes† (149) and his skin as â€Å"not quite black, but very tawny, as the Brasilians, and Virginians, and other Natives of America are† (149). When thinking about the savages the English could easily think of the African slaves that were traded during the 17th century, so Defoe tries to make the readers understand that Friday was different from the image that the English had of savages. Even the description of Crusoe’s daily routine is detailed and descriptive. The reader could easily transport himself on the island with Crusoe and imagine himself adapting to this new undiscovered world. When Defoe writes. â€Å"yet I built me a little kind of a Bower, and surrounded it at a Distance with a strong Fence, being a double Hedge, as high as I could reach, well stak’d, and filled between with Brushwood† (75), the reader, who still do not now the island, can imagine and visualize the shelter that Crusoe is building. It is in these descriptions that Snow’s point is more visible: Defoe describes everything Crusoe sees and does as a scientist would have reported on a text everything he had studied. However, Robinson Crusoe is not just a book full of detailed description, but it is also a book that explore the spiritual growth of its main character. The novelty of the story is given by the combination of these two elements. On one hand, there are all the characteristics typical of the spiritual autobiography: the pattern sin, repentance, forgiveness, the description of the emotion of the protagonist, and the devotional growth; on the other hand, there are all the elements of modernity: the economic issue, the first-person outward-looking narration, and the fictional elements of the story. Both Kraft and Snow agree on this: the originality of the narrative is conferred by the synthesis of the various elements. In particular, Kraft sustains that the loss of Crusoe’s religion at the end of the book is what make this story a novel (548). Crusoe sudden disconnection from God gave to Defoe the opportunity to keep writing the story. If Crusoe had not forgotten all his religious believes, he would not have been to sea again and the last twenty pages of the book would have not been written. As a matter of fact, without the last twenty pages Robinson Crusoe should be consider a simple spiritual autobiography. All the element of novelty such as the versatile ability of Crusoe that so fascinated Joyce, his interest for the economics and his colonial spirit would be mere elements of description, that would make Crusoe a man with who the English could easily identify, but his loss of religion makes the story completely new. It gives the prompt to further develop the story an d to write more books about this same topic, as the two sequels The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Serious Reflection During the Life Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe. On the whole, Crusoe had the ability to combine different styles, different themes and different settings generating a completely new genre. The vastness of the topic that Defoe explored has allowed him to reach a broader and more varied audience. The timeless fame he has reached is a further proof of the fact that Defoe was, undoubtedly, the first to create a text as innovative as Robinson Crusoe. Many writers have considered this book as an inspiration for their works, so that his book should be considered the first novel in the history of English literature. Work Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 3-220. Joyce, James. â€Å"Daniel Defoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 320-323. Snow, Melinda. â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel.† The Journal of Narrative Technique, Vol. 6 No. 3, 1976, pp.175-187. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30225591. Kinney, Arthur F. â€Å"Review of Beware the Cat by: The First English Novel, William A. Ringler, Jr.† The University of Chicago Press, Vol. 87, No. 4, 1990, pp. 396-399. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/438562 Kraft, Quentin G. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel.† College English, Vol. 41, No. 5, National Council of Teachers of English, 1980, pp. 535-548. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/375722. Mackay, Marina. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel, 2011, pp. 32. Wool, Virginia. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 283-288.

Daniel Defoe The Father of the Novel - Literature Essay Samples

The rise of the novel is one of the most frequently debated literary themes in the history of literature. Scholars have always been divided in two factions that argue whether Beware the Cat by William Baldwin or Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is the first English novel (Mackay, 32). While, on the one hand, scholars as Arthur F. Kinney and William A. Ringler claim that the ground-breaking satire Beware the Cat should be considered as the first English novel (Kinney, 398), on the other hand, intellectuals of the caliber of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf argue that The Life and Strange Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe, Ec. is the text that started this new genre. Robinson Crusoe, in fact, is usually recognized as the first English novel since this book breaks with the writing standards fixed by past literary tradition. The theme of religion, which was the core theme of 17th century writing, has a major role in the book, but it does not represent the only theme that Defoe touched upon in the novel. According to Quentin G. Kraft, in Robinson Crusoe there are two main themes: the spiritual autobiography and the economic matters. These two themes, however, are not the only innovation that Defoe presents in Robinson Crusoe; in fact, the use of the first-person narration together with the values embodied by Crusoe make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the English literature. The English writer James Joyce describes Daniel Defoe as â€Å"the first English author to write without imitating or adapting to foreign work, to create without literary models and to infuse into the creatures of his pen a truly national spirit, to devise for himself an artistic form which is perhaps without precedent† (321). Even if Joyce is right in describing Defoe as an innovator, the description he provides of Defoe is exaggerated. It is unquestionable that Defoe has succeeded in doing something new; however, it is not true that he wrote the whole book without emulating other works. A great portion of Robinson Crusoe is based on the imitation of the spiritual autobiography, a form of writing that had reached its maximum success in the 17th century. As Kraft argues in his article â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel,† the whole section of Robinson Crusoe in which Crusoe is on the island follows the typical pattern of the spiritual autobiography. In fact , Crusoe is shipwrecked on the island after having committed a sin, having disobeyed his father, and it is while he is on the island that Crusoe gradually turns to the bible and finally converts. Joyce also claims that Defoe’s innovation lies in the way he describes Crusoe, who personifies all the values of the perfect English man of the time who had to be able to adapt when in need (323). If necessary, indeed, Crusoe becomes an inventor, a farmer, a teacher, a governor, a slave trader, and a slave himself by breaking all the social schemes and creating a figure of man who is extremely modern. He is a person of superior intelligence, with a great ability to adapt and a strong natural survival instinct. When in Brazil, for instance, Crusoe has transformed himself into a plantation owner, and when captured by the pirates he has adapted himself to the condition of slave. On the island, Crusoe was able to build himself a shelter, to produce milk and cheese from the goats, to create different tools and a canoe. Similarly, after being rescued he transformed himself into a governor and a trader. Joyce is so amazed by Defoe’s description of Crusoe, that he defines it as a prophetic description of the English men of his century (323). Crusoe’s vivid and realistic description has been achieved through the first-person narration technique. According to Malinda Snow, this narration technique represents a further turning point in the history of fictional works, and it is another element that contributes to make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the history. In her article â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel,† Snow explains that Robinson Crusoe first-person narration differs from the first-person narration of the spiritual autobiography. While Robinson Crusoe n arrative style takes the cue from the scientific literature style, in which the narrator uses to report visible details realistically, the spiritual autobiography narration empathizes the abstract description of the soul by focusing the attention on the characterization of the emotion proved by the main character, creating a narrative that is, for the reader, a spiritual sensitive experience (181). The fact that in Robinson Crusoe the descriptions are vivid and realistic is remarkable from the first pages of the book. For instance, when Defoe describes the moment in which the sea comes calm again after the first storm, he writes, â€Å"but towards Night the Weather clear’d up, the Wind was quite over, and a charming fine Evening follow’d; the Sun went down perfectly clear and rose so the next Morning† (8). The first-person narrator, as well as the accurate use of the adjectives, make the reader visualize the scene while reading. For the reader is easy to identif y with the first-person narrator that describes the scene with meticulous detail. Yet when Defoe describes objects, animals or people that the reader is not familiar with, he tries to recall the unknown images to the reader by comparing the unfamiliar subject with things the reader already knows. A concrete example of this innovative technique can be found in the description that Defoe made of Friday. Defoe describes Friday nose as â€Å"small, not flat like the Negroes† (149) and his skin as â€Å"not quite black, but very tawny, as the Brasilians, and Virginians, and other Natives of America are† (149). When thinking about the savages the English could easily think of the African slaves that were traded during the 17th century, so Defoe tries to make the readers understand that Friday was different from the image that the English had of savages. Even the description of Crusoe’s daily routine is detailed and descriptive. The reader could easily transport himself on the island with Crusoe and imagine himself adapting to this new undiscovered world. When Defoe writes. â€Å"yet I built me a little kind of a Bower, and surrounded it at a Distance with a strong Fence, being a double Hedge, as high as I could reach, well stak’d, and filled between with Brushwood† (75), the reader, who still do not now the island, can imagine and visualize the shelter that Crusoe is building. It is in these descriptions that Snow’s point is more visible: Defoe describes everything Crusoe sees and does as a scientist would have reported on a text everything he had studied. However, Robinson Crusoe is not just a book full of detailed description, but it is also a book that explore the spiritual growth of its main character. The novelty of the story is given by the combination of these two elements. On one hand, there are all the characteristics typical of the spiritual autobiography: the pattern sin, repentance, forgiveness, the description of the emotion of the protagonist, and the devotional growth; on the other hand, there are all the elements of modernity: the economic issue, the first-person outward-looking narration, and the fictional elements of the story. Both Kraft and Snow agree on this: the originality of the narrative is conferred by the synthesis of the various elements. In particular, Kraft sustains that the loss of Crusoe’s religion at the end of the book is what make this story a novel (548). Crusoe sudden disconnection from God gave to Defoe the opportunity to keep writing the story. If Crusoe had not forgotten all his religious believes, he would not have been to sea again and the last twenty pages of the book would have not been written. As a matter of fact, without the last twenty pages Robinson Crusoe should be consider a simple spiritual autobiography. All the element of novelty such as the versatile ability of Crusoe that so fascinated Joyce, his interest for the economics and his colonial spirit would be mere elements of description, that would make Crusoe a man with who the English could easily identify, but his loss of religion makes the story completely new. It gives the prompt to further develop the story an d to write more books about this same topic, as the two sequels The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Serious Reflection During the Life Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe. On the whole, Crusoe had the ability to combine different styles, different themes and different settings generating a completely new genre. The vastness of the topic that Defoe explored has allowed him to reach a broader and more varied audience. The timeless fame he has reached is a further proof of the fact that Defoe was, undoubtedly, the first to create a text as innovative as Robinson Crusoe. Many writers have considered this book as an inspiration for their works, so that his book should be considered the first novel in the history of English literature. Work Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 3-220. Joyce, James. â€Å"Daniel Defoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 320-323. Snow, Melinda. â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel.† The Journal of Narrative Technique, Vol. 6 No. 3, 1976, pp.175-187. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30225591. Kinney, Arthur F. â€Å"Review of Beware the Cat by: The First English Novel, William A. Ringler, Jr.† The University of Chicago Press, Vol. 87, No. 4, 1990, pp. 396-399. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/438562 Kraft, Quentin G. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel.† College English, Vol. 41, No. 5, National Council of Teachers of English, 1980, pp. 535-548. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/375722. Mackay, Marina. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel, 2011, pp. 32. Wool, Virginia. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 283-288.

Daniel Defoe The Father of the Novel - Literature Essay Samples

The rise of the novel is one of the most frequently debated literary themes in the history of literature. Scholars have always been divided in two factions that argue whether Beware the Cat by William Baldwin or Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is the first English novel (Mackay, 32). While, on the one hand, scholars as Arthur F. Kinney and William A. Ringler claim that the ground-breaking satire Beware the Cat should be considered as the first English novel (Kinney, 398), on the other hand, intellectuals of the caliber of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf argue that The Life and Strange Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe, Ec. is the text that started this new genre. Robinson Crusoe, in fact, is usually recognized as the first English novel since this book breaks with the writing standards fixed by past literary tradition. The theme of religion, which was the core theme of 17th century writing, has a major role in the book, but it does not represent the only theme that Defoe touched upon in the novel. According to Quentin G. Kraft, in Robinson Crusoe there are two main themes: the spiritual autobiography and the economic matters. These two themes, however, are not the only innovation that Defoe presents in Robinson Crusoe; in fact, the use of the first-person narration together with the values embodied by Crusoe make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the English literature. The English writer James Joyce describes Daniel Defoe as â€Å"the first English author to write without imitating or adapting to foreign work, to create without literary models and to infuse into the creatures of his pen a truly national spirit, to devise for himself an artistic form which is perhaps without precedent† (321). Even if Joyce is right in describing Defoe as an innovator, the description he provides of Defoe is exaggerated. It is unquestionable that Defoe has succeeded in doing something new; however, it is not true that he wrote the whole book without emulating other works. A great portion of Robinson Crusoe is based on the imitation of the spiritual autobiography, a form of writing that had reached its maximum success in the 17th century. As Kraft argues in his article â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel,† the whole section of Robinson Crusoe in which Crusoe is on the island follows the typical pattern of the spiritual autobiography. In fact , Crusoe is shipwrecked on the island after having committed a sin, having disobeyed his father, and it is while he is on the island that Crusoe gradually turns to the bible and finally converts. Joyce also claims that Defoe’s innovation lies in the way he describes Crusoe, who personifies all the values of the perfect English man of the time who had to be able to adapt when in need (323). If necessary, indeed, Crusoe becomes an inventor, a farmer, a teacher, a governor, a slave trader, and a slave himself by breaking all the social schemes and creating a figure of man who is extremely modern. He is a person of superior intelligence, with a great ability to adapt and a strong natural survival instinct. When in Brazil, for instance, Crusoe has transformed himself into a plantation owner, and when captured by the pirates he has adapted himself to the condition of slave. On the island, Crusoe was able to build himself a shelter, to produce milk and cheese from the goats, to create different tools and a canoe. Similarly, after being rescued he transformed himself into a governor and a trader. Joyce is so amazed by Defoe’s description of Crusoe, that he defines it as a prophetic description of the English men of his century (323). Crusoe’s vivid and realistic description has been achieved through the first-person narration technique. According to Malinda Snow, this narration technique represents a further turning point in the history of fictional works, and it is another element that contributes to make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the history. In her article â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel,† Snow explains that Robinson Crusoe first-person narration differs from the first-person narration of the spiritual autobiography. While Robinson Crusoe n arrative style takes the cue from the scientific literature style, in which the narrator uses to report visible details realistically, the spiritual autobiography narration empathizes the abstract description of the soul by focusing the attention on the characterization of the emotion proved by the main character, creating a narrative that is, for the reader, a spiritual sensitive experience (181). The fact that in Robinson Crusoe the descriptions are vivid and realistic is remarkable from the first pages of the book. For instance, when Defoe describes the moment in which the sea comes calm again after the first storm, he writes, â€Å"but towards Night the Weather clear’d up, the Wind was quite over, and a charming fine Evening follow’d; the Sun went down perfectly clear and rose so the next Morning† (8). The first-person narrator, as well as the accurate use of the adjectives, make the reader visualize the scene while reading. For the reader is easy to identif y with the first-person narrator that describes the scene with meticulous detail. Yet when Defoe describes objects, animals or people that the reader is not familiar with, he tries to recall the unknown images to the reader by comparing the unfamiliar subject with things the reader already knows. A concrete example of this innovative technique can be found in the description that Defoe made of Friday. Defoe describes Friday nose as â€Å"small, not flat like the Negroes† (149) and his skin as â€Å"not quite black, but very tawny, as the Brasilians, and Virginians, and other Natives of America are† (149). When thinking about the savages the English could easily think of the African slaves that were traded during the 17th century, so Defoe tries to make the readers understand that Friday was different from the image that the English had of savages. Even the description of Crusoe’s daily routine is detailed and descriptive. The reader could easily transport himself on the island with Crusoe and imagine himself adapting to this new undiscovered world. When Defoe writes. â€Å"yet I built me a little kind of a Bower, and surrounded it at a Distance with a strong Fence, being a double Hedge, as high as I could reach, well stak’d, and filled between with Brushwood† (75), the reader, who still do not now the island, can imagine and visualize the shelter that Crusoe is building. It is in these descriptions that Snow’s point is more visible: Defoe describes everything Crusoe sees and does as a scientist would have reported on a text everything he had studied. However, Robinson Crusoe is not just a book full of detailed description, but it is also a book that explore the spiritual growth of its main character. The novelty of the story is given by the combination of these two elements. On one hand, there are all the characteristics typical of the spiritual autobiography: the pattern sin, repentance, forgiveness, the description of the emotion of the protagonist, and the devotional growth; on the other hand, there are all the elements of modernity: the economic issue, the first-person outward-looking narration, and the fictional elements of the story. Both Kraft and Snow agree on this: the originality of the narrative is conferred by the synthesis of the various elements. In particular, Kraft sustains that the loss of Crusoe’s religion at the end of the book is what make this story a novel (548). Crusoe sudden disconnection from God gave to Defoe the opportunity to keep writing the story. If Crusoe had not forgotten all his religious believes, he would not have been to sea again and the last twenty pages of the book would have not been written. As a matter of fact, without the last twenty pages Robinson Crusoe should be consider a simple spiritual autobiography. All the element of novelty such as the versatile ability of Crusoe that so fascinated Joyce, his interest for the economics and his colonial spirit would be mere elements of description, that would make Crusoe a man with who the English could easily identify, but his loss of religion makes the story completely new. It gives the prompt to further develop the story an d to write more books about this same topic, as the two sequels The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Serious Reflection During the Life Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe. On the whole, Crusoe had the ability to combine different styles, different themes and different settings generating a completely new genre. The vastness of the topic that Defoe explored has allowed him to reach a broader and more varied audience. The timeless fame he has reached is a further proof of the fact that Defoe was, undoubtedly, the first to create a text as innovative as Robinson Crusoe. Many writers have considered this book as an inspiration for their works, so that his book should be considered the first novel in the history of English literature. Work Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 3-220. Joyce, James. â€Å"Daniel Defoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 320-323. Snow, Melinda. â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel.† The Journal of Narrative Technique, Vol. 6 No. 3, 1976, pp.175-187. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30225591. Kinney, Arthur F. â€Å"Review of Beware the Cat by: The First English Novel, William A. Ringler, Jr.† The University of Chicago Press, Vol. 87, No. 4, 1990, pp. 396-399. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/438562 Kraft, Quentin G. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel.† College English, Vol. 41, No. 5, National Council of Teachers of English, 1980, pp. 535-548. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/375722. Mackay, Marina. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel, 2011, pp. 32. Wool, Virginia. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 283-288.

Daniel Defoe The Father of the Novel - Literature Essay Samples

The rise of the novel is one of the most frequently debated literary themes in the history of literature. Scholars have always been divided in two factions that argue whether Beware the Cat by William Baldwin or Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is the first English novel (Mackay, 32). While, on the one hand, scholars as Arthur F. Kinney and William A. Ringler claim that the ground-breaking satire Beware the Cat should be considered as the first English novel (Kinney, 398), on the other hand, intellectuals of the caliber of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf argue that The Life and Strange Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe, Ec. is the text that started this new genre. Robinson Crusoe, in fact, is usually recognized as the first English novel since this book breaks with the writing standards fixed by past literary tradition. The theme of religion, which was the core theme of 17th century writing, has a major role in the book, but it does not represent the only theme that Defoe touched upon in the novel. According to Quentin G. Kraft, in Robinson Crusoe there are two main themes: the spiritual autobiography and the economic matters. These two themes, however, are not the only innovation that Defoe presents in Robinson Crusoe; in fact, the use of the first-person narration together with the values embodied by Crusoe make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the English literature. The English writer James Joyce describes Daniel Defoe as â€Å"the first English author to write without imitating or adapting to foreign work, to create without literary models and to infuse into the creatures of his pen a truly national spirit, to devise for himself an artistic form which is perhaps without precedent† (321). Even if Joyce is right in describing Defoe as an innovator, the description he provides of Defoe is exaggerated. It is unquestionable that Defoe has succeeded in doing something new; however, it is not true that he wrote the whole book without emulating other works. A great portion of Robinson Crusoe is based on the imitation of the spiritual autobiography, a form of writing that had reached its maximum success in the 17th century. As Kraft argues in his article â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel,† the whole section of Robinson Crusoe in which Crusoe is on the island follows the typical pattern of the spiritual autobiography. In fact , Crusoe is shipwrecked on the island after having committed a sin, having disobeyed his father, and it is while he is on the island that Crusoe gradually turns to the bible and finally converts. Joyce also claims that Defoe’s innovation lies in the way he describes Crusoe, who personifies all the values of the perfect English man of the time who had to be able to adapt when in need (323). If necessary, indeed, Crusoe becomes an inventor, a farmer, a teacher, a governor, a slave trader, and a slave himself by breaking all the social schemes and creating a figure of man who is extremely modern. He is a person of superior intelligence, with a great ability to adapt and a strong natural survival instinct. When in Brazil, for instance, Crusoe has transformed himself into a plantation owner, and when captured by the pirates he has adapted himself to the condition of slave. On the island, Crusoe was able to build himself a shelter, to produce milk and cheese from the goats, to create different tools and a canoe. Similarly, after being rescued he transformed himself into a governor and a trader. Joyce is so amazed by Defoe’s description of Crusoe, that he defines it as a prophetic description of the English men of his century (323). Crusoe’s vivid and realistic description has been achieved through the first-person narration technique. According to Malinda Snow, this narration technique represents a further turning point in the history of fictional works, and it is another element that contributes to make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the history. In her article â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel,† Snow explains that Robinson Crusoe first-person narration differs from the first-person narration of the spiritual autobiography. While Robinson Crusoe n arrative style takes the cue from the scientific literature style, in which the narrator uses to report visible details realistically, the spiritual autobiography narration empathizes the abstract description of the soul by focusing the attention on the characterization of the emotion proved by the main character, creating a narrative that is, for the reader, a spiritual sensitive experience (181). The fact that in Robinson Crusoe the descriptions are vivid and realistic is remarkable from the first pages of the book. For instance, when Defoe describes the moment in which the sea comes calm again after the first storm, he writes, â€Å"but towards Night the Weather clear’d up, the Wind was quite over, and a charming fine Evening follow’d; the Sun went down perfectly clear and rose so the next Morning† (8). The first-person narrator, as well as the accurate use of the adjectives, make the reader visualize the scene while reading. For the reader is easy to identif y with the first-person narrator that describes the scene with meticulous detail. Yet when Defoe describes objects, animals or people that the reader is not familiar with, he tries to recall the unknown images to the reader by comparing the unfamiliar subject with things the reader already knows. A concrete example of this innovative technique can be found in the description that Defoe made of Friday. Defoe describes Friday nose as â€Å"small, not flat like the Negroes† (149) and his skin as â€Å"not quite black, but very tawny, as the Brasilians, and Virginians, and other Natives of America are† (149). When thinking about the savages the English could easily think of the African slaves that were traded during the 17th century, so Defoe tries to make the readers understand that Friday was different from the image that the English had of savages. Even the description of Crusoe’s daily routine is detailed and descriptive. The reader could easily transport himself on the island with Crusoe and imagine himself adapting to this new undiscovered world. When Defoe writes. â€Å"yet I built me a little kind of a Bower, and surrounded it at a Distance with a strong Fence, being a double Hedge, as high as I could reach, well stak’d, and filled between with Brushwood† (75), the reader, who still do not now the island, can imagine and visualize the shelter that Crusoe is building. It is in these descriptions that Snow’s point is more visible: Defoe describes everything Crusoe sees and does as a scientist would have reported on a text everything he had studied. However, Robinson Crusoe is not just a book full of detailed description, but it is also a book that explore the spiritual growth of its main character. The novelty of the story is given by the combination of these two elements. On one hand, there are all the characteristics typical of the spiritual autobiography: the pattern sin, repentance, forgiveness, the description of the emotion of the protagonist, and the devotional growth; on the other hand, there are all the elements of modernity: the economic issue, the first-person outward-looking narration, and the fictional elements of the story. Both Kraft and Snow agree on this: the originality of the narrative is conferred by the synthesis of the various elements. In particular, Kraft sustains that the loss of Crusoe’s religion at the end of the book is what make this story a novel (548). Crusoe sudden disconnection from God gave to Defoe the opportunity to keep writing the story. If Crusoe had not forgotten all his religious believes, he would not have been to sea again and the last twenty pages of the book would have not been written. As a matter of fact, without the last twenty pages Robinson Crusoe should be consider a simple spiritual autobiography. All the element of novelty such as the versatile ability of Crusoe that so fascinated Joyce, his interest for the economics and his colonial spirit would be mere elements of description, that would make Crusoe a man with who the English could easily identify, but his loss of religion makes the story completely new. It gives the prompt to further develop the story an d to write more books about this same topic, as the two sequels The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Serious Reflection During the Life Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe. On the whole, Crusoe had the ability to combine different styles, different themes and different settings generating a completely new genre. The vastness of the topic that Defoe explored has allowed him to reach a broader and more varied audience. The timeless fame he has reached is a further proof of the fact that Defoe was, undoubtedly, the first to create a text as innovative as Robinson Crusoe. Many writers have considered this book as an inspiration for their works, so that his book should be considered the first novel in the history of English literature. Work Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 3-220. Joyce, James. â€Å"Daniel Defoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 320-323. Snow, Melinda. â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel.† The Journal of Narrative Technique, Vol. 6 No. 3, 1976, pp.175-187. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30225591. Kinney, Arthur F. â€Å"Review of Beware the Cat by: The First English Novel, William A. Ringler, Jr.† The University of Chicago Press, Vol. 87, No. 4, 1990, pp. 396-399. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/438562 Kraft, Quentin G. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel.† College English, Vol. 41, No. 5, National Council of Teachers of English, 1980, pp. 535-548. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/375722. Mackay, Marina. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel, 2011, pp. 32. Wool, Virginia. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 283-288.

Daniel Defoe The Father of the Novel - Literature Essay Samples

The rise of the novel is one of the most frequently debated literary themes in the history of literature. Scholars have always been divided in two factions that argue whether Beware the Cat by William Baldwin or Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is the first English novel (Mackay, 32). While, on the one hand, scholars as Arthur F. Kinney and William A. Ringler claim that the ground-breaking satire Beware the Cat should be considered as the first English novel (Kinney, 398), on the other hand, intellectuals of the caliber of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf argue that The Life and Strange Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe, Ec. is the text that started this new genre. Robinson Crusoe, in fact, is usually recognized as the first English novel since this book breaks with the writing standards fixed by past literary tradition. The theme of religion, which was the core theme of 17th century writing, has a major role in the book, but it does not represent the only theme that Defoe touched upon in the novel. According to Quentin G. Kraft, in Robinson Crusoe there are two main themes: the spiritual autobiography and the economic matters. These two themes, however, are not the only innovation that Defoe presents in Robinson Crusoe; in fact, the use of the first-person narration together with the values embodied by Crusoe make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the English literature. The English writer James Joyce describes Daniel Defoe as â€Å"the first English author to write without imitating or adapting to foreign work, to create without literary models and to infuse into the creatures of his pen a truly national spirit, to devise for himself an artistic form which is perhaps without precedent† (321). Even if Joyce is right in describing Defoe as an innovator, the description he provides of Defoe is exaggerated. It is unquestionable that Defoe has succeeded in doing something new; however, it is not true that he wrote the whole book without emulating other works. A great portion of Robinson Crusoe is based on the imitation of the spiritual autobiography, a form of writing that had reached its maximum success in the 17th century. As Kraft argues in his article â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel,† the whole section of Robinson Crusoe in which Crusoe is on the island follows the typical pattern of the spiritual autobiography. In fact , Crusoe is shipwrecked on the island after having committed a sin, having disobeyed his father, and it is while he is on the island that Crusoe gradually turns to the bible and finally converts. Joyce also claims that Defoe’s innovation lies in the way he describes Crusoe, who personifies all the values of the perfect English man of the time who had to be able to adapt when in need (323). If necessary, indeed, Crusoe becomes an inventor, a farmer, a teacher, a governor, a slave trader, and a slave himself by breaking all the social schemes and creating a figure of man who is extremely modern. He is a person of superior intelligence, with a great ability to adapt and a strong natural survival instinct. When in Brazil, for instance, Crusoe has transformed himself into a plantation owner, and when captured by the pirates he has adapted himself to the condition of slave. On the island, Crusoe was able to build himself a shelter, to produce milk and cheese from the goats, to create different tools and a canoe. Similarly, after being rescued he transformed himself into a governor and a trader. Joyce is so amazed by Defoe’s description of Crusoe, that he defines it as a prophetic description of the English men of his century (323). Crusoe’s vivid and realistic description has been achieved through the first-person narration technique. According to Malinda Snow, this narration technique represents a further turning point in the history of fictional works, and it is another element that contributes to make Robinson Crusoe the first novel of the history. In her article â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel,† Snow explains that Robinson Crusoe first-person narration differs from the first-person narration of the spiritual autobiography. While Robinson Crusoe n arrative style takes the cue from the scientific literature style, in which the narrator uses to report visible details realistically, the spiritual autobiography narration empathizes the abstract description of the soul by focusing the attention on the characterization of the emotion proved by the main character, creating a narrative that is, for the reader, a spiritual sensitive experience (181). The fact that in Robinson Crusoe the descriptions are vivid and realistic is remarkable from the first pages of the book. For instance, when Defoe describes the moment in which the sea comes calm again after the first storm, he writes, â€Å"but towards Night the Weather clear’d up, the Wind was quite over, and a charming fine Evening follow’d; the Sun went down perfectly clear and rose so the next Morning† (8). The first-person narrator, as well as the accurate use of the adjectives, make the reader visualize the scene while reading. For the reader is easy to identif y with the first-person narrator that describes the scene with meticulous detail. Yet when Defoe describes objects, animals or people that the reader is not familiar with, he tries to recall the unknown images to the reader by comparing the unfamiliar subject with things the reader already knows. A concrete example of this innovative technique can be found in the description that Defoe made of Friday. Defoe describes Friday nose as â€Å"small, not flat like the Negroes† (149) and his skin as â€Å"not quite black, but very tawny, as the Brasilians, and Virginians, and other Natives of America are† (149). When thinking about the savages the English could easily think of the African slaves that were traded during the 17th century, so Defoe tries to make the readers understand that Friday was different from the image that the English had of savages. Even the description of Crusoe’s daily routine is detailed and descriptive. The reader could easily transport himself on the island with Crusoe and imagine himself adapting to this new undiscovered world. When Defoe writes. â€Å"yet I built me a little kind of a Bower, and surrounded it at a Distance with a strong Fence, being a double Hedge, as high as I could reach, well stak’d, and filled between with Brushwood† (75), the reader, who still do not now the island, can imagine and visualize the shelter that Crusoe is building. It is in these descriptions that Snow’s point is more visible: Defoe describes everything Crusoe sees and does as a scientist would have reported on a text everything he had studied. However, Robinson Crusoe is not just a book full of detailed description, but it is also a book that explore the spiritual growth of its main character. The novelty of the story is given by the combination of these two elements. On one hand, there are all the characteristics typical of the spiritual autobiography: the pattern sin, repentance, forgiveness, the description of the emotion of the protagonist, and the devotional growth; on the other hand, there are all the elements of modernity: the economic issue, the first-person outward-looking narration, and the fictional elements of the story. Both Kraft and Snow agree on this: the originality of the narrative is conferred by the synthesis of the various elements. In particular, Kraft sustains that the loss of Crusoe’s religion at the end of the book is what make this story a novel (548). Crusoe sudden disconnection from God gave to Defoe the opportunity to keep writing the story. If Crusoe had not forgotten all his religious believes, he would not have been to sea again and the last twenty pages of the book would have not been written. As a matter of fact, without the last twenty pages Robinson Crusoe should be consider a simple spiritual autobiography. All the element of novelty such as the versatile ability of Crusoe that so fascinated Joyce, his interest for the economics and his colonial spirit would be mere elements of description, that would make Crusoe a man with who the English could easily identify, but his loss of religion makes the story completely new. It gives the prompt to further develop the story an d to write more books about this same topic, as the two sequels The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Serious Reflection During the Life Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe. On the whole, Crusoe had the ability to combine different styles, different themes and different settings generating a completely new genre. The vastness of the topic that Defoe explored has allowed him to reach a broader and more varied audience. The timeless fame he has reached is a further proof of the fact that Defoe was, undoubtedly, the first to create a text as innovative as Robinson Crusoe. Many writers have considered this book as an inspiration for their works, so that his book should be considered the first novel in the history of English literature. Work Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 3-220. Joyce, James. â€Å"Daniel Defoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 320-323. Snow, Melinda. â€Å"The Origins of Defoe’s First-Person Narrative Technique: An Overlooked Aspect of the Rise of the Novel.† The Journal of Narrative Technique, Vol. 6 No. 3, 1976, pp.175-187. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30225591. Kinney, Arthur F. â€Å"Review of Beware the Cat by: The First English Novel, William A. Ringler, Jr.† The University of Chicago Press, Vol. 87, No. 4, 1990, pp. 396-399. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/438562 Kraft, Quentin G. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe and the Story of the Novel.† College English, Vol. 41, No. 5, National Council of Teachers of English, 1980, pp. 535-548. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/375722. Mackay, Marina. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel. The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel, 2011, pp. 32. Wool, Virginia. â€Å"Robinson Crusoe.† Robinson Crusoe a Norton Critical Edition, edited by Shinagel, Michael, W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1994, pp. 283-288.