Daniel Defoe is not only a famous writer who wrote such magnificent books as The General History of Pirates, Graphic Novel, The Plague Year Diary, and, of course, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. Daniel Defoe was also an extraordinary bright personality. He is one of the most famous English novelists of the XVII-XVIII centuries. And rightly so, because not one world generation has grown on his books. And the founder of this literary genre as such was Daniel Defoe.
Famous writer before fame came to him
Daniel Defoe hails from Misty Albion, from the very heart of the British Empire. He was born in London in 1660 in a family of ordinary workers. His father worked in a butcher's shop.
From childhood, little Daniel was taught that he would be a clergyman - his family was very religious and religious. But still, pastoralism did not enter Daniel Defoe's biography. The future great novelist even studied for some time in a theological seminary, but could not get the dignity. The reasons for the refusal of a confessor's career are unknown, but nevertheless Daniel preferred trading to the Bible and the church - he went to work in his father’s butcher's shop.
Starting around 1681, Defoe wrote many religious verses. That period of his life is full of many diverse events, such as participation in a popular uprising against Jacob II Stuart, admission to the Newington Academy (as he studied Latin and Greek). After successfully completing his studies, Defoe returned to trade, and also traveled extensively throughout Europe and studied various languages.
Undercover Merchant Spy
Daniel Defoe's biography abounds with interesting facts. For example, it is known that he did not tolerate social xenophobia, he was a very open person. Therefore, in 1697, he wrote and published several satirical works in which he openly ridiculed people's rejection and misunderstanding of other cultures. Traveling around Europe, he himself absorbed the life, customs and foundations of other peoples, and they seemed interesting, interesting, but not dangerous or enemy in any way. In the same year Defoe wrote his first literary work and one scientific treatise.
For ridiculing xenophobia, which was then normal, the future writer received a sentence of punishment: a shameful pillar and imprisonment. Such sentences, by the way, are not once found in the biography of Daniel Defoe. Having been released ahead of schedule, he continued to sell meat.
Already after his death, it became known that he not only sold meat in the shop, but also spied for the king of England. There is speculation that for some time he even served as the head of the state secret investigation. True, not officially. But still, his opinion was significant: the king never passed him by the ears. Yes and respect, Daniel Defoe enjoyed remarkable. It is possible that he was released from prison ahead of schedule precisely for this reason.
"Purebred Englishman"
Daniel Defoe often ridiculed public morals and customs. He loved to play a trick on the aristocracy. In 1701, he wrote a pamphlet entitled "Thoroughbred Englishman," in which he openly had fun with the British nobility. The pamphlet became popular very quickly. All 80 thousand issued copies scattered like hot cakes.
And again he was sentenced to a prison term and a shameful pillar, and also a rather large fine was written out. The writer’s business reputation suffered great damage, despite the frenzied popularity among the people. At that time, he owned a commercial enterprise - a tiled factory, and by the time he was released, it had practically collapsed, ceasing to generate income.
House Patron
It is not known what the biography of Daniel Defoe would have been if one of the ministers, Speaker of the House of Commons Robert Harley, had not decided to take up his fate. The reasons for his patronage are unknown, but thanks to him, Defoe in 1704 was able to get a job in a state institution - in the editorial office of the famous in those years publishing house “Review”. His responsibilities included writing and editing articles.
The publishing house closed in 1713.
Robinson Crusoe as a Success Factor
As a journalist, Daniel Defoe did not give up literary work. Defoe's most famous book, Life and the Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, was published in 1719 and was a stunning success with the public. But he did not stop there, and in the same year a second book came out from under his pen - “Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe”. If you describe the biography of Daniel Defoe briefly, then this novel should become its center.
In the future, Daniel Defoe wrote a lot of different themes, genres and scales of stories, but not one of his books reached even a fraction of the success that Robinson Crusoe had. It is with this book that everyone associates the work of this English writer with a novel about human courage, an unbending solid will and an unshakable spirit.
Alexander Selkirk - a prototype of Robinson
To tell Daniel Defoe's biography briefly is a complicated matter. It contains too many interesting events in itself, too many amazing facts.
For example, the prototype of the character of Robinson Crusoe was a once-existing man, a sailor named Alexander Selkirk. It happened in 1704. Alexander, seriously quarreling with the captain of the ship, went ashore of an unfamiliar island. He had very few supplies of food and weapons with him. This island, as it turned out later, was called Juan Fernandez and was located in the Pacific Ocean. For more than four years, Alexander Selkirk lived on it in complete solitude, while he was picked up by a ship with Captain Woods Rogers.
Daniel Defoe found the case interesting and, describing it in his novel, drew a parallel with the history and development of mankind: from primitive existence (hunting and gathering), Robinson Crusoe reaches civilization (craft, farming, and cattle breeding).
Jack of all trades
Daniel Defoe did not adhere to any specific theme in his work. Rather, he followed the call of the heart: he wrote about what the soul lies to. He wrote more than fifty books, magazines and pamphlets on a wide variety of topics - from politics to crime, from economics to psychology, from supernatural and mystical to religion and marriage. He became the founder of not only a new literary genre, but also economic journalism.
Also, Daniel Defoe has always been on the side of bourgeois sanity, freedom of speech and religious tolerance.
"Double writer"
Daniel Defoe created not only under one pseudonym. The work "The General History of Piracy" was published by Charles Johnson in 1724 (it was first published in Russia in 1999). The book was based on documents from the Ministry of Colony of Britain. In it Defoe very interestingly and believably described the lives of such famous pirates as Blackbeard, Stead Bonnet, Bartholomew Robersts and John Reckham.
A very short biography of Daniel Defoe does not describe the creation of this novel, as well as many others. As a rule, she only talks about Robinson Crusoe, the most famous book that brought the writer worldwide fame.
Robison had a sequel
Interesting facts of the biography of Daniel Defoe include, for example, the fact that he did not abandon his Robinson Crusoe after two books. Defoe continued to write about him, only the scene changed: now it took place in Great Tartaria, which was located on the territory of modern Russia, Mongolia and China. The writer not only told an interesting story, but also revealed the life, customs, foundations and traditions of the peoples who inhabited it.
From young nails
For the first time, students get acquainted with the work of the English novelist in the 5th grade, when they are taught a short biography of Daniel Defoe for children. Then they become aware of the work "Robinson Crusoe".
Fifty thousand works
Peru Daniel Defoe, as already mentioned, belongs to many different works. In 1772, the novel “The Joy and Sorrows of Moth Flanders” was released, in 1724 - “The Happy Courtesan, or Roxanne”, and in 1722 - “The Story of Colonel Jack”, “The Sea Trade Atlas”, “The Perfect English Merchant”.
A brief biography and creativity of Daniel Defoe will be interesting not only to the student. He lived an interesting and vibrant life, having managed to be both a merchant and a world famous writer, and died in London in 1731, without completing a few more works that could replenish the world literature fund.