The novel, Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe and first published in 1719, is an important literary piece of the Enlightenment period, as it expresses the Enlightenment themes of individualism, exploration and the rejection of authority. The poet James Joyce has described the character of Robinson Crusoe as the "true prototype of the British colonist"1, and Robinson Crusoe certainly shares many of the characteristics associated with British colonists of the period in which the novel was written. ... Robinson Crusoe decided to go against all advice given to him by family and f...

• Word Count: 2166
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

He developed a "sociological imagination, " and was finally able to see that there is a common theme in society, and that this common theme or social force directly affects him and his life. ... Rather, he was putting effort into getting a deeper understanding of each book, but found the themes useless or inapplicable to his life. As he read Robinson Crusoe, for example, he knew that the main theme or lesson of the story was "the value of learning by oneself"(526), but did not actually learn anything by taking the theme and relating it to his own life and situation. ...

• Word Count: 1364
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate