Daniel Defoe
There are some literary characters that become part of the culture and have entered the popular imagination. A select few fictional personages have achieved great fame and even mythic status. One of these is Robinson Crusoe, the hero of an eponymous set of novels. This character has inspired many other literary works, many movies and there is even an island named after the hero of the great survival story.
It is still a popular favorite with children and those who simply love a good yarn. However, the figure of Robinson Crusoe is widely believed to have been based on a real historical figure. In this article, there is a discussion about the author who created the memorable hero, his adventures and the likely models for the immortal literary creation.
The man who created Robinson Crusoe
The author, who created the memorable character, led a life that was almost as colorful as Robinson Crusoe’s adventures. Daniel Defoe was born into a humble family in London in 1660. He was educated in a private school and later became an entrepreneur but went bankrupt. Defoe traveled widely in Europe. The writer was very interested in politics and he became embroiled in the bitter political battles of the Tories and the Whigs. Defoe was a supporter of the Tories and he wrote several pamphlets in support of their conservative policies.[1] He wrote a great many works that attacked Christians who were not members of the Church of England and foreigners.
Read the rest of the article at DailyHistory.org
Categories: Historically Accurate
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