Daniel Defoe biography for children. Short biography of Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) was a versatile and prolific English writer and publicist. It is believed that it was he who made such a literary genre as the novel popular in Great Britain. In the world, the most famous hero of his works is Robinson Crusoe. In total, Defoe wrote more than 500 books, magazines and pamphlets on a wide variety of topics, from politics to economics to religion, psychology and family. He laid the foundations of economic journalism, is considered the founder of British intelligence.
Childhood and adolescence
Daniel Defoe was born around 1660 near London in the small town of Cripplegate. His father's name was Jay Fo, he was a fairly wealthy merchant, sold meat and in addition to this he also had a small candle factory. Both father and mother were ardent puritanical dissidents, that is, they opposed the English dominant church.
His parents were preparing Daniel for the Presbyterian ministry, so at the age of 14 they sent him to a theological seminary. After her, the young man graduated from the Morton Academy in Stoke Newington. He, as an exemplary student, studied Greek, Latin and classical literature well, but all this was not interesting for the young man. He was fascinated by commerce and trade, and Daniel was ready to do this all his life. However, he always remembered the Newington school with warmth for the fact that she gave him a lot of the necessary knowledge.
Trade
At the age of nineteen, Defoe completed his studies and, as advised by his father, began commercial activities. In London there was an office of a wholesale hosiery company that worked with abroad. His father sent Daniel to this office to study commercial practice and accounting, the young man combined his studies with work as a salesman at a hosiery.
Defoe graduated from the office in 1685 and immediately took up the wholesale hosiery trade in Cornhill. The company he opened existed until 1695. Then he was engaged in the trade in bricks and tiles, wines and tobacco. On duty, he had to visit Portugal, France and Spain, where he got acquainted with European life, studied foreign languages.
Very often Daniel entered into risky transactions, was repeatedly on the verge of bankruptcy, but always found a way out of this situation.
Politics
In addition to commerce, Daniel has always been interested in religious and political struggles. For example, in 1685 he was a participant in the uprising of the Duke of Monmouth, who opposed the policies of James II Stuart. On July 6, 1685, the battle of Sedzhmoor took place, the rebels lost it, the authorities then strangled the uprising, the duke was executed, and Defoe himself barely managed to hide from persecution.
Back in 1681, he began to get involved in poetry, wrote poetry on religious topics. And in 1687 he wrote his first pamphlet, in which he talked about freedom of conscience and addressed his royal highness. The reason was the recently signed declaration on the termination of punitive laws that belonged to religion. This first literary performance described Defoe as a good writer and mature politician, even though he was only 26 years old at the time. However, many of his friends did not accept such a speech against the royal declaration. This greatly disappointed Dafoe and he abandoned his literary intentions, and again took up exclusively trade.
But after a few years, Daniel returned to literature. He wrote satirical poems and essays, pamphlets and treatises in which he exposed unjust laws and called for reforms. His satire was very popular among the people, and soon Defoe became a prominent political figure.
When Queen Anne came to power, Defoe was sent to prison for his pamphlets and three times was exhibited to the pillory.
To free himself from prison, Daniel had to cooperate with the authorities, he became a secret agent and for several years carried out government assignments.
Literature
Defoe's age was already approaching 60 years when he heard the real story of how a sailor from Scotland, Alexander Selkirk, ended up on the uninhabited island of Juan Fernandez in the Pacific Ocean. He lived there for 4 years until he was discovered and picked up by a ship that was commanded by Woods Rogers. Captain Rogers later described these events in his book Sailing Around the World. And soon behind this, Defoe caught the eye of the Style essay "The Story of Alexander Selkirk". Daniel became seriously interested in this Scottish sailor, and Dafoe's creative mind turned the unique story into a large-scale work of art.
Well, who among us, at a very young age, did not read The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, where the main character lived on a deserted island for 28 years and managed not only to survive, but also to create his own personal world.
The success of this novel was so phenomenal that Daniel Defoe soon took up its sequel. In 1719, the novel "The Subsequent Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" was published, and a year later the writer wrote "Serious Reflections Throughout His Life and the Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe with His Vision of the Angelic World". But, I must say that the popularity of the first two cannot be compared with the first novels, they did not have such reader success.
Now Defoe devoted all his time, and one might say, and his life only to creativity. One after the other, works come out from under his pen:
- 1720 - Captain Singleton, Memoirs of a Chevalier;
- 1722 - Colonel Jack and Moll Flanders, Diary of the Plague Year;
- 1724 - "Roxana";
- 1726 - "Traveling England and Scotland".
In his writings, the genre of adventure novels, historical and adventure themes predominated. He also wrote many memoir novels.
The last years of life and death
Dafoe was married to Mary Tuffley, the woman bore the writer eight children, but it turned out that he was dying alone.
The last year of Daniel Defoe's life was terrible and gloomy. The publisher, who had been deceived by him, tried to punish him cruelly, albeit quite deservedly, he pursued him, once attacked with a sword, but Defoe, despite his advanced age, was then able to disarm the enemy.
These constant threats and persecutions eventually defeated the sickly old man, and he went mad. The man deceived by him threatened revenge, and Daniel ran away from his family, began to hide, was called by a false name, constantly moved from place to place in different cities of England.
After wandering a lot, in 1731 Defoe returned to England and settled in Moorfield, the most remote area of the city. Here the famous creator Robinson Crusoe died in old age and loneliness on April 26, 1731.
None of the relatives knew about his death; the landlady was in charge of the funeral. Defoe's belongings were auctioned off to reimburse herself for her funeral expenses.
Daniel Fo was born around 1660 near London into the family of a wealthy merchant. He added the aristocratic prefix "De" to his surname much later. Parents wanted to see Daniel as a pastor, so the lively and inquisitive boy graduated from high school and then seminary. But Defoe suddenly took up business.
He was the owner of a hosiery factory, a tile factory, and got involved in many other commercial adventures. According to Daniel's own words, he became rich and broke 12 times. Defoe traveled almost all over Europe on business, learned several foreign languages. He successfully married a girl with a rich dowry, who bore him 8 children.
From 1701, Defoe's poignant political pamphlets began to appear and quickly gained popularity. From 1704 to 1713 he edited the popular newspaper Revue. Defoe introduced a lot of new things to journalism, in particular, he used the genre of interviews and criminal chronicles. And his economic and political articles were written at a high professional level.
In 1705, after a large-scale commercial adventure, Defoe finally went bankrupt and went to prison, from where he was rescued by Minister Robert Harley. The high rank was impressed by Daniel's project on the organization of an intelligence special service. Defoe was asked to lead this service. Daniel then not only led the agent network, but also often took part in the operations himself.
At 58, Defoe left the political arena and devoted himself entirely to literary activity. His first novel, The Life and Wonderful Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, was a phenomenal success. Defoe wrote two sequels to Robinson Crusoe, as well as several other novels. But not one of them has become so popular.
The prototype of Robinson was the sailor Alexander Selkirk, who lived on a desert island for four years. This work reliably depicts the interaction of man with nature, the formation of character under the influence of external circumstances. Using the example of his heroes, Defoe shows that a person is able to overcome any natural forces by hard work, to subjugate them to himself, enriching and multiplying, and not destroying.
Robinson is distinguished by courage, willpower and great diligence. The best human qualities in the novel are represented by the aborigine Friday. He has a great influence on Robinson, changing his worldview and forcing him to treat people with greater kindness and understanding.
French educator Jean-Jacques Rousseau paid special attention to the educational value of "Robinson Crusoe" and recommended it for compulsory reading for adolescents. By the end of the 18th century, this novel had been translated into major European languages and went through countless editions. "Robinson Crusoe" gave rise to many alterations and imitations, creating a special cycle of Robinsonades.
The peculiarity of Defoe's works of art is the belief in the enormous possibilities of man. His novels are written in a simple and clear language, practically without landscape scenes, and the narration is always carried out from the perspective of the protagonist. Thanks to this technique, Defoe's novels are perceived by readers as genuine adventures of real people.
In The Joy and Trouble of Moll Flanders, Defoe traces all the ups and downs of a woman under the influence of the social environment. Moll is forced to embark on a criminal path. The author reliably depicts how the character of the main character is changing, shows her transformation into a famous thief, tracks all the circumstances that lead to the woman's downfall. And the heroine of another novel, The Happy Courtesan, or Roxanne, is pushed onto the path of vice, not by poverty, but by a passion for luxury.
Realistic sketches of the heroes of the criminal society are also depicted in the novels "The Story of Colonel Jack" and "The Life, Adventures and Pirates of the Famed Captain Singleton." Defoe raises the problem of a just and reasonable social order, in which such strong-willed, outstanding individuals do not become pirates and robbers, but benefit the state.
DEFO, Daniel(Defoe, Daniel - 1660 or 1661, London - April 26, 1731, ibid.) - English writer and publicist.
Defoe is the founder of the modern European realistic novel. Being the first link in the history of the educational novel of the 18th century, he also prepared the social realistic novel of the 19th century. Defoe's traditions were continued by G. Fildin, T. D. Smollet, C. Dickens. Defoe's work constituted an entire era in the development of English prose. His main work - the novel "Robinson Crusoe" - received worldwide recognition.
Defoe pioneered such equalities of the novel genre as adventure, biographical, psychological, crime, parenting, and travel novels. In his work, these equivalents still appear in an insufficiently dismembered form, but it was Defoe, with his inherent breadth and daring, who began to develop them, outlining the most important lines in the development of the novel genre.
In his concept of man, Defoe emerges from the enlightenment concept of her good nature, which is exposed to the environment and life circumstances. Defoe's novel develops as a social novel.
Defoe played an important role in the development of English journalism. The son of his stormy and intense time - the era of the formation of bourgeois society - D. was in the center of the political, ideological and religious struggle. His energetic and multifaceted nature combined the features of a businessman and a politician, a bright publicist and a talented writer.
D. was born into the family of a meat merchant and candle manufacturer James Fo, who lived in London. Daniel himself added to his father's surname Fo's share “Where” in 1703, when he had already become known as the author of pamphlets and could count on his own strength in literary activity. The Defoe family was puritanical and shared the views of the dissenters (opponents of the mainstream Anglican Church). Daniel studied at the Puritan theological academy, but he did not become a religious preacher. He was attracted by life with all its vicissitudes, risk in commerce, stormy enterprise in the most equal spheres. Several times he was forced to declare bankruptcy, to hide from creditors and the police. However, Defoe's interest was not limited to entrepreneurship, his violent energy manifested itself in political and journalistic activities. In 1685 he took part in the uprising led by the Duke of Monmouth against King James II, who tried to restore Catholicism and absolute monarchy. After the defeat of the uprising, D. was forced to hide for a long time in order to avoid a harsh punishment. He met the revolution of 1688 sympathetically and supported the policy of William III of Orange.
Defoe constantly pondered ways to better organize the life of society, came up with various projects for improving and changing the existing order. He wrote about this in his treatises and pamphlets. He was worried about the enlightenment of compatriots and especially the issues of women's education, the problem of estate privileges and the fate of people deprived of nature - the blind, deaf, insane; he wrote about possible ways of enrichment and dealt with the ethics of a merchant, opposed the Church of England, denying its dogmas. The people treated Defoe's works favorably, and the author himself was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned.
Defoe's literary career began in 1697, when his first pamphlet, An Essau upon Projects, was published.
Defoe came forward here with a proposal to organize a bank loan and insurance companies, to improve communication lines; he wrote about the creation of an academy that could deal with questions of the norms of the literary language, spoke about the need for female education. A year later, the pamphlet A Poor man's Plea (1698) appeared, which speaks of the injustice of the laws that punish the poor and protect the rich: her. "
The verse satire "The True-born Englishman" (The True-born Englishman. A Satyr, 1701), which affirms the human right to be proud not of his origin, but of personal valor, not of his chosen ancestors, but of noble deeds and deeds, was also democratic in nature. Defoe condemns and ridicules the aristocratic arrogance of the nobles. This pamphlet was written in defense of William III (Dutch by birth), whom the supporters of the Stewarts who ruled in 1688 reproached for the fact that, not being a "purebred Englishman", he seized the throne. Defoe believes that the very concept of "purebred Englishman" has no right to exist, since the history of the English nation is the history of mixing different peoples. Turning to genealogy, he proves the illegitimacy of the claims of the British nobility to be called "purebred English". Defoe's satire was popular with the people.
After the death of William III (1702), the Church of England removed a new wave of persecution of disinteriors. In this situation, Defoe anonymously published a pamphlet "The shortest path to reprisals against disinters." ("The Shortest Way with the Dissenters", 1702). In it, he defended religious tolerance, resorting to a hoax: calling for reprisals against disinters, the author, in fact, acted as their adherent. Revealing the essence of the author's intention led to the persecution of Defoe. He was sentenced to imprisonment and standing at the pillory. Even before the execution of this civil execution among the people spread "A Hymn to the Pillory" ("A Hymn to the Pillory", 1703), Defoe wrote in Newgate Prison. "Anthem" was created in the form of a folk song, and the day when Defoe stood at the pillar of shame, the crowd gathered on the square, sang this song, welcoming its author.
The subject matter of Defoe's pamphlets and treatises is EQUAL: he wrote about the events and facts of the social, political and everyday life of the British, gives advice to businessmen and businessmen, shares his own experience of doing EQUALLY business and at the same time fantasizes, invents, attracting attention with the unusual, sensational "news". But he writes about obviously fictional events as efficiently as he writes about completely reliable and real phenomena. He reports the appearance of a ghost using such everyday details, everything seems quite familiar, and he writes about the trip to the moon as if he personally took part in it. The creative imagination of the writer reinforces the boldness of his thought. Reality and fiction merge together and are presented as a fact of life.
Defoe was released from prison when he agreed to become an undercover government agent. Life experience convinced him of the hypocrisy of politicians, and now he no longer made a difference between Tories and Whigs, serving both.
The unconcealed expression of democratic sympathies was changed by a persistent moderation of views. In the period from 1704 to 1713. Defoe has regularly written articles for The Review, addressing a wide variety of issues: commerce, morality, education, politics. He made a significant contribution to the development of journalism and the formation of the essay genre. However, he entered the history of world literature as a novelist, and above all as the creator of the famous "Robinson Crusoe".
Dafoe was fifty-nine years old when the first part of the novel about Robinson Crusoe appeared. Its full name is “The Life and Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, the IVNORK navigator, who lived twenty-eight years all alone on an uninhabited island off the coast of America, near the mouth of the Orinoco River, where he was thrown by a shipwreck, during which the entire crew died, with his transfer unexpected release by pirates, written by himself "(" The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe ... ", 1719). While creating this book, Defoe did not think to continue it. However, the success of the first part prompted him to write the second, and after it the third: "The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" ("The Old Man Adventures of Robinson", 1719) and the world "(1720). The first part, which has remained alive for centuries, received worldwide recognition. After "Robinson Crusoe" Defoe wrote: adventure novels "Moll Flanders" (The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flandres ", 1722)," Roxana "(" Lady Roxana ", 1724)," Colonel Jack "(" Colonel Jacque " , 1722); the nautical novel "Captain Single-ton" (1720); historical novels "Diary of the Plague Year" ("A. Journal of the Plague Year", 1722) and "Memoirs of a Cavalier" (1720). All these genre modifications are presented in Defoe's work at an early stage of their development.
With his inherent penchant for mystification, Defoe published his first novel for the memoirs of Robinson himself, thereby representing his hero to readers as a very real person.
This is exactly how Robinson's contemporaries perceived at first. However, there were certain grounds for this, since the impetus, and in many respects, the basis for the creation of the novel was the essay "The History of Alexander Selkirk", published in 1713 in the journal "Englishman". It spoke of a real case: the sailor Selkirk had a falling out with the captain of the ship and he was landed on the island of Juan Fernandez, where he spent four months in complete solitude. He had with him a supply of food for one day, several pounds of tobacco, a flint gun, a pound of gunpowder, flint and flint, an ax, a knife, a bowler hat, a carry-on suit and bed, several books of spiritual content, books on navigation and some mathematical instruments. At first, Selkirk succeeded in despair and was very upset by loneliness, but over time, having settled down on the island, he strengthened his spirit and life "became so surprisingly pleasant for him that he did not consider any minutes as a burden." He ate turtle meat, casatin; when his clothes were worn, he dressed in goatskin clothes. He prayed to God, completely resigned himself to his fate, and "life for him became as joyous as it was sad before." Returning to the mainland did not make Selkirk any happier. The essay ends with an instructive conclusion: “A happy one who limits his desires to only natural needs; for those who want their whims, their needs grow along with wealth. "
The fact presented in Steele's essay was transformed in Defoe's work into a detailed narrative, which attracted not only with an interesting plot, but also with a philosophical meaning. Robinson's story grows into an allegorical depiction of human life as such. In a sense, Defoe's hero is close to everyone. And obviously, this is why, finishing his novel, Defoe himself comes to the conclusion that he personally experienced everything depicted in his book. He talks about this in the final part of "Robinson Crusoe", comparing his life with the fate of Robinson: "The adventures of Robinson Crusoe is a diagram of the true life of twenty-eight years spent in the most bluish, lonely and sad circumstances that have ever happened to a person. During this time I have lived a long and wonderful life - in constant storms, in the struggle against the worst kind of savages and cannibals ... I have suffered all kinds of violence and oppression, unjust reproaches, human neglect, attacks of devils, heavenly punishments and earthly enmity; experience the innumerable vicissitudes of fortune, have been in slavery worse than Turkish, escaped with the help of the same successful plan as the one depicted in the history of Ksury ... imaginary history, not a single circumstance that would not be a legitimate allusion to the real history. " Defoe's novel is the story of a human person. The educational concept of a person, belief in his capabilities, an appeal to the topic of labor, the fascination and simplicity of the story, the amazing power of the influence of the entire atmosphere of the work - all this attracts people of different eras, of equal age and different interests to him.
The story in the novel is conducted on behalf of Robinson. Its simplicity and ingenuity, gullibility of tone create the illusion of absolute certainty of what is happening. The classically simple opening of the work: "I was born in 1632 in the city of York into a well-to-do family ..." In this style, the story will continue to the very end. The strength of a novel's impact lies in believability.
Robinson embodies the enlightenment concept of "natural man" in his relationship with nature. For the first time in literature, the theme of creative work is being developed. It was labor that helped Robinson remain human. Finding himself completely alone, the hero Defoe, with his inherent tirelessness and efficiency, works on the manufacture of household items, hollows out a boat, grows and reaps his first crop. Overcoming many difficulties, he masters various crafts. The manufacture of each item, each stage of the labor process, is described in great detail. Defoe encourages the reader to observe with unremitting attention the hard work of thought and dexterous hands of Robinson. The efficiency and common sense of the hero is manifested in everything. His religiousness and piety are combined with the practicality of a businessman. He begins any business with reading a prayer, does not part with the Bible, but always and in everything is guided by the interests of profit. He "with complete impartiality, like a creditor", compares and evaluates everything, and in his diary, which he keeps with his inherent accuracy, he pays special attention to summing up the "balance" of the positive and negative sides of his situation:
“... like a creditor and a debtor, I split the page in half and wrote“ bad ”on the left and“ good ”on the right, and this is what I got: Bad
I have been thrown onto a terrible, uninhabited island, and I have no hope of freeing myself.
I am isolated from all of humanity; I am a hermit, banished from human society.
But I remained alive, although I could have drowned, like all my companions.
But I did not die of hunger and did not perish in this deserted place ... "
Robinson's character is also revealed in his communication with Friday. In this young wild, whom he saved from death, Robinson wants to see his devoted servant. No wonder the first word that he teaches him to mislead is "master." Robinson needs an obedient assistant, he is pleased with "humble gratitude", "boundless devotion and humility" on Friday. But, getting to know him better, Robinson realizes that Friday is in no way inferior to him.
Defoe is a master of descriptions. He creates vivid pictures of southern nature, conveys the originality of each season, his wonderful descriptions of the sea. And forever in the memory remains a portrait of Robinson, pulled into a camisole and knee-length pants, a high fur hat and an umbrella made of goatskin over his head; the feeling of fear and hope experienced together with Robinson, when he saw a footprint of a man on the coastal sand, is forever preserved in his soul.
The second and third parts of "Robinson Crusoe" are inferior to the first in terms of depth of content and artistic merit. They talk about the life and affairs of Robinson after he left the island - about his trade travels to India, China and Siberia, about the organization by him of colonies of settlers on the island where he once lived alone. Robinson has to overcome many obstacles, but now it is no longer so much an adventure as business adventures, trade deals and speculation, and Robinson himself is depicted as a clever businessman and businessman. The third part of the novel contains didactic reflections on the life of Robinson.
"Robinson Crusoe" influenced the development of literature, philosophy and political economy of the 18th century. His ideas and images were reflected in the works of writers and thinkers of many generations. They found a response in Voltaire's "Candid", in the works on the upbringing of the Same. J. Rousseau, in "Faust" by J. V. Goethe. It is known how the young L. Tolstoy admired Defoe's novel. There are many imitations and adaptations of Defoe's novel. The most equal "New Robinsons" began to appear in many countries immediately after the publication of "Robinson Crusoe" by Defoe in England, in particular in the Ukrainian language - W. Grinchenko (1891), A. Pavetsky (1900), V. Otamanovsky (1917), G. Orlovna (1927), etc. T. Shevchenko remembered this work in the autobiographical story "The Artist" and created the drawing "Robinson Crusoe" (1856) ... "Robinsonade" grew rapidly, and the term itself was established and spread in literary criticism, it means works that describe the life and adventures of a person who found himself outside of society; outside the literary context, the term "robinsonade" is used in many cases related to the situation - a person in combat with nature, in relationship with nature.
During his life, Defoe wrote more than three hundred and fifty works of various genres. In addition to the famous "Robinson Crusoe", the history of literature includes the novels "Moll Flanders", "Colonel Jack", "Roxanne", as well as some other works that became the prototype of the historical novel of modern times ("Diary of the Plague Year", "Memoirs of a Cavalier" and etc.). The traditions of the European rogue novel are connected with Defoe's novel The Joys and Hardships of the Famous Moll Flanders, who was born in Newgate prison and during six decades of her EQUAL life (not counting childhood) was a kept woman twelve times, married five times (of which one brother), twelve times a thief, exiled to Virginia for eight years, but in the end became rich, became an honest life and died in repentance. Written from her own notes. " The events of this novel take place in England. The heroine is the daughter of a convict who was born in prison and raised in an orphanage. She knows slum life and the daily struggle for existence. Moll Flanders is smart, energetic, beautiful, but life circumstances force her to become a thief and adventurer. In Robinson Crusoe, Defoe told the story of man's struggle with nature. In Moll Flanders, he spoke about the fate of a single woman in society. Poverty, hunger, cruelty of people push her on the path of sin. Moll would like a different fate, she tries to overcome her own "cruelty and inhumanity", but she fails. "Poverty ... is the real poison of virtue."
Defoe's novels are written in the form of memoirs or biographies. They convey the story of the hero's life and the formation of his personality. Defoe reveals the influence of the conditions and circumstances of life on the formation of a person. His characters face a cruel and soulless world. Usually, these are people without strong social connections - orphans, foundlings, pirates, forced to act in accordance with cruel laws and social attitudes. Everyone fights alone, relying on their own strength, ingenuity and dexterity. People do not disdain any means for the sake of achieving well-being. "Truly noble" Colonel Jack, who in childhood was a homeless vagabond and a thief, having suffered all kinds of hardships in life, becomes a slave trader. Adopted at court, the charming Roxanne has a dark past behind her: for the sake of her career, she becomes an unspoken accomplice in the murder of her own daughter.
Defoe entered the history of literature as the author of Robinson Crusoe, as the creator of an educational realistic novel. He wrote for a wide range of readers. His immortal "Robinson Crusoe" ranks among the greatest works of world literature.
It is known that the writer was born in 1660 in London in the family of a butcher. His father wanted to see him as a pastor (the family was privatorian), and the future writer even studied at a theological seminary, but, for some unknown reason, he had to give up his spiritual career and Daniel, like his father, took up trade.
In 1681, he began to write poetry on religious topics. In 1685 he took part in the Monmouth uprising against James II Stuart, then entered the Newington Academy, where he studied Greek and Latin, and after graduation he again took up trade and traveled a lot across Europe, studying languages, absorbing the way of life and customs of people.
Trader, writer, spy
In 1697 he wrote his first major literary work and scientific treatise, then published several satirical works in which he ridiculed xenophobia. For one of them he was even sentenced to a pillory and imprisonment. After a while, he was released and continued to engage in business.
It is known that Dafoe was not only engaged in trade, but also spied for the English king; some even believe that for some time he was the head of the "intelligence service" of Britain (he was not officially in the public service, but had a huge influence on the king and the government, they listened to his opinion; most likely, he was released from prison only because he was taken from him promises to start actively spying in favor of the state).
In 1719 Defoe wrote and published his best novel, Robinson Crusoe. He took real events that took place in 1704 as a basis. This novel is not only about the simple survival of man in the wild, this novel is a hymn to civilization and a kind of retrospective of the path taken by mankind: from barbarism (gathering and hunting) to progress (agriculture, cattle breeding, craft).
Other biography options
- In 1724, a writer under the pseudonym Charles Johnson published a work called A General History of Piracy (first published in Russia in 1999). This is an incredibly interesting piece based on documents kept by the British Colony Ministry. This book contains the most reliable description of the life and adventures of such pirates as Bartholomew Roberts, Blackbeard, Steed Bonnet, John Rackham.
- Few people know that Daniel Dafoe wrote the sequel to Captain Crusoe's adventures. Moreover, the action of the continuation novel takes place in the so-called Great Tataria (modern Russia, Mongolia and Tatarstan). The author not only describes the nature of Great Tataria, but also tries to reveal in his work the history, life, customs of the peoples inhabiting it (Russians, Siberian Cossacks, Tatars, Mongols, Chinese).
- A short biography of Daniel Defoe is usually studied in grade 5, when in literature lessons they get acquainted with such a work as "Robinson Crusoe".
- Defoe, known to most readers as the author of the novel "Robinson Crusoe", wrote a wide variety of works (some experts have more than 500): pamphlets and scientific essays, novels to satirical stories, poems and first-person essays. The writer is considered the founder of such a direction as economic journalism.
- It is known that in his publicistic works, Defoe promoted religious tolerance, freedom of speech and bourgeois sanity, which was extremely unusual for that time.
Daniel Defoe's short biography is outlined in this article.
Daniel Defoe short biography
Daniel Defoe- English writer and publicist, author of "Robinson Crusoe".
Was born in 1660 in London, the Cripplegate area. The writer's father was a merchant and Presbyterian named James Fo. Daniel also bore the surname Fo at birth, but later took the pseudonym Defoe. Initially, he prepared for a career as a pastor, but then refused and entered the Newington Academy, where he studied classical literature and foreign languages.
After graduating from the academy, he went to work for a hosiery as a salesman, and made several business trips to Spain, Portugal, France, Italy. Later he acquired his own hosiery production, owned a large factory that produced bricks and tiles. But his commercial activities ended in bankruptcy.
He lived a bright and eventful life. As a young man, he took an active part in political life, was one of the rebels against King James II Stuart, then hid in different cities to avoid imprisonment.
The first poem of the writer appeared in 1701 - "Thoroughbred Englishman". It ridiculed prejudices about racial superiority and provoked controversial reactions in society. Soon he wrote a caustic essay, "How to Shorten Disbelievers", which caused a storm of indignation from the high church.
In 1703, he was accused of political transgressions and was forced to stand at the pillory and pay a fine. Then he made a revelatory speech, for which he was sent to prison. Soon, thanks to the Speaker of the House of Commons, he was released. Defoe became interested in prose in 1719. It was during this period that the book "The Life and the Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" was published. And it was followed by "Notes of a Cavalier", "Luck and Misfortune of Moll Flanders", "Captain Singleton", "Maritime Trade Atlas" and other famous works.
