Daniel Defoe

Daniel Defoe is a celebrated author and one of the earliest novelists of the English language. He is best known for his book Robinson Crusoe, and many of his other works are just as memorable. His writing has left behind lasting legacies and he is typically regarded as one of the most influential figures of English literature.

Daniel Defoe was born in London in 1660. His family was modest and middle-class, and he received an education in religion and economics in a small, private school. Defoe did not stay in school for very long and left to take up trading and merchanting in 1683. It is likely that this early initiation into the business world heavily influenced the writings he would pen later.

Defoe established himself within the political arena in 1685 with his participation in the Monmouth Rebellion. His involvement, although brief, marked the beginning of his expeditions across the divided camps of England’s political realm. In 1703, Defoe wrote The True-Born Englishman in response to the ongoing debate of allegiance. It earned him wide recognition and provided a sort of integration between the disputing English peoples.

Defoe is best remembered for his novels and published works. An essayist, a pamphleteer, and a journalist, he had a knack for political and religious satire. His first novel, Robinson Crusoe, told the story of a castaway on an uninhabited island and was a true testament to the human spirit. It has been credited as the first novel to be written in the English language and quickly earned Defoe the title of the “Father of the English Novel.”

The novels of Daniel Defoe were straightforward and realistic. This was part of his charm as a writer; his works were both enjoyable and informative to his audiences. He was able to—without having to resort to complex characters or complex plots—paint vivid depictions of life and its peculiarities.

Defoe's other major works included Moll Flanders, A Journal of the Plague Year, Roxana, and A Short Way with the Dissenters. All of these novels contained unique stories that had elements of both social satire and reality in them—a combination that Defoe had perfected.

Throughout the course of Defoe's life, he wrote over 500 books, pamphlets, and other works as well. He had published five of his most notable novels by the time of his death in 1731.

To this day, Daniel Defoe's works are held in high regard. His style of writing is still studied and enjoyed by people from all over the world. He was one of the earliest of the English novelists, placing his contribution to literature in the same category as that of Chaucer and Shakespeare.