The Role of the Family in Robinson Crusoe

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,0, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald (Institut für Anglistik/Amerikanistik), course: Experiencing the Exotic: Oroonoko and Robinson Crusoe , language: English, abstract: Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe, is one of the most read books in the world. There are numerous reasons for this success. Some people love the adventure story of Robinson who lives on a deserted island, far away from everyday life, which seems really desirable for the modern society. Others admire Robinson as the self-made man who is on his own in an uncivilized area and manages his life independently for so many years. That is why the story is often interpreted as an old form of the American Dream. It can also be seen as a religious story because of the importance of God in it. There are many more ways of reading the novel Robinson Crusoe and a lot of different themes that can be focused on, even though some are not apparently important for the development of Crusoe´s adventurous story...