Both "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe and "Robinson der Jüngere" by Joachim Heinrich Campe are published in the eighteenth-century, the so called age of Enlightenment. The Enlightenment thinkers turn their back on the traditional authority of the church and focus on the pursuit of human liberation, rights, natural equality and so on.
When it comes to literature, Defoe’s "Robinson Crusoe" creates a new genre of literature: novel. The major difference between novel and previous middle ages’ prose fiction is its realism which focuses on individual and particulars while the earlier fiction is in favor of the universal.
My paper focuses on analyzing self-realization in both of works. In the paper, I argued that the self-realization of Robinson Crusoe shifts to the self-realization of the children in Campe's work. Self-realization is an essential aspect in understanding the individual realism in novel, because the novel primarily concentrates on individual and self-realization, which is an individual development from a personal inchoate state of being to a state of maturity.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Self-Realization In Two Robinsonades
2.1 Effects Of Narrative On Self-Realization
2.2 Distinctions Of Plots And Robinson’s Characteristics
2.3 Different Aspects In The Self-Realization In Two Robinsonades
3. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This academic essay examines the concept of self-realization within Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" and Joachim Heinrich Campe's "Robinson der Jüngere". The central argument asserts that while Defoe focuses on the individualistic and internal psychological development of the protagonist, Campe shifts the focus of self-realization from the titular character to the children being educated within his narrative framework, thereby transforming the genre's purpose toward religious and moral instruction.
- The divergence between first-person and third-person narrative forms.
- The influence of plot restructuring on the representation of character maturity.
- The shift in educational objectives from individual survival to moral conformity.
- The role of the "tutor narrator" in guiding the reader's self-realization.
- The conceptualization of "Empfindsamkeit" and its impact on Enlightenment literature.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Effects of narrative on self-realization
One of the most obvious differences between Robinson Crusoe and Robinson der Jüngere is their narrative form. In Robinson Crusoe Defoe uses first-person narrative in comparison with Campe’s third-person narrative. Narrative has considerable effects on realism in novel and thus affects the self-realization.
Watt in The Rise of the Novel argues that realism is "the defining characteristic that differentiates the work of early eighteenth-century novelists from previous fiction". Modern realism, unlike the classical and medieval heritage of universals, "begins from the position that truth can be discovered by the individual through his senses". The primary task of novelists is "to convey the impression of the fidelity to human experience", says Watt. Firstly, the arrangement of plot is more spontaneously from individual sense of what his protagonists might plausibly to the next. Secondly, the characteristic of figures in novels presents a rejection of universals and the emphasis on particulars, which can be seen from the name of characters, specific description of time and place of their personal experience. Lastly, at the language level, classical critical tradition in general has no use for the unadorned realistic description (9-34). Because of the realism shown in Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, it is regarded as the beginning of the modern novel.
What makes Robinson Crusoe’s story realistic is revealed from the three aspects discussed by Watt. From the perspective of plot arrangement, Defoe’s story naturally follows the time line of Robinson’s life, instead of the development of society or like medieval stories’ plot: segments jump from one hero to another. Secondly, Defoe focuses only on the particular life of Robinson, not a group of people, describing his story by using a specific time period and location. It presents its emphasis on individual. In the end, the natural language, like the close description of Robinson’s physical work, that Defoe uses makes readers believe that Robinson is a not an extraordinary or a fancy figure, but a common one among us with his particulars.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter defines the theoretical framework of self-realization as a process of moving from inchoate existence to maturity and introduces the thesis regarding the shift from individual to collective self-realization.
2. Self-Realization In Two Robinsonades: This chapter provides a comparative overview of the Robinsonade genre, examining how Defoe's original work serves as a foundation for Campe's didactic, educationally driven adaptation.
2.1 Effects Of Narrative On Self-Realization: This section analyzes how narrative techniques, specifically first-person versus third-person perspectives, influence the reader's proximity to the protagonist's internal development and the realism of the story.
2.2 Distinctions Of Plots And Robinson’s Characteristics: This section explores how Campe simplifies the plot and removes Robinson’s complex, often stubborn, pre-island characteristics to better serve his goal of moral education.
2.3 Different Aspects In The Self-Realization In Two Robinsonades: This section discusses the varying focuses of the two works, highlighting that while Defoe explores multifaceted aspects like money and survival, Campe places religious principles at the center of the children's experience.
3. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the arguments, concluding that the shift in self-realization from the hero to the children reflects the changing Enlightenment pedagogical landscape.
Keywords
Self-realization, Robinsonade, Daniel Defoe, Joachim Heinrich Campe, Enlightenment, Realism, Narrative form, Didacticism, Moral education, Empfindsamkeit, Individualism, Robinson Crusoe, Robinson der Jüngere, Character development, Providence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central premise of the research?
The study investigates how the concept of "self-realization" is handled differently in the original Robinson Crusoe compared to the educational adaptation by Campe, focusing on the shift from individual psychological development to the moral training of children.
Which works are analyzed in the book?
The work primarily analyzes Daniel Defoe's 18th-century novel "Robinson Crusoe" and its adaptation "Robinson der Jüngere" by the German author Joachim Heinrich Campe.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to demonstrate that the internal, complex self-realization found in Defoe’s original work is largely replaced in Campe’s version by a structured moral education process directed at the younger generation.
What methodological approach is used?
The author employs a comparative literary analysis, utilizing Ian Watt's theories on the rise of the novel and literary criticism regarding "Empfindsamkeit" to evaluate differences in narrative style and character development.
What does the main body cover?
The main body examines narrative forms, plot distinctions, the role of character traits, and specific thematic elements like money and religious providence, comparing how these components function in both novels.
Which keywords characterize the work?
The work is characterized by terms such as self-realization, Robinsonade, pedagogical education, narrative perspective, Enlightenment, and moral instruction.
How does Campe’s narrative form change the reader’s relationship with Robinson?
By using a third-person narrative and a "tutor narrator" (the father), Campe increases the distance between the reader and Robinson, treating the protagonist merely as an educational tool rather than a fully developed, subjective individual.
Why does the author argue that Robinson’s self-realization is "missing" in Campe’s version?
The author argues it is missing because Campe removes Robinson’s pre-island complex history and inner monologues, which are essential for a complete process of self-reflection and personal change.
What is the function of the "tutor narrator" in Campe's work?
The father acts as a "tutor narrator" who uses Robinson's story as a frame to instill moral values and religious concepts, ensuring the children reach their own "self-realization" through guided interpretation.
How does the author define the "sensational plague" mentioned in the text?
It refers to "Empfindsamkeitsfieber," a trend of exaggerated, sentimental emotionality in 18th-century literature that Campe sought to counteract through his strictly guided and morally focused Robinsonade.
- Citar trabajo
- Chao Tang (Autor), 2016, Self-Realization in "Robinson Crusoe" and "Robinson der Jüngere", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/356079
