Outlining Realism and Autobiographical Aspects in the Novel Robinson Crusoe

Outlining Realism and Autobiographical aspects in the novel

Defoe uses the realistic style in writing his Robinson Crusoe in order to enrich his narration with realistic sense which makes his novel more appealing to the reader. He wrote his novel based upon an actual experience of Alexander Selkirk drawing many events in his novel from real situations and mixed with his creative imagination.
Defoe interweaves all kinds of minute details in his circumstantial method , realistic portrayal of his character, and the use of dates and realistic names of geographical places.

He gives the reader detailed descriptions. when he builds his cave , he gives small details about how he builds his shelter. Also he describes how he cuts the wood and hangs them as shlves. also he describes how does he kills the goat, skins them , cuts them into small pieces, then dries them in baskets.

He uses logical sequence of events. He doesn’t create his events around up-normal circumstances. the presence of the wrecked ship near by the shore enables Robinson to bring the equipment he needs to survive.
He remembers that corn results from the chicken meats he has thrown earlier.

He draws his character realistically.
Crusoe as a young man was rebellious, inexperience , and irrational the logical development of Crusoe skills.
Crusoe's reactions in dangers and in difficulties reflect Man helplessness and hopeless thoughts that any person would have in mind.

He uses realistic names of geographical places and dates in order to give realistic sense to the narration. mention names and dates from the novel.

The use of Journal, he records all his daily activity in his journal making the reader feeling the passage of time. He counts dates and report the main aspect of his day reflecting a strong sense of realism

The autobiographical aspects in the novel:

The first autobiographical aspect in the novel is the journal that Crusoe writes while on the island. The journal exemplifies Crusoe' s turn to autobiography but it is only one of a series of attempts to narrate his life
Writing letters: Crusoe wrote and sent to the widow of the English captain fifteen pages in which he recounts, "a full Account of my Story" .
Crusoe turns his text into a kind of double entry book-keeping that lists the positive and negative sides of his circumstances (good/evil)
Crusoe creates a calendar as an account for himself . He keeps track of his days and it works a life record .
Crusoe keeps a book in which he recounts his sheep, things he makes, plants, seeds as an economic record. the journal allows Crusoe to read his own life. It makes the text of his life readable and allows him to write as well as read his autobiography.
Crusoe's journal appears more as a religious autobiography through which the readers get to know Crusoe's religious development.