Defoe’s
works reflected his diverse experiences in many countries as well as his life. A brilliant
journalist, novelist and social thinker, he was also a prolific author, and produced more
than 500 books, pamphlets and tracts.
The Paradoxical Genius Initially, Defoe was
a successful young merchant, with a store front, facing the affluent market-side of
London, and interestingly enough, had no idea of becoming a writer. However, today he is
remembered more for his novels like Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders etc.
The most controversial
aspect about Defoe was his two-fold personality. In 1702 Defoe published The Shortest
Way with the Dissenters, which was a political irony on the Tories. Initially the
Tories took it for granted, but after realizing the underlining irony, they were enraged.
At that time, the Earl of Nottingham published a poster which said, "Wanted a middle
sized spare man, about 40 years old, of a brown complexion, and dark brown-colored hair,
but wears a wig; a hooked nose, a sharp chin, gray eyes and a large mole near his
mouth". That description and the accusation neatly enclosed Defoe’s life -
"A writer on the lam, a lover of aliases, given to anonymous and pseudonymous
productions; a middle-class merchant bewigged to pass as an aristocrat; a literary
pugilist who scorned the orthodoxy of the day; a man judged by many of his contemporaries
to be a ferret, a sneak, a public menace."
This was how he appeared to
the people, at large, in relation to politics.
But as a person, Defoe was
a fervent Presbyterian, faithful husband, doting father and a first-class genius. He
invented both modern journalism and modern novel, in his unrestrained career of 40 years.
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The reconciliation of his two-fold personality always remained unsolved, though Richard West, a critic tried to do so. Defoe was denied admission to Oxbridge. Consequently, he had resentment for the upper-class. Yet, he had a disguised lust for the upper-class society. Thus, Defoe’s conflicting attitude towards the upper-class society, became an obsession with him. He was also obsessed by the terror of debt and being harassed by creditors, as well as by literary and political opponents.
After he became bankrupt, he was barred for life from public service. West described this situation with comprehension – "The torment of mind he suffered… condemned him to a life of misery, fear, loneliness, and remorse, from which he could only escape through prayer, the love of his family, and eventually by writing books."
Defoe responded to the crisis, with characteristic candidness; and decided to change his career, finally becoming a journalist. He was not an ordinary journalist. West said that "He was the first master, if not the inventor, of almost every feature of modern newspapers, including the leading article, |
investigative reporting, the foreign news analysis, the agony aunt, the gossip column, the candid obituary, and even the kind of soul-searching piece which…"
His experiences as a
journalist were noticeable in some of his works. Daniel Defoe was one of the greatest
novelists in the world history. It is not known, but Robinson Crusoe, was the first
novel, which started the genre of novel-writing. So, Defoe was, in a way, the father of
novel-form. That was his best contribution to the literary world. |
