The following term paper will be a comparison of Daniel Defoe´s Robinson Crusoe, which we discussed in class, and William Golding´s Lord of the flies. For most literary scholars the latter definitely is a robinsonade, which is a general term used for narrations and novels written and published after Defoe´s Robinson Crusoe. For others it is not seen as such, and some just see parts of this genre in the novel. Even if the opinions differ, it is obvious that there is a certain nearness to the robinsonades. Some aspects of the novel might make it difficult to arrange it into this genre. Conspicuous is that the different contributions are not drawn upon the same basics. The question that arises is: What is a robinsonade? This question is answered in different ways by the critics, so that this seems to be the real problem. There are considerations to this topic, which strongly lean on Daniel Defoe´s novel “Robinson Crusoe” , and which see the structure and aspects of this work not as a basis but as a guideline. Next to this there are other theories, which have a more unattached usage of this topic. They both have in common that there is no general consensus about a definition or a hold onto special criteria.
In the first part of my term paper I want to give a brief overview of the character of the robinsonade, the features of the genre, and I will present some examples I have chosen from the ocean of robinsonades that already exist. I will not refer to Defoe´s “Robinson Crusoe” in this part as much as I would like to, because this would blast my term paper. In the second part I will analyse Golding´s “Lord of the flies” in the respect of the worked out criteria, to find out whether it is a robinsonade or not. For this I will also have a deeper look in Defoe´s novel, so it will be a comparison of the novels “Lord of the flies” and “Robinson Crusoe”.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Robinsonades in general
3. Robinson Crusoe and Lord of the Flies: a Comparison
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this term paper is to examine whether William Golding’s Lord of the Flies can be classified as a "robinsonade" by comparing it to Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, based on specific genre criteria.
- Analysis of the historical and literary definition of the "robinsonade" genre.
- Evaluation of survival strategies and societal structures in both novels.
- Examination of the protagonists' psychological development and moral evolution in isolation.
- Comparison of the explicit and implicit confrontations between nature and civilization.
- Classification of Lord of the Flies as a potential "negative" or "apokryphal" robinsonade.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Robinson Crusoe and Lord of the Flies: a Comparison
In the following chapter the question, whether Lord of the flies (L.F.) is a robinsonade or not, will be answered. For this the criteria worked out in the preceding chapter, are very important, namely the summarised list of the features of this genre.
The first feature is the variation of the main situation, namely the life of a shipwrecked person. Robinson Crusoe is the only person that survives a shipwreck after a storm and is cast on an island: “I am alive, and not drown´d as all my Ship´s Company was. I am singl´d out too from all the Ship´s Crew to be spar´d from Death;” (p.49). He finds out that he is on an uninhabited island by climbing a mountain:
There was a Hill not above a Mile from me, which rose up very steep an high, and which seem´d to over-top some other Hills, I travell´d for Discovery uo to the Top of that Hill, where after I had with great Labour and Difficulty got to the Top, I saw my Fate to my great Affliction, (viz.) that I was in an Island environ´d every way with Sea, no Land to be seen, except some Rocks which lay a great way off, and two small Islands less than his. (p.40)
In L.F. a number of schoolboys from about six to twelve years old are also cast on an island but crashed with a plane: “'When we was coming down I looked through one of them windows. I saw the other part of the plane. There were flames coming out of it.' He looked up and down the scar.” (p.13) They also want to find out if they are on an island or not: “So we´ve got to decide if this is an island. Three of us will go on an expedition and find out.” (p.31) A long description of their way to the top of a hill follows, and finally Ralph, who was voted chief of the group, says when they arrived: “'There´s no village smoke, and no boats. We´ll make sure later; but I think it´s uninhabited.” (p.39) Robinson Crusoe and the boys from L.F. are now faced with the problem to survive on an uninhabited island.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The author outlines the scope of the paper, which is to compare Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe with William Golding's Lord of the Flies to determine if the latter belongs to the robinsonade genre.
2. Robinsonades in general: This chapter defines the characteristics of the robinsonade, citing various literary critics and highlighting key motifs such as island isolation, survival strategies, and the reflection on civilization.
3. Robinson Crusoe and Lord of the Flies: a Comparison: The author applies the previously defined genre criteria to both novels, contrasting the orderly survival of Robinson Crusoe with the societal collapse and degeneration of the boys in Lord of the Flies.
4. Conclusion: The paper summarizes that while Lord of the Flies shares the fundamental situational premise of a robinsonade, it functions as a "negative" and "apokryphal" version due to the regressive development of its characters.
Keywords
Robinson Crusoe, Lord of the Flies, Robinsonade, Literature, Literary Analysis, Island Motif, Survival Strategies, Civilisation, Nature, Degeneration, Daniel Defoe, William Golding, Comparison, Genre Definition, Isolation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this term paper?
The paper focuses on the literary classification of William Golding's Lord of the Flies, specifically investigating its relationship to the "robinsonade" genre popularized by Daniel Defoe.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Central themes include the motifs of island isolation, the contrast between civilization and savagery, the development of survival strategies, and the internal moral evolution of characters in both novels.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to determine if Lord of the Flies qualifies as a robinsonade by analyzing similarities and differences regarding the genre's established features.
Which methodology is employed in the work?
The paper uses a comparative literary analysis, applying genre-defining criteria derived from academic literature to the textual evidence found in both Robinson Crusoe and Lord of the Flies.
What is the focus of the main body?
The main body examines features such as the shipwreck/crash scenario, survival tactics, and the confrontation with nature, contrasting Robinson Crusoe’s moral development with the "degeneracy" of the boys in Golding's novel.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Robinsonade, Island Motif, Survival, Civilization, Degeneration, and Comparative Literature.
How does the protagonist in Robinson Crusoe differ from the boys in Lord of the Flies?
Robinson Crusoe evolves into a disciplined, moral, and God-fearing individual who masters his environment, whereas the boys in Lord of the Flies regress into a state of savagery and violence.
Why does the author classify Lord of the Flies as a "negative" robinsonade?
It is labeled as a "negative" robinsonade because the characters' progression is the exact inverse of the classic model, moving from civilization toward atavism and moral decay.
- Quote paper
- Julia Diedrich (Author), 2006, The motif of robinsonades in 'Lord of the flies', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/189299
