Spy with a Pen

Now, Daniel Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe, was a prolific and multi-talented English writer, journalist, and spy, whose life was as adventurous as his most famous characters. Born Daniel Foe around 1660 in London to a family of Dissenters (Protestants who did not conform to the Church of England), he later added the aristocratic-sounding "De" to his name.

Defoe's early career was far from literary. He was a merchant, dealing in a wide range of goods from hosiery to wine. His business ventures were often precarious, and he experienced several bankruptcies, which gave him a firsthand understanding of economic and social struggles. This period also saw him participate in the failed Monmouth Rebellion in 1685, a political uprising against King James II, which he narrowly escaped punishment for. Later, he became a close ally of King William III and worked as a government agent and spy, particularly during the lead-up to the 1707 Act of Union between England and Scotland.  So you have Daniel Defoe going from jail to literary fame.

Defoe's outspoken political pamphlets frequently landed him in hot water. In 1703, he was arrested and sentenced to the pillory for publishing a satirical pamphlet titled The Shortest-Way with the Dissenters, which ironically mimicked the extreme views of those who wanted to persecute his own religious group. While in prison, he wrote "Hymn to the Pillory," a poem that mocked his punishment and gained him public sympathy. After his release, he began his career as a professional writer and journalist, founding and almost single-handedly writing a periodical called The Review for nine years.

Although he wrote hundreds of works on various topics—from politics and economics to crime and history—Defoe is best known today as one of the founders of the English novel. At the age of nearly 60, he published Robinson Crusoe (1719), which was an immediate sensation. Drawing on the real-life story of castaway Alexander Selkirk, Defoe's novel used a detailed, realistic narrative style that helped define a new g his goal was to expose their hypocrisy and bigotry by taking their arguments to the most absurd and logical conclusion that the only   enre of fiction. He followed this success with other major works, including Moll Flanders and A Journal of the Plague Year (both 1722). His ability to create compelling, believable characters and stories from the perspective of ordinary, often marginalized, people cemented his place in literary history.

Transcript

Now, Daniel Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe, was a prolific and multi-talented English writer, journalist, and spy, whose life was as adventurous as his most famous characters. Born Daniel Foe around 1660 in London to a family of Dissenters (Protestants who did not conform to the Church of England), he later added the aristocratic-sounding "De" to his name.

Defoe's early career was far from literary. He was a merchant, dealing in a wide range of goods from hosiery to wine. His business ventures were often precarious, and he experienced several bankruptcies, which gave him a firsthand understanding of economic and social struggles. This period also saw him participate in the failed Monmouth Rebellion in 1685, a political uprising against King James II, which he narrowly escaped punishment for. Later, he became a close ally of King William III and worked as a government agent and spy, particularly during the lead-up to the 1707 Act of Union between England and Scotland.  So you have Daniel Defoe going from jail to literary fame.

Defoe's outspoken political pamphlets frequently landed him in hot water. In 1703, he was arrested and sentenced to the pillory for publishing a satirical pamphlet titled The Shortest-Way with the Dissenters, which ironically mimicked the extreme views of those who wanted to persecute his own religious group. While in prison, he wrote "Hymn to the Pillory," a poem that mocked his punishment and gained him public sympathy. After his release, he began his career as a professional writer and journalist, founding and almost single-handedly writing a periodical called The Review for nine years.

Although he wrote hundreds of works on various topics—from politics and economics to crime and history—Defoe is best known today as one of the founders of the English novel. At the age of nearly 60, he published Robinson Crusoe (1719), which was an immediate sensation. Drawing on the real-life story of castaway Alexander Selkirk, Defoe's novel used a detailed, realistic narrative style that helped define a new g his goal was to expose their hypocrisy and bigotry by taking their arguments to the most absurd and logical conclusion that the only   enre of fiction. He followed this success with other major works, including Moll Flanders and A Journal of the Plague Year (both 1722). His ability to create compelling, believable characters and stories from the perspective of ordinary, often marginalized, people cemented his place in literary history.

But before we go on with this episode, I wanna say a word about the story of daniel defoe in the pillory - a famous and defining moment in his life.
It was a punishment meant for public shaming, but Defoe—with his sharp wit and journalistic savvy—managed to turn it into a public triumph.

The story begins in 1702 with a pamphlet titled The Shortest-Way with the Dissenters. This was a time of heightened political and religious tension in England, with the "High Church" Tories advocating for stricter laws against Dissenters (like Defoe himself) who refused to conform to the Church of England. Defoe, who had a strong sense of irony and satire, wrote the pamphlet anonymously, mimicking the extreme and venomous rhetoric of these high-flying Tories.

His goal was to expose their hypocrisy and bigotry by taking their arguments to their most absurd and logical conclusion: that the only way to truly "establish the Church" was to banish or even execute all Dissenters. The pamphlet was so expertly written that both Dissenters and High Churchmen initially fell for the ruse. The Dissenters were horrified, while some radical Tories praised it as a brilliant proposal. When the irony was exposed, Defoe's enemies were furious, and he was prosecuted for seditious libel.

Now a few words about the pillory -

The pillory was a brutal form of public punishment. Offenders were locked by the head and hands in a wooden frame and left exposed to the public for an hour or more in a busy public space. The crowd was encouraged to mock, jeer, and even pelt the person with whatever they had—rotten fruit, vegetables, mud, and stones. The experience could be dangerous, even fatal.

Defoe was sentenced to stand in the pillory on three separate days in three different locations in London. This was meant to be a crushing humiliation, a spectacle to warn others against speaking out against the government.

While awaiting his punishment in Newgate Prison, Defoe did something remarkable. He wrote a poem, a long ode titled "Hymn to the Pillory." This wasn't a lament or an apology. It was a defiant, sarcastic, and witty attack on the pillory itself and, more broadly, on the corrupt justice system that had condemned him.

In the poem, Defoe addresses the pillory directly, calling it a "state-trap of the law" and a "monument of infamy." He argues that it is not the pillory that is dishonorable, but the judges and politicians who use it for their own corrupt ends. He suggests that the pillory is reserved not for true criminals, but for those who are "too honest" for the times they live in.

The story goes that on the days of his punishment, Defoe's friends circulated copies of his poem among the crowd. Instead of the expected hostility, the people of London, who admired his defiance and wit, garlanded the pillory with flowers, drank to his health, and cheered him. The public spectacle, intended to destroy his reputation, became a testament to his popularity and courage.

The event didn't just solidify Defoe's reputation as a man of principle; it also marked a turning point in his career. The experience gave him a deeper understanding of human resilience and the fickle nature of public opinion, themes he would later explore in his novels. It also ruined him financially and led to him becoming a paid government spy after he brokered his release from prison.

In essence, Defoe used his creative and journalistic talents to co-opt his own punishment, turning a personal disaster into a powerful act of public defiance. It's a perfect example of his remarkable ability to adapt and a key moment in the development of a writer who would become a master of character and narrative.

Now, Defoe was not a man of inherited wealth; his career was a constant struggle to make a living and manage his finances, which were frequently in a state of chaos. His ventures into business and writing were all part of this perpetual quest for solvency.

Here's a breakdown of how his satire and other writings intersected with his income:

1. The "True-Born Englishman" (1701): A Financial Success

This is perhaps his most successful and profitable satirical work. Written in response to attacks on King William III (a Dutchman), Defoe's poem argued that there was no such thing as a "true-born Englishman" as the English were a mix of various peoples. It was a massive hit, and Defoe estimated that 80,000 pirated copies were sold. While piracy meant he didn't receive all the potential profits, the sheer volume of sales and the public's positive reaction would have brought him a considerable income and a significant boost to his reputation.

2. "The Shortest-Way with the Dissenters" (1702): A Financial Disaster

In stark contrast, this satire was a catastrophic failure from a financial standpoint. As we discussed, it was so convincing in its imitation of anti-Dissenter rhetoric that it fooled people and got him into serious legal trouble. The consequence was not profit, but a fine of 200 marks (a significant sum), three days in the pillory, and a prison sentence. His imprisonment led to the failure of his brick and tile business, which had been a successful venture at the time. This event essentially wiped him out financially and forced him to find new sources of income, which led to his career as a full-time professional writer and, notably, a paid government spy.

3. Journalism and Pamphleteering: A Way to Survive

After the pillory incident and the collapse of his business, Defoe became a prolific writer of political pamphlets and a key figure in early English journalism. His long-running periodical, The Review, was his primary source of income for many years. He was often secretly paid by government ministers such as Robert Harley to write in support of their policies. In this sense, his writing, which was often satirical, became a means of political influence and a way to earn a steady (if often secretive) living.

4. The Novels: The Real Payday (Late in Life)

While his satire and journalism kept him afloat, it was the publication of his novels in his late 50s and 60s that brought him true literary fame and, presumably, his most significant earnings from writing. Robinson Crusoe (1719) was a phenomenon, and the income from it and his subsequent novels such as Moll Flanders and A Journal of the Plague Year would have been substantial.

In summary, Defoe's relationship with making money from satire was volatile. Sometimes it paid off handsomely, as with "The True-Born Englishman," but other times, as with "The Shortest-Way," it brought him financial ruin and public humiliation. His experiences taught him that writing could be both a powerful tool for social change and a precarious business, and that a writer's livelihood depended as much on political currents as on literary skill.

To talk about Robinson Crusoe is to talk about a phenomenon that changed the course of literature. It was an immediate, overwhelming sensation. The book's full title is a mouthful, but it hints at its style and content: The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner: Who lived Eight and Twenty Years, all alone in an un-inhabited Island on the Coast of America, near the Mouth of the Great River of Oroonoque; Having been cast on Shore by Shipwreck, wherein all the Men perished but himself...

The story is famously based on the real experiences of a Scottish privateer named Alexander Selkirk. Selkirk was part of a privateering expedition in the early 18th century. After a heated argument with his captain, he was voluntarily put ashore on an uninhabited island in the Juan Fernández archipelago (now known as Robinson Crusoe Island) off the coast of Chile. He remained there alone for over four years, surviving on goats and vegetables, before he was rescued in 1709. His story was widely publicized in London upon his return, and Defoe, a masterful journalist with a keen eye for a compelling story, used this real-life account as his raw material.
A New Kind of Fiction: "Realistic Fiction"
Before Robinson Crusoe, fiction was often highly stylized, allegorical, or based on grand, mythological tales. Defoe's novel was different. It used a first-person narrative that read like a genuine autobiography, complete with meticulous details about daily life, from building a shelter and raising crops to keeping a journal and taming animals. This "verisimilitude"—the appearance of truth—was a groundbreaking innovation. Readers at the time were so convinced of its authenticity that many believed Robinson Crusoe was a real person and the book a factual account. This style helped to invent what we now call the genre of the realistic novel.

Thematic Depth and Interpretation
Beyond being a simple adventure story, Robinson Crusoe is rich with complex themes.

The Individual vs. Society: The novel explores the idea of a self-made man, a person who, when stripped of all social conventions and structures, must rely solely on his own ingenuity and spirit. Crusoe's isolation is both a punishment for his rebellious nature (against his father's advice) and a path to self-discovery and spiritual redemption.

Religion and Providence: As a product of Defoe's Puritan background, the novel is a spiritual journey. Crusoe initially sees his shipwreck as a punishment for his sins. Over time, his solitary existence leads him to a profound religious awakening. He comes to view his survival not just as luck, but as a sign of divine providence, and he meticulously chronicles his spiritual state in his journal.

Colonialism and Master-Slave Relations: This is one of the most debated aspects of the novel today. When Crusoe rescues a native man from cannibals, he immediately names him "Friday" (after the day of the week he was rescued) and makes him his servant. Crusoe teaches Friday English and Christianity, viewing him as a project of civilization. This relationship, while portrayed as a benevolent master-servant bond in Defoe's time, is now widely read as a problematic and early example of colonialist attitudes. Crusoe establishes himself as the "king" of the island and sees the land and its resources as his to control.

Robinson Crusoe has had a monumental impact on literature and culture.
The book was so popular it created its own literary subgenre, the "Robinsonade," which includes any story of a castaway's struggle for survival on a remote island. Famous examples range from The Swiss Family Robinson to Lord of the Flies and even modern films like Cast Away and The Martian.

Cultural Iconography: The image of the solitary castaway with a goat-skin outfit and a parrot on his shoulder is instantly recognizable. The names "Robinson Crusoe" and "Friday" have entered the English lexicon, with "Man Friday" or "Girl Friday" referring to a loyal, efficient assistant.

Translated into a New Genre: The book's success demonstrated the commercial viability and power of the novel as a literary form, helping to establish it as a dominant genre. It's often cited as the first true English novel, and its influence can be seen in countless works of adventure, survival, and psychological fiction.

Defoe's genius was in blurring the line between fact and fiction so effectively that his readers were convinced they were reading a genuine, historical account, even when the events were entirely made up.

Here's how this common thread manifests in each work:

1. First-Person Narrative and a “Discovered Manuscript”
All his books are presented as first-person accounts, as if they are the true memoirs or journals of the narrator.

Robinson Crusoe is written as the "Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures" of a real mariner, complete with specific dates, meticulous details of his daily activities, and moral reflections that give it the feel of an authentic spiritual autobiography.

Moll Flanders is introduced with a preface by Defoe (the "editor") who claims to have received the manuscript from the narrator herself, a reformed criminal. The detailed descriptions of her life of crime, her business dealings, and her many marriages are presented as a candid and cautionary tale.
A Journal of the Plague Year is even more deeply rooted in this technique. The narrator, a saddler identified only by the initials "H.F.," provides a detailed, often chillingly precise, account of the Great Plague of London in 1665. Defoe, who was a young child at the time, drew upon his vast journalistic research, official records, and eyewitness accounts to create a work so believable that for years, it was often mistaken for a genuine historical document.

2. Meticulous and Mundane Detail
Defoe's narratives are filled with an extraordinary amount of specific, often mundane, detail. This "circumstantial realism" grounds the fantastical or extraordinary events in a believable world.

In Robinson Crusoe, we get painstaking lists of the items he salvages from the shipwreck, the measurements of his fort, and the exact process he uses to make bread. This focus on the practical realities of survival makes his story compelling and believable.

In Moll Flanders, the detail is focused on the economic and social realities of 18th-century England. Moll meticulously recounts the money she gains and loses, the circumstances of her various marriages, and the methods of her thievery. Her financial struggles and calculations are a central part of her character and her story.

In A Journal of the Plague Year, the narrator provides specific street names, public buildings, and even official "Bills of Mortality" with weekly death tolls. This gives the fictional account the weight and authority of a historical record. The detailed descriptions of a city in crisis, from the desperate acts of the sick to the heroism of the healthy, make the book feel like a journalistic report.

3. Focus on the Ordinary Person and Their Struggle
Defoe's protagonists are not kings or mythological heroes, but ordinary individuals. Their struggles are not grand, epic battles but rather the mundane challenges of survival, morality, and social mobility.

Crusoe is a middle-class man who disobeys his father and pays the price. His journey is a testament to the Protestant work ethic and the power of individual ingenuity.

Moll Flanders is an anti-heroine, a woman trying to navigate a ruthless society without the benefit of wealth or family. Her story is a raw and unsentimental look at crime, poverty, and a woman's struggle for independence.

The narrator of A Journal of the Plague Year is a simple tradesman, not a politician or a nobleman. His perspective is that of an average citizen, providing a relatable and human-centered view of a national catastrophe.

In essence, Defoe used his journalistic skill to create a new form of literature. He took the episodic "picaresque" narratives of the time and infused them with a level of psychological and social realism that was entirely new. He crafted stories that felt real, even when they were not, and in doing so, he helped lay the foundation for the modern novel.

Daniel Defoe's major contribution to literary creativity was his pioneering of the realistic novel. He is widely considered a key figure in the development of the English novel as a form. His unique writing style, honed through a career in journalism and political pamphleteering, gave his fictional works a new level of authenticity and detail.

Defoe's genius lay in his ability to create verisimilitude, a word that means the appearance of being true or real. He achieved this through several groundbreaking techniques:

First-Person Narrative: He used a first-person perspective in works like Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders, presenting the stories as if they were genuine memoirs.This made the characters' experiences feel personal and immediate.

Meticulous Detail: Defoe filled his narratives with a wealth of specific, mundane details. For instance, in Robinson Crusoe, he describes the protagonist's daily routine, the tools he uses, and the exact measurements of his fort. This emphasis on the ordinary and practical gave his fictional worlds a sense of palpable reality.

Blurring Fact and Fiction: Defoe skillfully blended real-world elements with fictional events. He often incorporated actual historical data, like the "Bills of Mortality" in A Journal of the Plague Year, to make his invented stories seem like true journalistic reports. This technique was so effective that many of his contemporary readers believed his works were non-fiction.

By focusing on the lives of ordinary individuals and presenting their stories with a straightforward, unembellished style, Defoe shifted the landscape of storytelling. He moved away from the grand, allegorical tales of earlier literature and toward a new genre that explored the psychological depth and social realities of the human experience. His works, while not always the first of their kind, helped establish a new standard for a literary form that would come to dominate Western literature.

Sources include the adventures of Robinson Crusoe, a journal of the plague year, and mall Flanders - all by Daniel defoe, as well as Daniel Defoe and Middle-Class Gentility by Michael Shinagel, at last but not least, ChatGPT.

Join celebrate creativity for episode 462 regarding Jonathan Swift and the adventures of Gulliver's travels.

Thank you for listening to celebrate creativity.

Daniel Defoe wasn’t just the author of Robinson Crusoe — he was a merchant, a pamphleteer, a prisoner of the pillory, and even a government spy. Discover the adventurous life behind the legend in Episode 461 of Celebrate Creativity.
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