The Disease in Robinson Crusoe

Abstract

Abstract: Disease seems to be an essential part in Robinson Crusoe. Defoe addresses two kinds of disease: physical disease and mental disease. Two physical diseases, gout and distemper, are strongly metaphorical in this novel. There is a hidden text of disease narrative behind Robinson's overseas adventure. And the “unpresented disease” implied in the narrative about his experience in Brazil and afterwards is the inner power to propel the plot of the novel forward. Defoe's narrative about Robinson's suffering from disease on the island shapes up the classic image of Robinson. Lastly, Defoe describes the symptoms of Robinson's mental disease. Defoe's disease narrative not only connotes his colonial mentality and imperial aspiration, but also reflects the cognitive response to diseases from Defoe and his time.

Key words: Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, disease

Wang Xufeng. The Disease in Robinson Crusoe[J]. Foreign Literature Studies, 2019, 41(4): 101-109.

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