Answer:
        It is. But the author himself, Daniel Defoe, writing as Robinson Crusoe, explains that the story is only half fiction. The other half is the real-life story of the author himself, woven into virtually every line of the fictional story (see his actual words in the "Preface" he wrote.) Defoe spoke of his own life history as being the "Original" and the Adventures of Robinson Crusoe as being the "Emblem." In other words, his winsome tale of life alone on an uninhabited island is an allegory, in which the author is telling the events of his own life by "transporting" them to a distant island and creating a fictional character, Robinson Crusoe, through whom he would live out those events. This, in part at least, accounts for the vivid style and easy flow of the famous story. Defoe was actually telling of events he had experienced and of emotions he had felt!
        How does it happen that this allegorical aspect of Robinson Crusoe story is so little known and recognized? To me, this is a complete mystery! The Publisher's Preface to even the first edition stated clearly, "The publisher believes the story written here to be an accurate history of fact." He obviously knew the man whose life formed the basis for this allegory, and stated, "the wonders of this man's life exceed all others."
        And then Defoe's clear explanation, made publicly within a year after the first volume was released, should have settled the question for anyone making an honest inquiry into the matter. "There is not a circumstance in the imaginary story that does not have its exact allusion to the real story (the story of 'the most desolate and afflicting circumstances that ever a man went through') and chimes part for part and step by step with the inimitable life of Robinson Crusoe," he wrote in the Preface to the third volume.
        Some literary critics may not have bothered to read the Preface to Volume Three. Others knew of Defoe's clear statement but refused to accept it (an inexcusable attitude, I think!). To still others, it may have been distasteful to have to acknowledge the spiritual implications that would have been involved, including the fact that Volume Three with its straightforward Bible message (see "Deceiving Ourselves") was actually an integral part of the whole Robinson Crusoe story.
        Whatever the reasons, literary critics and historians over the years had every reason to freely acknowledge this element in the story-and for the most part, did not!

Answer:
        It is true that when Robinson Crusoe sets out for Africa, his intention is to return with a cargo of slaves to work the sugar plantations of Brazil.
        But this would certainly be one of the elements in his mind when he later states, at the time of his conversion experience, "I looked back on my past life with horror, and my sins appeared so dreadful, that my soul sought nothing from God but deliverance from the load of guilt that bore down upon me."
        He says further, "I sincerely gave thanks to God for opening my eyes to see the former condition of my life and to mourn over my wickedness and to repent." In other words, things had changed! He had left "the wicked, abominable life I had led in my past days." "Both my sorrows and joys were changed and my very desires had been altered. My delights were perfectly new and different from what they had been when I first came here." This changed outlook would certainly have included his attitude toward slavery!
        This is further seen in Robinson Crusoe's dealings with Friday, who is always treated with the greatest of respect and not with a "slavery" attitude. And later, when the land on his island is being divided (in Book Two) parcels of land are offered equally to both English and Spanish men on the one hand, and to local natives on the other. Even those who chose not to work their own land could take employment as paid workers if they desired, "but never as slaves."
        Clearly, Robinson Crusoe, following his conversion, takes an unequivocal anti-slavery position, and of course the same can be said of the author, Daniel Defoe-a bold position to take in England 300 years ago, when slavery was both legally acceptable and commonly practised.

Answer:
        Daniel Defoe was a highly respected advisor to some of the highest officials in England's government, especially Robert Harley who rose to be the Prime Minister. He was engaged as a writer and a spokesman, and in this capacity helped bring England and Scotland together into the Union that basically survives even today. Most of Daniel Defoe's activities were honest and above board, even his information-gathering activities in behalf of the government (which in our day are handled by formalized organizations to keep the government well informed).
        However, there apparently were some actions on his part that were not (by his own confession) completely honest, especially in his earlier days of public service. And they should obviously be included in the "wicked, abominable life I had lived in my past days," as he puts it. It can safely be assumed that these also were the areas of his life where his "desires had been completely altered" after his conversion and of which he said, "I sincerely gave thanks to God for opening my eyes to see the former condition of my life and to mourn over my wickedness and to repent." Daniel Defoe became a changed man, as he so clearly indicates in the Robinson Crusoe story, and this would have included his attitude toward slavery.

Answer:
        Daniel Defoe in the Robinson Crusoe story makes it plain that many of the trials and tribulations that Crusoe endured could have been avoided if he had just listened to the parental advice that was given him.
        But in the references he makes to "original sin" he is not talking about Crusoe's "first" or "original" sin, as some literary critics contend. He is talking about the inbred tendency to sin which we have all inherited from our original parents, Adam and Eve.
        It should be remembered that for most of his life, Daniel Defoe was a faithful member of the Presbyterian church of which Dr. Samuel Ansley (the grandfather of John and Charles Wesley) was the pastor, and that his basic education was designed to prepare him for the ministry. He was well acquainted with the Bible and would have known clearly the meaning of such theological terms as "original sin."

Answer: First of all, Defoe repeatedly stated in the story itself that the island was near the mouth of the Great "Orinoque" River. Tobago is the only island matching the other details of the story that is anywhere near the mouth of the Orinoco River. Defoe even gave the latitude of the island, and pointed to the location of "My Island" on a map printed in the fourth edition of his book. His latitude was off by two degrees, reflecting either the mistaken details of maps of 300 years ago or his own poetic license in writing a story that was both history and fiction (I incline to think it was the second of these two reasons).
         Then, Defoe clearly describes Crusoe's ship as sailing along the north coast of Brazil and being blown in a north-westerly direction by a violent storm. His vessel was severely damaged and as a result headed further north and west toward Barbados for repairs, only to be struck by a second storm. It was then carried violently, day after day, to the west. Putting these hints together, you have Robinson Crusoe's ship being blown directly into Rockly Bay on the SW coast of Tobago. No other location even comes close to meeting the requirements.
         And it was in this same Rockly Bay that a fleet of Dutch naval ships in 1684 suffered a stunning defeat, partly through bombardment from the fort facing Rockly Bay (the hill near Crusoe's residence from which he regularly scanned the horizon; now Fort King George) and partly through the treacherous rocks and shallows in the SW corner of Rockly Bay-where Defoe would have located Crusoe's shipwreck. Details of this famous naval battle would have been readily available to Defoe as a young man and especially toward the time (1719) when he wrote Robinson Crusoe.
         Thirdly, in two personal visits to Tobago with the Robinson Crusoe book in hand, I found that every essential feature of the island matches so perfectly the details of the story that I could not evade the conclusion that Defoe had this island in mind when he wrote the famous story. Even Crusoe's discovery of numerous turtles on the north shore (he lived on the south) was significant. That very place today is still called "Turtle Beach" and plays host, as a major tourist attraction, to an annual influx of turtles which have been returning year after year to these breeding grounds.
         For me, though, the clincher was the "little plain on the side of a steep hill" where Crusoe built his fortified residence. Today, just above the harbor at Scarborough is a location that, with just a little imagination, perfectly fits that description. From the little plain descending "irregularly down to the low ground by the seaside," if you strip away the modern Police Station, the Anglican Church and the sprawling Fire Department, you can almost see Robinson Crusoe standing there and looking out over the open sea, with ideal anchorage for sailing vessels just below, within easy eye-shot (see #5 on "A Photo Visit to Robinson Crusoe's Island").
         To my mind, the question has been overwhelmingly settled!