Propaganda of Protestant Power: Colonial Stirrings in Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and
The Life of Colonel Jack. At its height, the British Empire was the largest and most powerful that the world had ever sene. Spanning almost a quarter of the world’s land area and with a population of over half a billion, it prompted description as an empire on which the sun never set. In many ways, the sun still shines upon the British Empire. Stemming from several centuries of dominance was an outflow of literature that is hugely influential today. The literature covers both the experience of Britain as an imperial power and the experiences of those in the colonies under British rule. How was a small North Atlantic island able to dominate world history and culture to such a large degree? The answer lies in the early period of colonialism as Britain was expanding and consolidating its colonies. Termed “the father of the English novel” (Mutter), Daniel Defoe not only inspired the literary tradition that spread British culture, but also depicts the conditions that made British dominance possible. Robinson Crusoe, the classic desert island survival tale, follows the attempts of an Englishman to establish himself on foreign soil. The Life of Colonel Jack details the the rise of an impoverished orphan to success in England’s …show more content…
However, what stops him is not any respect for their culture, but a belief that they are subject to the same judgement by an almighty God as he is.. In this he exemplifies the idea that foreign peoples are simply those that God has decided not to favor. Here, Crusoe shows humility and restraint in not taking it into his own hand to act. However his reasoning was often corrupted by the way European powers dealt with native peoples. Defoe wanted to show colonialism proceeding primarily on a religious basis and thus downplays the self-serving
The Life of Colonel Jack. At its height, the British Empire was the largest and most powerful that the world had ever sene. Spanning almost a quarter of the world’s land area and with a population of over half a billion, it prompted description as an empire on which the sun never set. In many ways, the sun still shines upon the British Empire. Stemming from several centuries of dominance was an outflow of literature that is hugely influential today. The literature covers both the experience of Britain as an imperial power and the experiences of those in the colonies under British rule. How was a small North Atlantic island able to dominate world history and culture to such a large degree? The answer lies in the early period of colonialism as Britain was expanding and consolidating its colonies. Termed “the father of the English novel” (Mutter), Daniel Defoe not only inspired the literary tradition that spread British culture, but also depicts the conditions that made British dominance possible. Robinson Crusoe, the classic desert island survival tale, follows the attempts of an Englishman to establish himself on foreign soil. The Life of Colonel Jack details the the rise of an impoverished orphan to success in England’s …show more content…
However, what stops him is not any respect for their culture, but a belief that they are subject to the same judgement by an almighty God as he is.. In this he exemplifies the idea that foreign peoples are simply those that God has decided not to favor. Here, Crusoe shows humility and restraint in not taking it into his own hand to act. However his reasoning was often corrupted by the way European powers dealt with native peoples. Defoe wanted to show colonialism proceeding primarily on a religious basis and thus downplays the self-serving