The novel Robinson Crusoe was written by Daniel Defoe. It was written in 1719 and was first published on 25 April, 1719. The novel’s first edition credited the work’s protagonist Robinson Crusoe as the novel’s author. This lead many to believe that Robinson Crusoe was a real person and the book was a story of true events that happened in his life. This novel is very descriptive with every that happens in the book, so descriptive, in fact, that you can create a visual image in your brain of what is happening, it is like you are right there with him. I love that in a book, and I am sure that lots of people agree with me, maybe even you.

According to Wikipedia, “Daniel Defoe was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations.” This is pretty impressive. Robinson Crusoe was Daniel Defoe’s greatest work, and many people believe it to be the second most translated book in the world. Apparently, he was a very good writer, and obviously people loved his book. It is also still widely read even today.

Now, in the title “How important for the narrative are the descriptions of the storms?”, what do I mean when I say storms? Now, you may have read Robinson Crusoe,  and if you did you may know what I am talking about, but in case that you do not know what I am talking about, I will give a brief recap of the storms in the book I have read so far.

Now, so far, in what I have read there are four storms. First, Crusoe leaves his home in search of adventure in the beginning of the novel. He is on a ship, sailing to a place where he can build a life, and a storm rolls in, and damages the ship, but does not sink it. Later, another storm comes in and sinks the ship, but Crusoe and some other people escape in lifeboats. Later into the book, Crusoe builds a plantation in Brazil and becomes very wealthy. Eventually, he listens to some people to go to Africa and get some slaves to bring back, and he says he would. On the course to Africa, another storm rolls in and maroons the ship on a reef next to an island. Crusoe himself survives, everyone else dies. Crusoe then tries to empty the ship of everything useful so he can survive on the island, but he is worried when another storm comes and sinks the ship, along with everything on it. Crusoe then tries to empty the ship of everything useful before the next storm hits. About a little under a month later,  he finally empties the ship of anything useful, and a storm comes that night, sinking the ship.

Robinson Crusoe, How important for the narrative are the descriptions of the storms? Well, a narrative is basically just a story, and Defoe writes this book as if Crusoe is the author. It is written in first and third person. So how important for the narrative are the descriptions of the storms? Crusoe describes the storms with much detail, and these descriptions are very important for the narrative, because it helps give readers a visual about what the storms look like, what would happen next, things like that, and that is good for any good story.