The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
Daniel Defoe
Book Club
The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
8 ways to start a deeper conversation.
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
Leaving home
Why does Crusoe ignore his father's advice and go to sea?
Keep the conversation going
- Does he come to see his shipwreck as a punishment?
- What does the 'middle station of life' his father praises mean to you?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
Why does Crusoe ignore his father's advice and go to sea?
Keep the conversation going
- Does he come to see his shipwreck as a punishment?
- What does the 'middle station of life' his father praises mean to you?
What did you find most striking about how Crusoe builds a life on the island?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does he keep a journal and a calendar?
- What does his careful list of goods and evils show about him?
How does Crusoe's faith change during his years alone?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of his illness and his first prayers?
- Does his religion comfort him, or frighten him?
Why does a single footprint terrify Crusoe more than years of solitude?
Keep the conversation going
- How does the fear change the way he lives?
- What does it say about what he truly fears?
How do you read Crusoe's relationship with Friday?
Keep the conversation going
- What does Crusoe choose to call himself to Friday, and why?
- How would Friday tell this story?
What does Crusoe's sense of being 'king' of his island say about him and his times?
Keep the conversation going
- How does the novel reflect colonial attitudes of its time?
- Did your view of Crusoe change as his power grew?
Could you live as Crusoe did, and what would you miss most?
Keep the conversation going
- How does Crusoe keep his mind steady?
- Is he ever happy on the island?
How did you feel about Crusoe's return to the world?
Keep the conversation going
- Is he changed by his years alone, or simply older?
- What does he gain, and what does he lose, in leaving?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.