Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" as a Realist Text. A New-Historicism and Reader-Response Interpretation

Seminar paper from the year 2021 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2.5, , language: English, abstract: In this "Robinson Crusoe" analysis here, the intention is to identify the meaning of realism construction the researcher gives to it but within the historical context of the 18th century English novel. On this significant scope the twin theories of New-Historicism and Reader-response become unavoidable tools in the research investigation.
Although New-Historicism and Reader-response literary theories suggest different attempts in the generation of meaning, in fact, they exist in separate domains. However, the connection between them is a matter of the existence of a text. Without doubt, on the most basic and cursory level, New Historicism is aimed at decoding the manner and culture prevalent in a particular time of history as encoded in the text while Reader-response firmly comes from the strength that a work of art cannot generate meaning for itself without the reader. From this measure of understanding, the clarity in the amalgamation possibility becomes clear.

Ejiogu, Nnadube Jonathan is a graduate of English Department, University of Lagos. He is a scholar, critic and researcher who has teeming interest in African Literary Studies, Post-Colonial Studies, Ecoafricanism, Comparative Literature among others. He lives in Lagos, Nigeria.
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