A very first
capitalist in the novel
There is a long history of a relationship between the novel
and economics. As a literary form, the novel is being evolved alongside economic
development and also the progressive expansion of the novel is being effective on the economy in
a variety of ways. Highlighting some of those mutual effects among novel and the
economy, this essay, particularly in the instance of Robinson Crusoe, emphasises
on the significant role of capitalism in the process. It is a matter of fact that the novel as the contemporary form of literature, was firstly emerged in Europe, but
some scholars further clarify that to a large extent novel improved under the capitalistic
domesticity and individualism of the Western Society[1]. The novel, to some extent, is a concomitant result of literary works under capitalism,
nevertheless, this essay posits that, as a highly applicable and potential tool
of entertainment and propaganda, the novel is also utilised in the economic system
other than capitalism.
Capitalism is one of the foremost
themes in the novel of Robinson Crusoe. The protagonist risks experiencing harsh
living conditions and extreme isolation, so as a reward to these, he
successfully acquires wealth and companionship. Despite the blurb provided by
some scholars that “Robinson Crusoe recalls the travelogue and the spiritual
autobiography”[2], the very fundamental
occurrence is, indeed, the economic shift from lack of proprietorship in the outset
of the novel to the fruitfulness by the end. At the beginning of his trip Crusoe
leaves with very less amount of money “I carried about £40 in such toys and
trifles”[3], but ultimately he returns with great
wealth including fine particles of gold, sugar, tobacco, and a tremendous
amount of finance “I was now master, all on a sudden, of above £ 5000 sterling
in money,”[4] . This is a
certain proof that the matter of economy has a central role in this novel and
thus supports Watt’s argument that Robinson Crusoe “is not really a primitive
nor a: proletarian but a capitalist”[5]. Wealth may not increase in such a dramatic
way unless in a capitalistic approach, as Gliserman asserts “capitalism is
Crusoe’s brand of alchemy, transforming the worthless (feces)[sic] into gold”[6]. The entire
story of Robinson Crusoe is set between two opposite statues,
the very antithesis of one another from the economic point of view. This is by all mean a perfect journey
in which risks result to rewards and that is the story of a capitalist man.
The relations of the novel and
economics can be traced back in society and its reciprocal impacts are observable
on the daily life of people throughout history. As any other dreams of the human
being, the economic desire may have been reflected in many novels, but the
economy itself has also been quite persuasive to lead people in getting
involved with the novel one way or another. Although Alexander Selkirk is
thought to be the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe, in the preface of the book
Defoe asserts that “the things to be just history of fact”[7].
There might be fundamental changes in the form and principles of the novel since
Defoe wrote Robison Crusoe. However, Defoe’s assertion that his novel is
entirely real history shows that the economic tendency in writing a novel, to
some extent existed from those early ages. Indeed, “a history of fact” is a more
serious issue and consequently, it seems to be well received by readers than a visionary
work which is merely inspired by a fact. Furthermore, from the historical point of
view, writing novels may also lead those from lower class people to make some
money. Particularly in the eighteenth-century, as it was cited in the lecture
on 29/03/2017, Greenfield states that writing novels provided a new possibility
of income generation for those of middle-class people with a common language and
subsequently lack of higher agency.[8] Since then, and
because of its sufficient potential in publicising art and entertainment, the novel
as a literary form has been playing a significant role in the arena of the economic.
There are a variety of ways in which
Robinson Crusoe performs as a capitalist. Robinson Crusoe is acting as a
profound capitalist rather than an ordinary one, whom in its very basic definition
will only possess some capital. Robinson Crusoe, indeed, is not only eager for further
possession but he also implements the whole process of production. Following
his arrival in Brazil, Crusoe explains the extensive success in plantations of
tobacco: “we began to increase, […] so that the third year we planted some
tobacco and made each of us a large piece of ground ready for planting canes in
the year to come”[9]. Mass production
is a major step towards further capitalistic circumstance as Marx posits that “[t]o
be a capitalist, is to have not only a purely personal, but a social status in
production”[10].
Therefore, Robinson Crusoe’s endeavour in plantation and production of
tobacco is a major step towards capitalism. Furthermore, Crusoe for the sake of
money previously sold a young man, but soon he comes to realise that it was a
“wrong” deal because that young man could have exploited on his newly established
plantation. Crusoe says: “I had done wrong in parting with my boy Xury”[11]. His regret is clearly because of losing cheap labour
and the possibility of exploitation, which is another intention of a capitalist
man.
Other fundamental human appetites such as sexual attraction, romance, and nostalgia are also overwhelmed by Robinson Crusoe’s capitalistic lifestyle. In his long recalls of the twenty-eight years of isolation, there is not a single word dedicated to sexual desires. On the contrary, Crusoe is almost every day contemplating the ways of possessing and sovereignty. In one instance Crusoe saves the life of a supposedly "savage" man who was being chased by other cannibals. Nevertheless, Crusoe’s attitude is intrinsically capitalistic, because he realises to save the man for a lifetime slavery. In fact, from Crusoe’s point of view this was a barter rather than a homophobic and moralistic act to rescue other man, “[i]t came now very warmly upon my thoughts, and indeed irresistibly, that now was my time to get me a servant”[12]. Following to this, Crusoe arranges the man to be more functional and useful, so Crusoe gives him the name of Friday, teaches him the English language and let him know that cannibalism is wrong. Crusoe calls him as “my man Friday”[13]. However, this may not refer to slavery but obviously implies control, and ownership which is the main aspect of capitalism.
Other fundamental human appetites such as sexual attraction, romance, and nostalgia are also overwhelmed by Robinson Crusoe’s capitalistic lifestyle. In his long recalls of the twenty-eight years of isolation, there is not a single word dedicated to sexual desires. On the contrary, Crusoe is almost every day contemplating the ways of possessing and sovereignty. In one instance Crusoe saves the life of a supposedly "savage" man who was being chased by other cannibals. Nevertheless, Crusoe’s attitude is intrinsically capitalistic, because he realises to save the man for a lifetime slavery. In fact, from Crusoe’s point of view this was a barter rather than a homophobic and moralistic act to rescue other man, “[i]t came now very warmly upon my thoughts, and indeed irresistibly, that now was my time to get me a servant”[12]. Following to this, Crusoe arranges the man to be more functional and useful, so Crusoe gives him the name of Friday, teaches him the English language and let him know that cannibalism is wrong. Crusoe calls him as “my man Friday”[13]. However, this may not refer to slavery but obviously implies control, and ownership which is the main aspect of capitalism.
The economy is fundamentally important because it affects
almost every aspect of our daily life.
This has turned capitalism into the reality of the modern age. According
to Rose the new literary scholars “treat capitalism like sex: as a fact of life.
The profit motive […] is a universal human appetite”[14],
therefore, capitalism may shape somehow the way we think and the novel cannot
be exempted. Nevertheless, regardless of economic system, novelists
have to sell their works, and the industry of publications need to be engaged;
for that, the relationship of the novel and the economic is inevitable and it may
also expand beyond capitalism. The soaring businesses of religious novels share
a significant proportion of the economy in some countries. Madasari argues that
the public devout shapes the market of the novel in Indonesia, and contends that,
the desire for prosperous life, indeed, in a religious theme, is dominated this
world’s largest Muslim-majority country[15]. The relation
of the novel and economics may examine even further when it comes to involving sacred
and political ideologies in those systems other than capitalism.
In conclusion, there has been a long lasting relationship
between the novel and economics, which began from the early times when the novel
emerged as a modern literary form in Europe. Although the novel is being
transformed in both ways of form and content, its relations to economics has
always been centred on this essential fact that writers need their works to be
sold. As one of the pioneering protagonist Robinson Crusoe performs profoundly
to risk and get reward in relations to the economic, which portrays him as a
capitalist. However, the effectiveness of the novel as a powerful tool of publicity
and promotion, has expanded its relations to economics in systems other than
capitalism as well. The novel connects
to economic from a variety of ways, though as a foremost protagonist Robinson
Crusoe appears to act as the very first capitalist in this novel.
Bibliography
Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Victoria 3008, Australia. Penguin Group (Australia), 2010.
Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Victoria 3008, Australia. Penguin Group (Australia), 2010.
Greenfield, Susan C. Mothering Daughters: Novels and the Politics of Family Romance,
Frances Burney to Jane Austen. 2003.
Gliserman, M. J. (1990). "Robinson
crusoe": The vicissitudes of greed - cannibalism to capitalism. American
Imago, 47(3), 197. Accessed March 29, 2017. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/1289752452?accountid=36155
MacKay, Marina. “Origins of the
Novel.” In The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel 21-33. Cambridge:
Cambridge UP, 2011.
Madasari, Okky. “Islam, capitalism and literature: The novel as a tool
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Mrx, K. & Engels, F. “Manifesto of the Communist Party” in Texts and Traditions Tutorial Readings
Spring 2016, Western Sydney University.
Rose, Jonathan. "Was Capitalism Good for
Victorian Literature?" Victorian Studies 46,
no. 3 (2004): 489-501.
Watt, Ian P. The Rise of the Novel: Studies
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[London]: University of Los Angeles Press, 2001.
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