Robinson Crusoe and His Doubles

The book is a study of the eighteenth-century English robinsonade focusing on the pre-history of the genre, the multi-level semantics of «Robinson Crusoe», its functioning as a genre model, and the subsequent process of its simplification by the gradual elimination of religious meanings and foregrounding the exciting adventures. The book is a study of the eighteenth-century English robinsonade, also known as desert island or castaway narrative. It discusses the pre-history of the genre, the complex multi-level semantics of «Robinson Crusoe», its role in introducing a new mode of meaning formation combining the conventions of the travel narrative, Providence book, and spiritual autobiography, as well as its functioning as a genre model for later authors. Another important subject is the subsequent process of robinsonade’s simplification by the gradual elimination of religious meanings and foregrounding the exciting adventures of the protagonists, turning it into a genre of children’s literature.