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Why has Daniel Defoe been called the father of the English novel?
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Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe, engraving by M. Van der Gucht, after a portrait by J. Taverner, first half of the 18th century.
Daniel Defoe is often called the father of the English novel because he pioneered the form as a popular, sustained literary genre in the early 18th century.12
His contribution to the development of the novel is defined by several key factors:
- Innovative Narrative Style: Defoe utilized a plain, direct, and matter-of-fact prose style that provided his stories with a sense of verisimilitude, or realistic detail, which helped establish the novel as a credible medium.3
- Psychological Depth: Writing primarily in the first person, he demonstrated a remarkable gift for entering the minds of his characters, analyzing their motives, and exploring human nature through ordinary, flawed individuals.3
- Myth-Making: With works like Robinson Crusoe (1719), he created enduring, mythic characters and situations that resonated with a wide audience, blending elements of travel literature, spiritual autobiography, and social commentary.14
- Genre Evolution: By producing a series of successful fictional works—including Moll Flanders and A Journal of the Plague Year—he helped transition prose fiction into an established commercial and artistic genre.134