A classic novel is a novel that lasts throughout the ages, something that the average person already knows a little bit about before they start reading. A good method for determining a classic is from Italo Calvino who said, “The classics are books which exercise a particular influence, both when they imprint themselves on our imagination as unforgettable, and when they hide in our layers of memory disguised as the individuals or the collective unconscious." (Cox, The other kind of Classic Novel) They tend to be one of those books where you are familiar with it because generations of people have read and continually recommended it to you. Classic books range from epic adventures to dramatic and political stories but any story can be a classic. Some writers such as Jane Austen, George Orwell and Mark Twain have written classics that have had popularity for generations past and generations to come. By these examples, Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe can be proved to be a classic novel.
Why are classic novels considered classic novels? And why aren’t modern novels classic? One answer covers both questions. Social acceptance. The biggest reason that this piece of writing has lasted so long is that it has the ability to relate to any time period. Take the novel “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen (1987) and compare it to Robinson Crusoe (1719). Looking at a survival story today and going back almost three hundred years and looking at Defoe’s, the stories turn out to be very similar. Both books are about a survival story in which the character is left stranded on an island alone, without many materials to come by, (although Crusoe does rummage through his ship and get some supplies if you read on chapter one, page 54). But looking deeper, the numbers of copies sold are very high for both books. Almost the exact same plot and two hundred and seventy years apart from publication time. This means that Defoe was able to pull readers’ ‘heart-strings’ and make a very successful book. One writing style that made Defoe such a phenomenal writer was his ability to relate emotions and hardships that transcends time from the 18th century to the 21st century, and most likely even longer in the future.
The characters play a huge role in keeping a novel, classic. As much as making the plot full of peaks by throwing in challenges and struggles, putting the characters in tight positions and using key stylistic devices such as pathos and ethos, the writer is able to relate to the society by playing with their emotions. Because every human being carries, relatively similar emotions, writers such as Defoe are able to relate to everyone that reads their work.
Not only is the role of characters a necessity in books, but also knowledge and instruction are also very important. Usually, like any great childrens’ program on television, a book will leave a message or a special lesson that the reader is able to carry away and keep with them in the back of their mind. “A classic does not necessarily teach us anything we did not know before. In a classic we sometimes discover something we have always known, but without knowing that this author said it first, or at least is associated with it in a special way. And this, too, is a surprise that gives much pleasure, such as we always gain from the discovery of an origin, a relationship, an affinity.” (Calvino, Reading the Classics). This means that it leaves you behind with a memory that you do not even know if it was yours, but it will stick with you long after you have finished reading.
What role did Defoe play as a classical author? In his era of writing, (the Neoclassical period, it was also called the "Enlightenment period” (Periods of Literature)) it was a time of “increased reverence for logic and disdain for superstition. The period is marked by the rise of Deism.” (Periods of Literature). This means that during the years of 1660-1790, thoughts about a supreme being that created the universe but did not interact with it was a widespread religion, so writing about Christianity was a harsh topic and a big step out of line for Defoe. Writing about his battle with Christianity (see “Battle of Faith”), Defoe was way out of line in terms of writing Robinson Crusoe. Maybe such a large risk gave him a step up over other writers in his time period, which may have caused his work to become a classic.
In conclusion, Robinson Crusoe is considered a classic novel because of the connections that Defoe made with pathos and relating to Crusoe's struggles. Whether the relation to readers because of; characters, emotions, or his breaking of tradition, Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe is a true classic novel that will most certainly be found on the shelf of future readers.
