...Robinson Crusoe claims to be the book composed as a part of the Puritan Guide, and Spiritual Biography tradition. Guide literature was a form that was particularly popular from the seventeenth century onwards. Also known as conduct literature, the genre was used to teach readers how to live in order to achieve salvation. The common constituents of guide literature were neglecting the ordinary duties of one's station or place, discouragement because of failure or afflictions, uncertainty because of bad advice, and the bad advice of companions. All wrong choices were perceived as an implicit rebellion against God's will, for they constituted a failure to follow God's providential rule over the world. Guide literature was therefore used to express to the young the need for proper guidance. The moral lessons of Robinson Crusoe often lead to this novel being defined as conduct or guide literature and Defoe was certainly familiar with this genre. The spiritual biography was a literary genre, used to take the ideas and principles of conduct literature and describe how these had affected the lives of a real or fictional character. Novels written using this genre usually followed the pilgrimage of a Christian who was losing faith and was torn by the conflict between good and evil, and the same picture is seen in the book. The reader follows the central character's journey until they reach the ultimate goal of salvation. Therefore, the reader finds the primary constituents of Puritan Guide in Robinson Crusoe as the hero goes on his journey of spiritual development. Robinson Crusoe refers to John Bunyon and his Grace Abounding, also being Spiritual Biography, as well as Pilgrim's Progress (1684), which became a very special book for the Puritans.

Daniel Defoe, being a member of the religious family, couldn't help mentioning religion in his book. Justifying religious basis of the book, Defoe uses many references to the Bible, Biblical stories, and characters. The captain talks to Crusoe after saving him, "I have saved your life on no other terms than I would be glad to be saved myself, and it may one time or other be my lot to be taken up in the same condition."(p.37) This claims to be the Golden Rule of Jesus' teachings to his disciples, "Do to others as you would have them do to you."(Luke 6:31) Jesus' parable of prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) is mentioned in the book (p.18), the father of Crusoe's friend compares Robinson to Jonah (p.19) as being the reason for the shipwreck. King Solomon building the Temple in Jerusalem (p.127), and Elijah and his miraculous feeding by the ravens (p.132) also point out the religious basis of the book and its author...

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