Thesis
"I acquieced in the dispositions of providence": theodicy in Robinson Crusoe
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2011
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/104588
Abstract
Though much has been made of religious themes in Robinson Crusoe, little has been made of its participation in theodicy, i.e., the theological pursuit that seeks to justify God in the face of evil and suffering. There are at least three layers of interpreter within this narrative: Crusoe the castaway, who lives the story; Crusoe the narrator, who tells the story; and the fictitious editor, who introduces the story in the preface. All three of these interpreters obviously interpret Crusoe’s ordeal through a theodicical framework, though none uses that exact term to describe it. I argue that, although the narrative does not allow us to regard it as an unqualified endorsement of theodicy, Defoe himself invites the audience to interpret the story in theodicical terms and at least suggests that we consider a theodicical interpretation of events. Along the way, I make extensive use of Gottfried Leibniz’s Theodicy as a theoretical framework through which to view Crusoe’s theodicical musings; I also highlight areas where Crusoe’s theodicy makes significant departures from Leibniz’s thought.
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Details
- Title
- "I acquieced in the dispositions of providence"
- Creators
- Dale Grauman
- Contributors
- Louis Kirk McAuley (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- English, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525108701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis