Property, Profit, and Possession: Economic Narratives in Robinson Crusoe

Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719) is often celebrated as the prototype of the English novel, yet beneath its adventure narrative lies a profound meditation on the emerging economic ideologies of early modern Europe. This paper examines the text through the lens of property, profit, and possession, arguing that Crusoe’s survival and success on the island function as a microcosm of capitalist thought. The narrative dramatizes the transformation of natural resources into commodities, the rationalization of labor, and the sanctification of private ownership as moral duty. Crusoe’s meticulous record-keeping, his valuation of surplus, and his hierarchical relationship with Friday reveal the ways in which economic rationality intersects with colonial and religious discourse. By situating Robinson Crusoe within the historical context of mercantilism and the rise of capitalist individualism, this study highlights how Defoe inscribed the ethos of profit and possession into the very fabric of novelistic form. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates that Robinson Crusoe is not only a story of adventure and survival but also a foundational text in the cultural construction of economic man