Teaching Robinson Crusoe
by Daniel Defoe (1719)
Why Teach Robinson Crusoe?
Robinson Crusoe tells of a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote island. Often called the first English novel, it's a survival manual, spiritual autobiography, and colonial adventure. Crusoe's resourcefulness and self-reliance made him the template for every survivor story since.
This 19-chapter work explores themes of Personal Growth—topics that remain deeply relevant to students' lives today. Our Intelligence Amplifier™ analysis helps students connect these classic themes to modern situations they actually experience.
Major Themes to Explore
Class
Explored in chapters: 1, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11 +4 more
Identity
Explored in chapters: 1, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11 +4 more
Personal Growth
Explored in chapters: 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11 +3 more
Human Relationships
Explored in chapters: 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 14 +1 more
Social Expectations
Explored in chapters: 1, 6, 7, 11, 13, 19
Human Connection
Explored in chapters: 10, 12, 13
Isolation
Explored in chapters: 2, 12
Self-Sabotage
Explored in chapters: 2
Skills Students Will Develop
Reading Power Dynamics
This chapter teaches how to map the real hierarchy beneath the official org chart by watching who defers to whom and where decisions actually get made.
See in Chapter 1 →Recognizing Self-Sabotage Patterns
This chapter teaches how to identify the moment when security starts feeling like stagnation and the urge to 'upgrade' becomes destructive.
See in Chapter 2 →Strategic Reframing
This chapter teaches how to deliberately shift perspective from losses to remaining assets during crisis.
See in Chapter 3 →Building Psychological Scaffolding
This chapter teaches how to create mental structure when external circumstances collapse, using routine and small accomplishments to maintain sanity and momentum.
See in Chapter 4 →Recognizing Forced Clarity Moments
This chapter teaches how crisis creates self-awareness opportunities that comfortable times never provide.
See in Chapter 5 →Strategic Patience
This chapter teaches how to delay immediate gratification for long-term advantage while maintaining present security.
See in Chapter 6 →Recognizing Hidden Assets
This chapter teaches how to identify and value the invisible advantages you've built in your current situation before abandoning them for something that looks better.
See in Chapter 7 →Learning Through Productive Failure
This chapter teaches how to extract maximum learning from mistakes by staying curious about what went wrong instead of just feeling frustrated.
See in Chapter 8 →Backwards Planning
This chapter teaches how to work backwards from your goal to identify the boring but crucial steps that make success possible.
See in Chapter 9 →Recognizing Comfort Zones That Have Become Cages
This chapter teaches how to identify when our safe spaces have shifted from protection to prison, limiting our ability to handle normal life changes.
See in Chapter 10 →Discussion Questions (95)
1. How does Crusoe's approach to slavery differ from what you might expect? What specific actions does he take during his two years of captivity?
2. Why does Crusoe wait two full years before attempting escape? What advantages does this patience give him when the opportunity finally comes?
3. Where do you see this pattern of 'strategic patience' in modern workplaces or difficult life situations? When have you or someone you know used waiting time to build capabilities?
4. If you were stuck in a powerless situation today, how would you apply Crusoe's method of turning constraint into preparation?
5. What does Crusoe's transformation from naive gentleman to calculating survivor reveal about how extreme circumstances change people? Is this change positive or concerning?
6. Robinson had everything his father advised him to seek—security, wealth, and respect in Brazil. What specific decision does he make that throws all of this away?
7. Why do you think Robinson calls his decision to join the slave-trading voyage 'the most preposterous thing' he could do, yet does it anyway?
8. Where do you see this pattern today—people who have achieved stability but throw it away for something that promises more excitement or profit?
9. If you were Robinson's friend in Brazil, what would you have said to try to talk him out of this voyage? What specific questions would you have asked him?
10. What does Robinson's story teach us about the difference between wanting more and needing more? How can someone tell the difference in their own life?
11. What specific actions did Robinson take to salvage supplies from the ship, and why was timing so crucial?
12. Why did Robinson create a pros-and-cons list of his situation, and how did this mental exercise change his approach to survival?
13. Where do you see people today getting stuck focusing on what they've lost instead of what they still have to work with?
14. When you've faced a major setback, what would happen if you wrote down your remaining assets alongside your losses?
15. What does Robinson's transformation from victim to builder reveal about how our mental framing determines our capacity to act?
16. What specific systems and routines does Crusoe create to manage his survival, and why does he prioritize structure over just gathering supplies?
17. How does the earthquake shake both Crusoe's physical shelter and his psychological confidence? What does his response reveal about building resilience?
18. Where do you see people in your life using Crusoe's pattern of 'building systems, not just solving problems' to handle overwhelming situations?
19. Think of a time when your life felt chaotic or overwhelming. How could you apply Crusoe's approach of creating structure and tracking small wins?
20. What does Crusoe's transformation from desperate castaway to methodical survivor teach us about how humans create meaning and hope in impossible circumstances?
+75 more questions available in individual chapters
Suggested Teaching Approach
1Before Class
Assign students to read the chapter AND our IA analysis. They arrive with the framework already understood, not confused about what happened.
2Discussion Starter
Instead of "What happened in this chapter?" ask "Where do you see this pattern in your own life?" Students connect text to lived experience.
3Modern Connections
Use our "Modern Adaptation" sections to show how classic patterns appear in today's workplace, relationships, and social dynamics.
4Assessment Ideas
Personal application essays, current events analysis, peer teaching. Assess application, not recall—AI can't help with lived experience.
Chapter-by-Chapter Resources
Chapter 1
Slavery and Escape
Chapter 2
Shipwreck and Survival
Chapter 3
Salvaging Hope from Wreckage
Chapter 4
Building from Scratch
Chapter 5
Illness and Awakening
Chapter 6
Learning the Land and Seasons
Chapter 7
Mapping His World and Finding Home
Chapter 8
The Art of Making Do
Chapter 9
Building What You Can Control
Chapter 10
The Footprint That Changed Everything
Chapter 11
Fear Changes Everything
Chapter 12
The Spanish Shipwreck Discovery
Chapter 13
A Dream Becomes Reality
Chapter 14
Teaching and Learning Together
Chapter 15
Rescue of Prisoners from Cannibals
Chapter 16
Unexpected Visitors and Dangerous Alliances
Chapter 17
The Ship Recovered
Chapter 18
Return to England and Unexpected Wealth
Chapter 19
The Bear Dance and Wolf Pack
Ready to Transform Your Classroom?
Start with one chapter. See how students respond when they arrive with the framework instead of confusion. Then expand to more chapters as you see results.