The Virtues of Solitude

Or: The Enviable Isolation of Robinson Crusoe

C.C. Webster
Aug 31, 2018 · 5 min read

In Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, the titular protagonist spends over two decades isolated on a small island. He names it “The Island of Despair.” By his own account, he considered this solitary period of his unfortunate life the “most miserable of all conditions in the world.” Well, this is how he felt at the beginning. The early years were…

Keep the story going. Sign up for an extra free read.

You've completed your member preview for this month, but when you sign up for a free Medium account, you get one more story.
Already have an account? Sign in

C.C. Webster

Written by

Writer-at-Large. Canadian, but I contain multitudes.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade