Proceedings of the 1st Arts & Humanities Conference, Venice

ROBINSON CRUSOE FOR GIRLS: A LOOK AT FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER

KRISTINA SCHIMMELS

Abstract:

The Robinsonade is a popular genre for adventure books aimed at boy readers. Seth Lerer states that this genre is "not just about adaptation or imitation. It is about completion" (2009, p. 145). The 1967 novel From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler captures the spirit of the Robinsonade tradition, but also adds to the genre by capturing a mostly girl readership by using a girl as a main character and making the all important deserted island the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. E.L. Konigsburg explores the traditions and tropes set by Daniel Defoe and other Robinsonade writers as she creates an engaging story that appeals to both girls and boys.

Keywords: Robinson Crusoe, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, children's literature, adventure stories

DOI: 10.20472/AHC.2016.001.017

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