Myths of Modern Individualism: Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan, Robinson Crusoe

Synopsis

In this volume, ian watt examines the myths of faust, don quixote, don juan and robinson crusoe, as the distinctive products of modern society. He traces the way the original versions of faust, don quixote and don juan - all written within a forty-year period during the counter reformation - presented unflattering portrayals of the three figures, while the romantic period two centuries later recreated them as admirable and even heroic. The twentieth century retained their prestige as mythical figures, but with a new note of criticism.