Robinson ironico. Tournier e il ribaltamento dell’utopia di Defoe

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to show that it is possible to interpret Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe as a utopia. Although the novel may not describe an ideal society in the conventional sense, it exhibits “utopian tensions”, and careful analysis reveals the presence of all the necessary elements to define it as a “one-man utopia” and even a “micro-utopia”. This interpretation is supported by Robinson’s foundational role as both founder and legislator. He is depicted establishing a form of absolute monarchy grounded upon labour, productivity, and modern economic principles. Within this constructed reality, Robinson embodies the figure of the honest projector as theorized by Defoe. Based on this demonstration, the second part interprets Michel Tournier’s Vendredi ou les Limbes du Pacifique as a rewrite that constitutes an ironic and sceptical utopia. Opposing Robinson’s ultra-administered “terrestrial utopia,” which mirrors and radicalizes Defoe’s original, Tournier offers the reader a description of Friday’s “solar utopia”: a true reversal of perspective. Tournier’s use of irony serves to question any utopian project’s inherent claim to perfection, thereby highlighting the scepticism and doubt raised by such portrayals.