Robinson Crusoe: The First FictionDaniel Defoe is credited with writing the first long fiction novel in literary history. Drawing on established literary genres such as the guide and providence traditions and spiritual biography, Defoe strove to illustrate the life of a man who "tempted Providence to ruin (Defoe 13)” and the consequences of such acts. While stranded alone on an island, the character Robinson Crusoe seems to have a religious revelation about the role of Providence in his life and decides to live in accordance with God's will. However, Crusoe's internal thoughts throughout his narrative and his actions do not correlate, leading the reader to question the validity of this conversion. Examining the plot and the process of psychological change that Crusoe undergoes, it becomes evident that "he experiences and accepts divine control, but this control can only be achieved in the free context that he himself has created ( 359). » When things go well, Crusoe returns to human instinct and his own impulses rather than what he perceives to be the will of Providence. Crusoe only uses his new religion when it suits him and as a means of justifying his actions and as an acceptable reason for whatever unfortunate happens. When he finally leaves the island and returns to society, Crusoe's faith is tested and fails miserably, with virtually no mention of Providence near the end of the story. At the beginning of the novel, Crusoe introduces himself and establishes that his tale is a kind of memoir and that it is told with more experienced and wiser eyes than when he originally experienced his story. This is important to note, because his speech is tinged with perspective and interpreted through a mind that has come to accept the hand of Providence in his life. For example, when the Turks capture Crusoe and he is enslaved, he reflects, saying, “Now the hand of heaven had overtaken me, and I was lost beyond redemption. But alas! This was just a taste of the misery I had to leave. through '(15)." Because Crusoe remembers events from memory, as well as the lack of contribution from other characters, his reliability may be questioned as a narrator. An unreliable narrator is one who can be wrong in its understanding or account of things and thus leaves readers without the necessary guides to make a judgment..