Research Information System
BAKEA, Konya, Turkey, 15 - 17 September 2025, pp.159, (Summary Text)
Most significant conquests and adventures often commence by the sea but so do great downfalls. Sea fiction has long captivated readers with its portrayal of daring voyages, unpredictable waters and the perilous pursuit of fortune. Yet beneath the surface of adventure lies a genre entangled with questions of authority and national identity. This paper explores how the sea becomes a site for economic ambition, identity and imperial ideology in Daniel Defoe’s Captain Singleton (1720). Guided by John Peck’s theory of maritime fiction, the analysis focuses on the ship as a self-contained world defined by isolation and risk. The ship functions as a microcosm of the nation with the captain epitomising absolute authority and the crew serving as his subjects. In this context, the sea emerges as more than a backdrop, it becomes an active force enabling characters to rewrite their identity and destiny. This paper further examines how Captain Singleton reflects and reinforces imperial ideology. Singleton’s respect for English naval power, his deliberate avoidance of English ships and his constant quest for profit illustrate how the sea becomes a medium for projecting national superiority. In tracing these dynamics, this paper argues that Captain Singleton exemplifies how sea fiction operates as a narrative form deeply invested in risk, authority and the imperial conquest. Keywords: Imperialism, sea fiction, ideology, adventure