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Castaway Beginnings
- Alexander Selkirk survived alone on a Juan Fernández island after being marooned in 1704 with only a musket, hatchet, pot, clothes, and a Bible.
- He learned to hunt, build huts, tame cats, and keep goats, turning isolation into a sustainable life for years.
Real Life Shaped Fiction
- Defoe's Robinson Crusoe drew heavily from Selkirk's real-life experience and publicized return to Britain.
- Shared details like goat-skins, pets, and spiritual conversion linked Selkirk's story to Crusoe's narrative.
Marooned After a Quarrel
- Stradling marooned Selkirk on Mas a Tierra after refusing to take him aboard following a quarrel about the ship's condition.
- Selkirk initially stayed by the shore, hoped for rescue, and then moved inland to build huts and secure food.