‘Moll Flanders’ is a well-known novel written by Daniel Defoe in 1722. The full title of the novel, although long compared to today’s standards, offers insight into the story: ‘The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders,Who Was Born In Newgate, and During a Life of Continu’d Variety For Threescore Years, Besides Her Childhood, Was Twelve Year a Whore, Five Times a Wife [Whereof Once To Her Own Brother], Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon In Virginia, At Last Grew Rich, Liv’d Honest, and Died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums. Despite being written almost three centuries ago , surprisingly it remains relevant today in terms of moral values , virtue , conscience as well as greed and vice . One can reflect on how society has changed and the roles modern men and women assume among other things . However , after reading this ancient tale , it becomes evident that people remain fundamentally unchanged over time .
Despite sharing similar feelings and emotional experiences, they comprehend love and hate differently. Nonetheless, the landscape does not remain unchanged. Moll Flanders represents more than just a tale about a woman; it also captures the essence of 17th century society. Moll does not conform to the expectations for women during her era nor those of contemporary society. She possesses extraordinary qualities – enigmatic and unappealing. The reason behind the author’s decision to depict her in this negative manner remains unclear. Moll Flanders stands as an extreme character, functioning as a litmus test that amplifies and accentuates societal traits prevalent during that time, focusing specifically on one individual.
In the 17th century, men dominated positions of power while women were often overlooked. Despite limitations in certain professions like teaching, law, and medicine, some women were able to find work. They pursued jobs in millinery, dyeing, shoemaking, and embroidery. Moreover, they also took part in activities such as spinning cloth or engaging in food-related tasks like brewing, baking, or confectionery.
It is evident that the mentioned occupations do not demand substantial intellectual exertion. Although women were permitted to work in specific fields, they were solely educated in disciplines such as writing, music, and needlework. The focus was on women acquiring “accomplishments” instead of pursuing academic subjects. Nevertheless, the majority of women fulfilled domestic duties and were expected to be both mothers and wives. Conversely, it was regarded as unusual, abnormal, and nearly unattainable for women to be the primary providers for their families.
Little Moll had a unique interpretation of the term “gentlewoman.” She aspired to become one, although her understanding differed from others. According to her, the common understanding of being a gentlewoman did not align with hers. While everyone else believed it meant living a luxurious and extravagant life, Little Moll saw it as being independent and self-sufficient enough to support herself without working in service. Unfortunately, this caused misunderstandings between her and her nurse, Mrs. Mayoress, along with everyone else who couldn’t comprehend her perspective on the matter.
Moll desired independence and safety, but these aspirations were nearly unattainable for her. She was a poverty-stricken young girl, the daughter of a transported convict. Bound by unfortunate circumstances, the children of criminals were defenseless without the love and support of family or a protective system. It’s no surprise that this often led them down the same path that had consumed their parents before them. The narrator presents conflicting explanations, leaving us uncertain whether Moll’s criminal nature was innate or a result of societal factors. While reading the novel, it’s challenging not to condemn Moll’s actions. However, it prompts us to reflect on how we would behave in similar circumstances with such a background. On one hand, Moll possesses admirable qualities such as resourcefulness, liveliness, determination, and optimism (believing that misfortune is amplified when accompanied by melancholy). She is also beautiful and talented, diligently seeking to acquire good manners and conduct herself as a lady. Like any genuine woman, she excels as an actress, knowing when to smile and when to shed tears.
Without possessing these qualities, she would not have the ability to become wealthy and would not be accepted into higher society. Despite marrying multiple times for financial gain, she retains the capacity to love. However, she lacks moral principles, is indifferent, and prioritizes her own interests. Growing up as a lonely child, she paradoxically neglects her own children, which can be understood as a consequence of the absence of parental love during her own childhood. Her belief in God appears to diminish gradually as soon as she is no longer in trouble, such as at the end of the novel when the threat of execution has passed. Only when she achieves her desperate desire for wealth does she genuinely repent. Interestingly, if Moll Flanders were a man, the story would be entirely different. The tragic element lies in her possessing desires that were common and acceptable for men at that time. As mentioned earlier, although women were able to work and earn money, it was insufficient to sustain themselves and attain independence.
The reason why Moll needs to get married is because women were unable to provide for themselves. Getting married is the easiest and most common way for women to ensure their future security and safety. A married woman had the support and welfare of her spouse. This is why, when Moll becomes a widow at the age of forty-eight, she has little hope of getting remarried, leading her to embark on a life of crime. It would have taken a very long time of honest work to accumulate the wealth she quickly gains after becoming a pickpocket.
It appears that fate itself compels her to commit crime, yet Moll offers her own version, which perhaps eases the torment of her conscience, claiming that it is the devil who drives her to wrongdoing. There are several examples in the text to support this notion: “the diligent devil, who resolved I should continue in his service, continually prompted me to go out and take a walk, that is to say, to see if anything would offer in the old way”; “Thus the devil, who began, by the help of an irresistible poverty, to push me into this wickedness, brought me on to a height beyond the common rate, even when my necessities were not so great, or the prospect of my misery so terrifying.” Despite her desire for independence, she neither wants nor can take responsibility – it is always something or someone else that leads her astray, like this ‘devil’ who urges her down the wrong path. I must acknowledge that this viewpoint is quite typical for women even in present times, and was even more pronounced in the 17th century. One of the messages conveyed by Moll Flanders’ story is that a woman remains a woman – a vulnerable, delicate, artistic being who requires guidance, love, and the ability to love. The fact that Moll has succumbed only serves to confirm this.
