Daniel Defoe

(Antonuccio, Falco, Remino, Teresi)

Moll Flanders

(Antonuccio, Teresi)

Point of Review:

Ø  Introduction

Ø  Plot

Ø  Content Analysis

Ø  Characters List

Introduction

Moll Flanders, published in 1722, was one of the earliest English novels (the earliest is probably Aphra Behn's Oroonoko, published in 1688). Like many early novels, it is told in the first person as a narrative, and is presented as a truthful account, since at that time the idea of a long, realistic work of fiction was still new. It is not only an extremely entertaining and action-packed story, but also gives a valuable and lively picture of 17th century society. Although Moll is an exceptional character because of her ingenuity and extraordinary life, the problems that Moll faces are firmly rooted in her society.

Plot

Moll Flanders is the story about Lady Betty, forsaken by her mother in tender age. After she has been for a little while with the gipsies, she went to Colchester (Essex), where the magistrates assigned to her a settlement with a nurse; she was a very kind woman, who became attacked to the young lady and decided to keep her under her protection. The girl grew up and became so beautiful and polite that an aristocratic family took her in their residence. Betty received a good instruction and became friend with the 2 rich sisters; in the house also lived 2 brothers who immediately started noting the charm of Betty. At first the elder boy felt in love with her till she gave up: they exchanged each other promise in marriage in secret but after a little time the second brother asked Betty to marry him. Obviously she refused but nobody could understand why. The first brother, because of saving himself from disgrace, convinced Betty to accept the offer of marriage and to refuse their love. With great suffering, the lady became the wife of Robert, but he died after 5 years.

So she was widow and she inherited a great estate and decided to marry a second time; she had a lot of lovers and she chose a cloth merchant. Unfortunately he wasn’t very able to administer the patrimony and, in a little time, he spent all money they had. Become bankrupt he was arrested and told his wife to make all their wealth remained saved and to escape from London.

She moved to Mint and changed her name into Moll Flanders. Here she met a lady and in exchange of her help with a lover, her new friend assisted Moll to find a new husband. Just spread the voice that she was very rich, a lot of lovers step forward and she decided to marry a man who had many properties in Virginia. They went to live there with his mother and Moll Flanders discovered a terrible truth: the old woman was her mother, so her husband was her brother.

Upset Moll decided to escape from Virginia and went to live in Bath with very little money. Here she started attending a man of London: they became lovers but Moll remained pregnant and the faithful lover gave her a home in London where she could have been assisted: after she had a child the man repented and left Moll with a discreet sum of money. Where she lodged, also lived a lady of the North who, believing that Moll was very rich, decided to send her to her brother, a gentleman of Liverpool. Before going there Moll went to a bank for saving her exiguous patrimony.

Here she met an employee who, after telling her that he was divorcing, asked her hand. But Moll said that she couldn’t accept till the divorce was completed. So she went to Liverpool to meet her friend’s brother, they felt in love and got married. But in a little time they remained without money: her husband became a thief and let Moll for saving himself from misery.

Moll returned in London and married the bank’s employee, but after an economical breakdown he felt hill and died. So Moll, poor and lonely, went to live in London with her old nurse, who had become a thief. Moll learnt the art of the robbery and, till the age of 50 years she lived this way. But, one day, she was arrested and condemned to deportation in America.

After a little time also her last husband arrived into Newgate and they succeeded in being deported together. They arrived in Virginia and started a plantation and, little by little, became rich. One day Moll decided to go and visit her brother and son. Her brother was died and her son received her with great emotion and gave her the heredity that her mother had left her. So Moll Flanders lived happy in Virginia with her family for a long time and, returned in England with her husband, conducted a life of repentance.

Content Analysis

As the daughter of a transported convict, she begins life at a great disadvantage: she lacks the support system of family and friends which all children need, and which was particularly necessary for women, since their access to employment was limited. Without any system to protect them, the children of convicts are thrown into the world with no training in any trade.

When Moll is a young girl, she is forced to go into service as a maid because she would not be able to make a living sewing and spinning. Maids were paid very little, but at least they were fed and clothed. The fact that women were not able to support themselves legally (the assumption being that their husbands or father would contribute to their support from their higher wages) always underlies Moll's decisions: she really needs to get married. When she is widowed at the age of 48, she is too old to hope to marry again, and has little choice but to embark on a life of crime.

In the 17th century, crime really paid, because labour was very cheap and things were very expensive. Before the era of industrialisation, the production of objects took an immense amount of labour: a piece of cloth could be the result of many hours of work, though stealing it might only take a minute. It would be by no means easy for Moll to make a living doing honest work (the production of cloth was a very important part of the 17th and 18th century English economy).

Theft was not the only illegal occupation open to women. In the 17th and 18th centuries, prostitution was diffuse in London. This was probably the result of a social system in which poor women could hardly make an honest living, and completely lost their reputations if they were seduced, making it almost impossible to get an honest job.

Theft and prostitution were not without their risks, however: a thief could be transported. Transportation to Virginia was considered a terrible punishment, even though transported convicts could eventually hope to be freed.

Prostitutes could not defend themselves well from pregnancy or infection, like pox. But by the time of Moll Flanders, there was apparently little doubt that it was a venereal disease. It appears commonly in 18th century engravings as a punishment suffered by lustful sinners. Many of Moll's many children quietly disappear, presumably fallen prey to illness. Perhaps because of the high rates of child mortality, some mothers guarded against becoming too attached to their children. Other familial ties were less strong also: people married for money rather than for love.

Despite all these difficulties and dangers, the picture Defoe gives of 17th century England is not altogether black. Its inhabitants seem to enjoy themselves quite a bit whenever they have a little money. Although the gaiety is rather frenetic, and pleasure is rarely without attendant dangers, there seems to be no doubt in Moll's mind that life is well worth having.

Character

Moll Flanders: Moll's most salient characteristics are her ingenuity, energy, and determination to survive and do well. She is willing to sacrifice moral principles in order to prosper, but does not appear to be extraordinarily wicked: when her continued prosperity seems secure, she can be an exemplary wife, sober and virtuous. She is beautiful, clever, and talented, and her education is better than those of most girls of her class, since she learned the lessons of the young ladies she served as a maid. Her manners are generally good and she has clean habits, enabling her to pass as a lady if she chooses. She rarely lets herself despair, believing that drooping under the weight of misfortune doubles it. She has a great amount of self control, and in particular is able to keep important secrets from people close to her for long periods of time. She is an excellent actress, and can take on different characters as easily as changing her clothes, but prefers to appear as a lady. Although she marries for money several times, she is capable of deep affection, and devotes a great deal of time, money, and effort to saving her Lancashire husband. Her affection for her children is not terribly strong, however. There are some things she refuses to do, such as having abortions or being a streetwalker. She is a a very cautious thief, never engaging in violence or house-breaking, and never revealing more about herself than necessary. Her religious principles vary depending on her circumstances: she is fairly tolerant of different sects, and usually does not seem to think about God much. She is very fervent for a while in Newgate, but that wears off as her circumstances improve - however, she is never an atheist.

Her Nurse: a pious lady, poor but refined, who takes care of Moll in her extreme youth. She makes some money by caring for orphans.

The Mayor's Lady: a generous lady who takes Moll in as a favoured maid, but doesn't like the idea of her marrying her son, although she eventually agrees.

The Mayor's Eldest Daughter: a sharp-tongued young lady who says that "[she has] the money and [wants] the beauty; but as times go now, the first will do without the last."

The Mayor's Eldest Son (Moll's first lover): "a gay gentleman that knew the town as well as the country." He seduces Moll by cleverly complimenting her, and giving her presents of money. He is not so in love, however, to oppose his brother's marrying her, after which they are no longer lovers.

The Mayor's Youngest Son, Robert or Robin (Moll's first husband): a "plain and honest" young gentleman who makes "good honest professions of being in love with" Moll and "proposes fairly and honourably to marry" her. He stubbornly insists on marrying Moll, a servant girl, and obtains the consent of his mother. He made a good and agreeable husband for Moll, but she was never in love with him.

The Gentleman-Draper (Moll's second husband): "A tradesman ... that was something of a gentleman too," he "had this excellence, that he valued nothing of expense and... Œtis enough to tell you that in about two years and a quarter he broke, and was not so happy to get over into the Mint, but got into a sponging-house, being arrested in an action too heavy for him to give bail." He has good manners and is very civil to Moll, but his expensive habits, including travelling pretending to be a lord, ruins them financially.

Moll's Brother and Third Husband, Humphrey: "a man of infinite good nature, but... no fool." He loses much of his good nature when he discovers that Moll is his sister, and attempts suicide. Later, he becomes "old and infirm both in body and mind... very fretful and passionate, almost blind, and capable of nothing."

Moll's Mother and mother-in-law: "a mighty cheerful, good-humoured old woman." She tells Moll many entertaining stories about convicts transported to Virginia; in one of these, Moll learns the truth of her incestuous marriage. Her mother's reaction to the news is to want to keep it quiet.

The Gentleman of Bath (Moll's second lover): "a man of honour and virtue, as well as of great estate." He has a chaste relationship with Moll for a long time (because of his great respect for her virtue), then an unchaste one for several years, then coldly leaves her after he recovers from a serious illness. For a discussion of his morals.

The Grave Gentleman (later Moll's fifth): "a quiet, sensible, sober man; virtuous, modest, sincere, and in his business diligent and just." He divorces an unfaithful wife to marry Moll, who he believes to be virtuous. He loses heart and dies when his business fails.

Moll's Lancashire Husband (the fourth), James: "He had... the appearance of an extraordinary fine gentleman; he was tall, well-shaped, and had an extraordinary address." This gentleman is in fact an adept highwayman, but Moll finds him to be very good company, and she loves him very much. He balks at being transported, and although he can play the gentleman very well, he fears any other role, such as that of an indentured servant.

Moll's Governess (the midwife): "an eminent lady in her way." She is an unprincipled woman who manages the affairs of many whores, deals with the problems of unmarried mothers, and also eventually has a pawnshop and deals with thieves. She probably could induce abortions, and disposed of unwanted children. She is an impressive figure who poses a challenge to Moll's ideas and to the reader's as well. In one sense, her organised vice threatens everything commonly thought of as good. She is so hardened as to be immune, apparently, to feelings of guilt or affection - the feelings, in fact, which in the conventional scheme of morality ideally motivate most human actions. What is so disturbing about her is not simply this inhumanity - cruel and remorseless villains are stock figures - but rather the fact that she is living proof that financial motivations work as well, if not better, than emotional ones. Moll's narrative is full of references to her governess' kind behaviour: full example, once the woman sent her a roast chicken and a bottle of sherry, which she thought "surprisingly good and kind." This seeming kindness is not the result of the governess' affection for Moll; it is part of her business plan. By the same logic, the governess tells Moll that she need not scruple to give her baby to strangers: a stranger, motivated by money, will be just as loving as a natural mother.