Introduction
The book by Daniel Defoe remains relevant as it depicts the earlier forms of discrimination that women still have to face today. The main reason the book is well known is the titular character, Moll Flanders. Combining many different qualities, she is a representative example of a woman trying to overcome the difficulties of her time. The present essay attempts to bring her personal qualities out to prove that Moll is a complex and realistic person who should not be viewed as a purely positive or negative character.
Discussion
One of the key factors influencing Moll, a girl born in prison, was spending time in a rich household in her youth. There she understood that she was not fundamentally inferior to the rich daughters of the house, as she “learned as fast as they” while being “handsomer than any of them” and singing better (Defoe Gutenberg.org). Thus, from a young age Moll, a poor girl born in prison, compared herself to upper-class girls, increasing her self-esteem, while temporarily sharing their lifestyle.
Moll’s becoming poor again finalized the formation of her main motivations in life: fear of poverty and desire for money. She was convinced that her desperate situation allowed her to do whatever it takes to support herself. The main way of doing so was marriage, as it became “the most necessary thing” for Moll (Defoe Gutenberg.org). Therefore, Moll aimed for success, even though patriarchal means for that were still the main ones.
The aforementioned tendency continued after Moll had become a manipulative criminal, as she still pretended to be “poor and distressed” to get what she wanted. One of such attempts returned her to the prison where she had been born. Having freed and repented later in life, Moll combined immorality and admittance of her sins, while using her lady-like beauty and apparent weakness for criminal behavior. Thus, Moll is a complicated, dual character who has incompatible characterizations.
Conclusion
Moll Flanders cannot be interpreted as a purely positive or negative character. As a person formed by her upbringing and later circumstances, she has characteristics that are not stereotypically compatible. This is what makes her a relevant classical character; as an example of a woman in need, she is not a stereotypical character but is a complex person. This seems to be an optimal perception of such characters for future works.
Work Cited
Defoe, Daniel. “The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders.”The Project Gutenberg.