Moll’s Name and clothing as a disguise in Moll Flanders Research Paper

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

What is the reason for the people’s disguise behind the false names and striking clothes which do not reflect the peculiarities of their personalities? Daniel Defoe is a master of depicting the events close to the reality in his books.

That is why his characters often try to hide behind false names in order to present their ‘true’ stories of life. The female protagonist of Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders can use the masks better than anyone else because she is used to live in false reality using the false name and changing different clothes which do not help to emphasize her identity, but only hide her real nature.

Can the false name help to change the destiny? Can different clothes help to become the part of the other social class? The disguise of Moll Flanders’s individuality is her way to the recognition in the society. To understand the meaning of the name for the person’s identity and the meaning of the appearance and clothes for being recognized and accepted in society, it is necessary to analyze the relationship between Moll Flanders’ name, her clothing, and her role in the society.

In his novel, Daniel Defoe presents the story of Moll Flanders as the story of a real woman whose actual name is too common for the public to be reminded once more. Moreover, Moll Flanders also does not want to focus on her real name because people gave her another name.

Now she is known as Moll Flanders. However, what significance for Moll is hidden in this name? Why does she prefer to hide her individuality behind this common name and a number of others which she takes during her life? It is possible to notice that Moll Flanders uses aliases in order to hide her real origin as she hides her real appearance under different clothes.

Moll Flanders understands that to be accepted in society, it is important to look like the representatives of this society and to present oneself as the part of this or that social class. This ‘masquerade’ is complicated with the fact that to gain the definite recognition, it is more significant to be associated with the name of the expensive fabric than to reveal the real name which is known to the lowest social classes.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2018, November 6). Moll’s Name and clothing as a disguise in Moll Flanders. https://ivypanda.com/essays/molls-name-and-clothing-as-a-disguise-in-moll-flanders/

Work Cited

"Moll’s Name and clothing as a disguise in Moll Flanders." IvyPanda, 6 Nov. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/molls-name-and-clothing-as-a-disguise-in-moll-flanders/.

References

IvyPanda. (2018) 'Moll’s Name and clothing as a disguise in Moll Flanders'. 6 November.

References

IvyPanda. 2018. "Moll’s Name and clothing as a disguise in Moll Flanders." November 6, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/molls-name-and-clothing-as-a-disguise-in-moll-flanders/.

1. IvyPanda. "Moll’s Name and clothing as a disguise in Moll Flanders." November 6, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/molls-name-and-clothing-as-a-disguise-in-moll-flanders/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Moll’s Name and clothing as a disguise in Moll Flanders." November 6, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/molls-name-and-clothing-as-a-disguise-in-moll-flanders/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1