Moll Flanders Group Members: Tami Villa Winni Choe

Moll Flanders Written in 1722 by Daniel Defoe Picaresque Morality Tale

Literary significance and criticism As a picaresque, Moll is a lower class character who travels among the wealthy and exposes their vanity and shallowness. As a morality tale the novel can be read two different ways. On the one hand, the story of Moll could be classically tragic As a woman whose crime is self-reliance and lack of Christian obedience

Daniel Defoe Born 1660 Died 1731 Also wrote Robinson Crusoe Founder of the English Novel Wrote over 500 books, pamphlets, journals, poems.

Main Characters Moll Flanders Moll’s Nurse Moll’s first lover Moll’s first husband Moll’s second husband Moll’s brother and third husband Moll’s second lover Moll’s fourth husband Moll’s fifth husband Moll’s Governess Moll’s son and nephew, Humphrey

Plot of Moll Flanders Childhood 1 st Lover 1 st Husband 2 nd Husband 3 rd Husband 4 th Husband The Governess and the Banker Criminal and Prisoner America and England

Childhood Mother in Newgate jail; pled her belly; gave birth to Moll; transported to America. Raised by Gypsies, and a foster mother. Considered herself a Gentlewoman Sewed and mended to support herself. Left on her own when she was 15.

1 st Lover She became a ladies maid to a family with three girls and two sons; The oldest son became her lover & paid her for her ‘services’; Moll is jilted by her lover & given a final ‘payment’;

1 st Husband Moll finds out her lover’s brother wishes to marry her; The youngest son became her first husband; Moll marries for the first time & has two children before her husband dies;

2 nd Husband Draper Acts like a Gentleman Spends all Moll’s money Runs from debt collectors and abandons Moll to face the bill collectors Ends up hiding in France

3 rd Husband Owner of a Plantation in Virginia They have three children together Discovers he is actually her half brother Returns to England to try yet again for a new life

4 th Husband Banker He divorces his current wife to marry Moll They live happily for a few short years until his death

5 th Husband James, her ‘Lancashire’ husband They marry, after having tricked the other into thinking he/she was a wealthy gentleman/lady They separate and go their separate ways in crime; meet again in prison; begin a new life together in America

The Governess Moll’s landlady and midwife while she is married to the Banker. Initiates Moll into the criminal world of London.

Themes in Moll Flanders Capitalism Video Clips Morality Video Clips