The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe is an important historical text that examines the everyday life of women and girlhood in 18th century British society. Moll Flanders, an orphaned daughter of a female felon, represents the possibilities of girlhood in early modern Britain. In spite of her lack of a father and the repression that she endures from society, Moll’s exploits reveal the possibilities that young girls can experience if they are willing to challenge confining social and literary conventions.
Moll’s wit and cunning help her survive. Her powers of seduction enable her to woo men and nab a husband. She has had five husbands and many lovers, and is not above picking pockets. She has a love life with Jemmy, her second husband, and is even willing to nurse him when he is sick.
The story is cyclical, and Defoe and Davies created an intricate world within the tale. The ‘great wheel’ of Moll’s life moves her from Newgate Prison to Colchester, Lancashire, and Virginia. Defoe chooses these places as a way to show how women were at a disadvantage.
The story begins with Moll falling in love with a boy from her family and eventually marries him. A few months later, she marries her younger brother. This time, she falls in love with a profligate draper. However, her love life doesn’t last, and she ends up penniless.
The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders is a wonderful historical drama that is also a captivating mystery. The cast is excellent, with some actors putting in career-making performances. However, it is the actors who make this drama stand out as one of the best adaptations of its kind.
Daniel Defoe’s classic novel, Robinson Crusoe, has a similar plotline as The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders. While Crusoe is a careless, irresponsible character, Moll Flanders is driven by a deep sense of self.
The characters in The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders are very diverse. There are many different types of careers that Moll engages in, and she makes a variety of bad choices. Her petty decisions affect her life and her relationship with her children.
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