Title Moll Flanders

Author	Daniel Defoe
Country	England
Language	English
Genre(s)	Novel
Publisher
Released	1722
Media type	Print

The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders is a 1722 novel by Daniel Defoe. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (1660 [?] â€“ April 1731) was an English writer, journalist and spy, who gained enduring fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. ... In political geography and international politics a country is a geographical entity, a territory, most commonly associated with the notions of state or nation. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... See also: 1721 in literature, other events of 1722, 1723 in literature, list of years in literature. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (1660 [?] â€“ April 1731) was an English writer, journalist and spy, who gained enduring fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. ...

Defoe wrote this after his work as a journalist and pamphleteer. By 1722, Defoe had become recognized as a novelist, with the success of Robinson Crusoe in 1719. His political work was tapering off at this point, due to the fall of both Whig and Tory party leaders with whom he had been associated; Robert Walpole was beginning his rise, and Defoe was never fully at home with the Walpole group. A pamphleteer is a historical term for someone who creates or distributes pamphlets: for example in order to get people to vote for their favourite politician or to articulate a particular political ideology. ... A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published in 1719 and sometimes regarded as the first novel in English. ... See also: 1718 in literature, other events of 1719, 1720 in literature, list of years in literature. ... The Whigs (with the Tories) are often described as one of two political parties in England and later the United Kingdom from the late 17th to the mid 19th centuries. ... For other uses, see Tory (disambiguation). ... The Right Honourable Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745), usually known as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. ...

Defoe's Whig views are nevertheless evident in the story of Moll. The full title of the novel tells part of its story:

The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, Etc. Who was born in Newgate, and during a life of continu'd Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest and died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums.

Plot summary

Moll's mother is a convict in Newgate prison who is given a reprieve by "pleading her belly," a reference to the custom of staying the executions of pregnant criminals. Her mother is eventually transported to America and Moll Flanders (which is not her birth name, she emphasizes, and never reveals it) is raised until adolescence by a good foster mother, and then gets attached to a household as a servant where she is loved by both sons. The elder son convinces her to "act like they were married" in bed, but eventually unwilling to marry her he convinces Moll to marry the younger brother. She then is widowed, leaves her children to the care of in-laws, and begins honing the skill of passing herself off as a fortuned widow to attract a man who will marry her and provide her with security. Moll can refer to: Gun moll, the female companion of an American gangster Moll Flanders, the novel by Daniel Defoe Moll (town), a town located in the county of Highland in the UK A derogatory term for a girl or woman, especially in Australia In music, the German term for... Newgate was a gate in the west of London Wall round the City of London. ...

The first time she does this, her husband goes bankrupt and flees to the Continent leaving her on her own with his blessing to do the best she can and forget him. The second time, she makes a match that leads her to Virginia with a kind and good man who introduces her to his mother. After two children, Moll learns that her mother-in-law is actually her biological mother, which means her husband is her half-brother. She dissolves their marriage and travels back to England, leaving her two children behind, and goes to live in Bath to seek a new husband. Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... Bath is a city in South West England most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. ...

Again she returns to her con skills and develops a relationship with a man in Bath whose wife is elsewhere confined due to insanity. Their friendship is at first platonic but eventually develops into Moll becoming something of a 'kept woman' in Hammersmith, London. These two truly fall in love and have a son, but after a severe illness he repents, breaks off the arrangement and commits to his wife. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup because it is in list format. ... Bath is a city in South West England most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. ...

Moll, now 42, resorts to another beau, a banker, who is still married to an adulterous wife (a “whore”) but proposes to her after she entrusts her with her money. While waiting for the banker to divorce his wife Moll pretends to have a great fortune in order to attract another wealthy husband. She becomes involved with some Roman Catholics in Lancashire that try to convert her and she marries one of them, supposedly a rich man. She soon realizes he expected to receive a great dowry which she denies having, which leads him to admit that he has cheated her into marriage, lying about having money, which he does not possess. He is in fact a ruined gentleman and discharges her from the marriage but still says she should inherit any money he might ever get (finally, she mentions his name). Although now pregnant again, Moll lets the banker believe she is available, hoping her husband returns. She gives birth and the midwife gives a three-partite scale of the costs of bearing a child, with one value level per social class. Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Midwifery is a blanket term used to describe a number of different types of health practitioners, other than doctors, who provide prenatal care to expecting mothers, attend the birth of the infant and provide postnatal care to the mother and infant. ...

Moll's boy is born when the banker’s wife commits suicide following the divorce, and she leaves it in the hand of a countrywoman for the sum of £5 a year. Molly marries the banker now, but realizes: “what an abominable creature am I! and how is this innocent gentleman going to be abused by me!” She also dislikes being married in an inn at night by the landlord who is also a minister, an hour after she agreed to marry at all. But he dies in financial ruin after five years, when Moll had two more children by him.

Truly desperate now, she begins a career of artful thievery, which, by employing her wits, beauty, charm, and feminity, as well as hard-heartedness and wickedness, brings her the financial security she always sought. Only here, she takes the name of Moll Flanders and is known by it. On the downside, she is even robbing a family in their burning house, then a lover she becomes a mistress to, and is later sent to Newgate Prison (like the book’s author twenty years before). Old Newgate Prison, which was replaced in the 18th century. ...

Here, she is led to her repentance. At the same time, she reunites with her soul-mate, her "Lancashire husband," who is also jailed for his robberies (before and after they first met, he acknowledges). She is found guilty of felony, but not burglary, the second accusation; still, the sentence is death anyway. But she convinces a minister of her repentance, and with her Lancashire husband is sent to Maryland to avoid hanging, and happily are together. (She even talks the captain into not being with the convicts sold upon arrival, but the captain’s quarters.) Once in the colonies, she learns her mother has left her a plantation and her own son (she had by her brother) is alive, as is her brother (husband). Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 90 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37°53N to 39°43N  - Longitude 75°4W to 79°33...

She carefully introduces herself to her brother and their son, in disguise. With the help of a quaker, the two found a farm with 50 servants in Carolina. She reveals herself now to her son in Virginia and he gives her her mothers’ inheritance, a farm he will now be her steward for, providing £ 100 a year for her. In turn, she makes him her heir and gives him a (stolen) golden watch. There are several geographical locations named Carolina: Carolina, North America = Between 1663 and 1729 Carolina was the united and singular North American British colony of the Province of Carolina. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ...

At last, her life of conniving and desperation seems to be over. She tells her (Lancashire) husband when her (brother) husband is dead, the entire story, and he is “perfectly easy on that account”. “For, said he, it was no fault of yours, nor of his; it was a mistake impossible to be prevented”. Aged 69 (in 1683), they return to England to live “in sincere penitence for the wicked lives we have lived”.

Major themes

The story is believed by some to be a tale of capitalism due to the numerous allusions to money, contracts, and other currency-related items: Everything, including people, has a monetary value. This may give the reader a feeling of Moll's calculating personality, but capitalism was not a familiar concept until much later, so Defoe, himself having been imprisoned in Newgate and a spy, rather depicts the social lives of the 17th century. It has been suggested that Definitions of capitalism be merged into this article or section. ...

Moll Flanders often causes the reader to question if doing something amoral out of necessity is really amoral at all; still, the reader should not underestimate the twist that her wicked deeds are told in a way to have compassion with her even when she intentionally harms and takes advantage of the kindest people.

Literary significance & criticism

The tale has been called picaresque and a morality tale, and in truth it is both. As a picaresque, Moll is a lower class character who travels among the wealthy and exposes their vanity and shallowness. However, as a morality tale the novel can be read two different ways. On the one hand, the story of Moll could be classically tragic: she possesses a single fault of hubris in that she wishes to be a lady — a station she was not entitled to — and commits adultery, prostitution, child neglect, and incest in an effort to rise to this station, only to be brought to confession, forgiveness, and a "proper" life in the middle class. On the other hand, it could also be read as a woman whose crime is self-reliance and lack of Christian obedience, who therefore commits crimes out of sinful willfulness, to whom prosperity as well as peace come only with confession, redemption, and subjugation to the Divine. Thus, the novel explores both contemporary 18th century conservative and liberal ideologies. The picaresque novel (Spanish: picaresco, from pícaro, for rogue or rascal) is a popular style of novel that originated in Spain and flourished in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries and has continued to influence modern literature. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Hubris or hybris (Greek ), according to its modern usage, is exaggerated self pride or self-confidence (overbearing pride), often resulting in fatal retribution. ... A lady is a woman who is the counterpart of a lord; or, the counterpart of a gentleman. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

Defoe himself was a noted Puritan. His views are unambiguous, in that he believes and writes for hard work, devotion, and the work of providence as grace. There is some debate, however, as to whether Defoe intended Moll as an entirely sympathetic character. The novel, devoting many pages to crime and sin and very few to repentance or even remorse, leads the reader to question Moll's desire for forgiveness. She is therefore an ambivalent character. Some have even speculated that Defoe intended the book partially as a titillating moneymaker. These arguments often allude to Defoe's preface, in which he mentions "lewd ideas" and "immodest terms" that could lead the audience to read the work for scandalous entertainment instead of moral value. For the record label, see Puritan Records. ... In Christianity, divine grace refers to the sovereign favour of God for humankind — especially in regard to salvation — irrespective of actions (deeds), earned worth, or proven goodness. ... A preface (Med. ...

The novel combines Defoe's interests in conversion narratives with his experience and interest in crime. Moll Flanders was a popular novel, and Defoe's reputation was aided by it. He had earlier written about criminals for various journals, and Moll Flanders increased his cachet as a writer of criminal lives. Soon after the publication of Moll Flanders, he wrote two different lives, of Jack Sheppard, the Cockney housebreaker, in 1724, and a novella length life of Jonathan Wild in 1725. Also in 1724, Defoe returned to the subject of fallen women with an even more salacious Roxana. The life of Moll Cutpurse, who is mentioned in the book, undoubtedly inspired Defoe although she is quite a different character to Moll Flanders. Jack Sheppard in Newgate Prison Jack Sheppard (December 1702 – 16 November 1724) was a notorious English robber, burglar and thief of early 18th century London. ... See also: 1723 in literature, other events of 1724, 1725 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Jonathan Wild in the condemned cell at Newgate Prison Jonathan Wild (c. ... See also: 1724 in literature, other events of 1725, 1726 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Mary Frith or Moll Cutpurse ( 1584–July 26, 1659) was a notorious pickpocket and fence of the English underworld. ...

From the point of view of historians, Moll Flanders is valuable for its information on the life, punishment, and habits of the criminal world. In addition to being one of the few detailed descriptions of life in The Mint, it is also one of the best narratives of life in Newgate prison, the punishments of prostitution (as well as a common prostitute's tale), and the way that America was viewed in the early 18th century. The novel is itself a bit of pro-immigration propaganda, in that it portrays America as a place of peace, religious tolerance (so long as it is dissenting Protestant), and opportunity. In contrast to later depictions (e.g. Oliver Goldsmith's The Deserted Village), Defoe's Puritan depiction is naive. Although Defoe is a biased witness, Moll Flanders has a high value for cultural history. The Mint was a district in Southwark in London named for King Henry VIII having set up his mint there. ... Old Newgate Prison, which was replaced in the 18th century. ... Whore redirects here. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Oliver Goldsmith Oliver Goldsmith (November 10, 1730 or 1728 – April 4, 1774) was an Irish writer and physician known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield (1766), his pastoral poem The Deserted Village (1770) (written in memory of his brother), and his plays The Good-naturd Man (1768) and...

Selected quotations

…and let any one judge what must be the anguish of my mind, when I came to reflect that this was certainly no more or less than my own mother, and I had now had two children, and was big with another by my own brother, and lay with him still every night.

I was now the most unhappy of all women in the world. Oh! had the story never been told me, all had been well; it had been no crime to have lain with my husband, since as to his being my relation I had known nothing of it.

From The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, from the works of Daniel Defoe at Project Gutenberg. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive, and distribute cultural works. ...

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

There are several films based on this novel; IMDb entails five adaptations[1]: The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) [1] is an online database of information about actors, movies, television shows, television stars and video games. ...

The 1965 adaptation titled The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders starred Kim Novak as Moll Flanders, Richard Johnson as Jemmy, and Angela Lansbury as Lady Blystone, with George Sanders as the banker, and Lilli Palmer as Dutchy. // Events Top grossing films North America Mary Poppins The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews Goldfinger My Fair Lady Whats New Pussycat? Shenandoah The Sandpiper Father Goose Academy Awards Best Picture: The Sound of Music - Argyle, Twentieth Century-Fox Best Actor: Lee Marvin - Cat Ballou Best Actress: Julie Christie... Kim Novak (born February 13, 1933) is an American actress. ... Richard Johnson (born July 30, 1927) is a British actor, writer and producer, who starred in several British films of the 1960s and has also had a distinguished stage career. ... Angela Lansbury CBE (born 16 October 1925) is a Tony-winning, Golden Globe-winning, Oscar-nominated, and Emmy-nominated English actress, best-known for playing mystery writer Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote. ... George Sanders (July 3, 1906 – April 25, 1972) was an English actor in British and American films. ... Lilli Palmer (born Lillie Marie Peiser on May 24, 1914 in Posen, Prussia, Germany (then - after WW I - Poznań, Poland) - January 27, 1986 in Los Angeles) was an international actress. ...

A 1975 British TV adaptation, Moll Flanders, aired on BBC starring Julia Foster as Moll and Kenneth Haigh as Jemmy. This is a list of television-related events in 1975. ... For other uses, see Television (disambiguation). ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion (US$7. ... Julia Foster (born 2 August 1943) is a British actress. ... Kenneth Haigh (born March 25, 1930 in Mexborough, Yorkshire) is a British actor. ...

A later US adaptation is the 1996 Moll Flanders starring Robin Wright Penn as Moll Flanders and Morgan Freeman as Hibble, with Stockard Channing as Mrs. Allworthy. This is a list of film-related events in 1996. ... Robin Virginia Wright Penn (born April 8, 1966) is an American film actress who first became famous on television, playing Kelly Capwell on the soap opera Santa Barbara. ... Dawsons Creek director, see Morgan J. Freeman. ... Stockard Channing press kit photo Stockard Channing (born Susan Antonia Williams Stockard on February 13, 1944) is an American actress. ...

A second British TV adaptation, aired also in 1996, on ITV and PBS titled The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders shows Alex Kingston starring as Moll and Daniel Craig as Jemmy. This is a list of television-related events in 1996. ... It has been suggested that Channel 3 (UK) be merged into this article or section. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... Alex Kingston Alexandra Kingston (born March 11, 1963, in Surrey, England) is a British actress best known for her role as Elizabeth Corday on the NBC medical drama ER. Kingston grew up in Epsom, on the outskirts of London, the eldest of three daughters of a butcher and his German... Daniel Wroughton Craig [1] (born 2 March 1968 [2] in Chester, England) is a BAFTA-nominated English actor best known as the sixth actor to portray secret agent James Bond in the official film series from EON Productions. ...

In 2007, director Ken Russell has Lucinda Rhodes-Flaherty as Molly. This section does not cite any references or sources. ... Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell, known as Ken Russell (born July 3, 1927), is a controversial English film director, particularly known for his films about famous composers. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Note that according to IMDb, none of the movie adaptations attempt to capture all of the plotting of the novel, though the four hour 1996 mini-series does include most of the salient details. Also in IMDb, the plot of the theatrical release starring Penn (released in the same year), is said to bear no resemblance to the novel apart from the names of the characters and the general setting of early eighteenth century Britain.

External links

• The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, available at Project Gutenberg.
• The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders at the Internet Movie Database (1965 movie)
• Moll Flanders at the Internet Movie Database (1975 TV movie)
• Moll Flanders at the Internet Movie Database (1996 movie)
• The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders at the Internet Movie Database (1996 TV movie)