Written by Daniel Defoe in 1722, Moll Flanders followed Defoe’s masterpiece, Robinson Crusoe, which was published in 1719. The title of this book just says it all:
The Fortunes
and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, &c. 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.
If you are looking for an early English novel that provides
a commentary to a system that was in political flux and turmoil…look no
further. Despite what we are conditioned
to see when it comes to the “high morality” of the past, the facts tell us a
completely different story. The 18th
century was sleazy, it was dirty, it was bawdy and it was slutty. You throw that in with the amount of dirt,
grime and liquor that covered the bodies and filled the bellies of the lower
classes, and you had yourself one hell of an Age of Enlightenment…
Moll Flanders is a
political statement, but it is also a tool by which we can examine the truth of
the Era…one that is less stiff and pretty than we like to imagine…
You can read a first edition, third printing copy here:
