Moll Flanders Morality - 1986 Words

Sweeping generalizations made against a subgroup of the population have never favored well within a historical perspective. Countless wars and revolutions were fought to discredit generalizations because they are often either societal racism, sexism, or other maliciously conceived fallacies. While the Fortunes and Misfortunes of The Famous Moll Flanders and Company by Daniel Defoe reflects many of the ideologies upheld by eighteenth-century social culture, the book also invokes some startling theories. The most disturbing and widely respected synecdoche was that members of the middle class are morally inferior to those in higher classes. While Defoe does allude to the immorality of Great Britain’s middle class, at several points within the†¦show more content†¦As an infant, her life path was quite distorted. Moll states the â€Å"first account that I can recollect, or could ever learn of myself, was that I had wandered among a crew of those people they call gypsies,à ¢â‚¬  a group of individuals that were widely looked down upon by the general public as thieves and sinners (45). ] It is important to note, all of the misfortune that were recounted in the former were not at the hand of Moll herself but instead at her mother’s, yet her status in society was lower because of them. In fact, Moll’s lot in life had been damaged long before she could even develop a moral standing. In a lucky twist of fate, Moll found herself in the care of a local parsonage where she was placed in the care of a woman who taught her how to make a living for herself as a seamstress. Individuals living in the middle class during the eighteenth century often had outside pressures placed upon them that kept their social mobility stagnant; these outside pressures, coupled with societal stereotyping, often lead to great resentment towards their oppressors. For society to say that Moll was placed in the middle or lower class because of her inferior virtue is unfounded, and this theme is reflected in Defoe’s writing about Moll’s early beginnings. It is indisputable that Moll’s moral standing changes drastically to reflect the stereotypical immorality of her class, however, after some reflection, it isShow MoreRelatedMorality and Religion in Defoes Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders1143 Words   |  5 PagesBeing a chosen one is a puritanist approach so Defoe reflects his prutanist ideas by mentioning this. According to Defoe crowd takes people away from basic realities of life.We can see this thought in both book of him, Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders .In Robinson Crusoe when he is in England he doesnt think of God and religion much, society makes him irreligious and careless.However when he decieds to go far and starts his journey , a transformation comes into being in his philosophy.The timeRead MoreMoll Flanders Morality1859 Words   |  8 PagesIn the novel Moll Flanders, Daniel Defoe, author, utilized the story of Moll Flanders to enforce his religious ideas and high morals on his readers. During this time period, the general notion of morality was correlated with social class and financial state rather than religion; furthermore, people in higher social standings were depicted as having higher morals because of their financial status. 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