In this satirical faux autobiography, Moll Flanders, abandoned at birth, sets her rebellious heart on a life of independence in late 17th-century England. A strong-willed woman, she is determined to make a better life for herself, no matter what it takes: thievery, prostitution, seductions, marriages, or illicit liaisons. Born to a convicted felon in Newgate prison Moll learns to live off her wits, refusing to be a helpless victim...
and defying most traditional depictions of women of the era.
Though first published in 1722, Moll's account of her endurance and survival still strongly resonates with today's audience just as much as it did to its original readers. Moll Flanders was one of the first social novels to be published in English and draws heavily on Defoe's experience of the social conditions that were prevalent in the London of the late 17th century.
Defoe was no stranger to misfortune as in one form or another, it pursued him continually. He wrote of himself: 'No man has tasted differing fortunes more. And 13 times I have been rich and poor.'
It wasn't until the age of 59 that Defoe began to write the first of his novels and other fictional writings that resulted in him being called the father of the English novel.
His works are still loved today due to his remarkable insight into human nature.
.jpg)
.jpg)
