A Pilgrimage To Happiness-Moll Flanders' Endeavour To Become A Gentlewoman

Daniel Defoe was an English writer living in the 18th century, when his country was undergoing the great change from feudal society to capitalist society. While the upper classes made use of their existing property to gain more profit, the lower classes found their life more and more difficult in living in the capitalist society. Lower class women led a harder life because they were considered as the feebler gender, less talented than their male counterparts, and not able to take part in the trade. Actually, it was men who created this kind of patriarchal society to make their status higher than women. All the factors mentioned above are the social background of Moll Flanders, Daniel Defoe's first novel centering on woman.Moll Flanders, a female orphan in the patriarchal capitalist society, is willing to become a gentlewoman of the upper class. However, women are inferior at that time, which makes her endeavor difficult during her journey towards her dream of becoming a gentlewoman. What is more, in Defoe's point of view, it is not only the tradition but also the lack of opportunities which results from their lack of education and skills that lead to Moll's hardness in her quest. This kind of view is also fully illustrated with her success in the new world.This thesis is divided into five parts. In the Introduction, the author will briefly introduce the social background of this novel and the reason for discussing this topic. Chapter One is entitled "The Development of'Gentlewoman'in Moll's Mind", which is mainly about the formation of the concept and the change of it as Moll grows up, Chapter Two is named as "Moll's Pursuit of Her Dream via Marriage", in which the author will discuss Moll's efforts to realizing her dream in her five marriages and a liaison, although she fails it. Chapter Three is "Moll's Success in Realizing Her Dream", which is about her life experience as a thief, and her final success in the new world. In the Conclusion, this thesis want to express that women can not achieve their independence through men, and they can only get that by themselves.