Moll: The Victim Of Capitalist Social Relations

Moll Flanders was one of the representative novels written by English novelist DanielDefoe in1722. It is the first novel to take the female as the protagonist in English literature.This novel aroused much controversy from many scholars after its publication. In manycritics’ eyes Moll Flanders is often regarded as the immoral novel while Ian Watt and EdwardMorgan Forster speak highly of this novel, Virginia Woolf also comments this novel “fewgreat English novels which we can call indisputably great”. The reasons why such kind ofnovel arouses much controversy are due to many crimes committed by the protagonist. Somescholars merely focus their attention on the protagonist’s crimes. However, her motives tocrimes are often neglected. Other scholars comment on the protagonist’s motives and theauthor’s writing strategies. No matter what kind of comments they have made, Moll’ssufferings and means of survival have elicited the readers’ deep interest over the years.Based on the previous research conducted by many scholars, this thesis gives acomprehensive analysis towards the protagonist’s interpersonal alienation and herself-alienation in the context of rising capitalist economy of the transitional18thcentury.Through analyzing the protagonist’s fate from the perspective of Karl Marx’s alienation itcomes to the conclusion that the protagonist finally becomes the victim of the18thcenturytransitional capitalist social relations. In the meantime, the author makes the protagonist livean upper class life in the uncivilized North America at the end of the novel, which it showsthe author’s hope and utopian ideal towards the idyllic and pastoral life in the comparativelypeaceful and tranquil environment. It is also Defoe’s expectation towards his ideal society.This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter one deals with the background of the authorand his novel. On the one hand it continues to touch upon the literature review at home andabroad around Moll Flanders. On the other hand, this thesis gives the full accounts of thetheory of Karl Marx’s alienation and the manifestation of the protagonist’s alienation in thisnovel. Then the thesis statement is put forward in this novel.Chapter two delves into Moll’s interpersonal alienation. The capitalist marriage system leads to the alienation among social members. Some people begin to pursue money as theirobjectives and they begin to regard woman as sex object or the property in their marriages. Itis difficult for woman to find her true love in that society. Therefore, in the distortedmarriages the protagonist transforms from the passive alienation to the active alienation inorder to survive in that society.Chapter three gives the full analysis towards the protagonist’s distorted human nature.Moll’s interpersonal relationship leads to the loss of her motherhood and her desertion of herown children.Chapter four analyzes Moll’s moral degeneration. Moll has committed many crimesincluding adultery, prostitution, stealing and so on to alienate from traditional ethics in orderto survive in the society. Eventually she alienates herself into the victim of transitional socialenvironment.Chapter five comes to the conclusion that the protagonist becomes the victim of the18thcentury transitional capitalist social relations. In the meantime, the author conveys his utopianideal towards the idyllic and pastoral life in the future through arranging Moll’s success in theend.