Moll Flanders

The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, published in 1722, is Daniel Defoe’s enduring picaresque novel about a woman who survives by her wits in a harsh world. Born in Newgate Prison, Moll rises through marriages, deception, and crime, eventually repenting and attaining respectability. The novel explores issues of class, gender, morality, and survival in 18th-century England. With its confessional style and vivid realism, Moll Flanders is considered a precursor to the modern novel and a landmark in female-centered narrative.