Social pressures and personal circumstances is another way crime is presented. Defoe presents his whores as ordinary people who are normal products of their environment, victims of circumstances which anyone might have experienced and which provokes exactly the same moral conflicts between means and ends as they faced by other members of society. For Roxana the absences of her husband, who left her with the responsibility of caring for five children, leaves Roxana in a difficult situation, so whoring herself at first to her landlord seemed to be the only option for survival as she is on the verge of absolute poverty. In the early stages of the novel Amy presents a strong argument to Roxana. Roxana begins by saying to Amy ‘What consent to lye with him for bread?’ Amy replies ‘It would not be lawful for anything else but for bread, Madam, why nobody can starve’. Roxana, completely convinced by Amy says ‘If he should give me an estate to live on, he should lye with me.’ Roxana thinks about the situation logically and rationally and decides to give up her chastity but it is upsetting that for woman in these times their bodies were almost the only thing they could offer to a man in return for a stable standard of living, so one has to sympathies with Roxana due to the difficult situation she is in, the reader shouldn’t look at her negatively especially when indiviulas such as Amy point out to her ‘why nobody can starve’. After the brutal death of her lover, her landlord, Roxana attempts to sell the jewels that he had left with her, one has to question her integrity, but it shows the lengths that people would go to maintain the material goods they possess. Although Roxana is an intelligent woman, and arguably she was more than capable to improve her lifestyle by using legal means, Defoe expresses that women were at a disadvantage; Moll Flanders quotes ‘The market is against our sex’. Here Defoe expresses his feelings through Moll Flanders, as he was interested in women's oppression, as he believed that women were oppressed, especially in marriage. Roxana refuses to marry the Dutch Merchant on various occasions, as she believed woman were at a disadvantage as marriage was more of a patriarchal institution. Moll only married for financial gain this is a term that Defoe described as ‘Matrimonial Whoredom’
Like Roxana, Moll Flanders is a victim of society and circumstantial issue. Moll was born into poverty. From an early age, Moll is socially aware of her low status but she refers to herself as a ‘Gentlewoman’, which expresses her ambitions to have the fine things in life and to be accepted by society. Here it could be argued that Moll wants the desired social status that Roxana also achieves . Moll Flanders, like Rastigmac and Julien Soreal, is a characteristic product of modern individualism in assuming that she owes it to herself to achieve the highest economic and social rewards and in using every available method to carry out her resolve. Even Moll admits that ‘the dreadful necessity of circumstances is cause’, meaning the reason why she commits crimes. In one occasion Moll begins sewing lace for a particular wealthy woman, however Moll is still relatively poor. The rich woman has to brothers that Moll acquaints herself with, she prostitutes herself to to two of them. They both spoil her excessively with fine clothes and ornaments she says in one occasion, ‘He had furnished me very sufficiently with money for extraordinary express of my lying in I had everything’. One may look down upon Moll as a whore, however ones has to consider she is not educated like Roxana and her ambition to be a ‘gentlewoman’ is still at large, so it is either she took this opportunity or not. To Moll’s horror she commits another crime, she later finds out that the two brothers she lays with are too her own brothers. This has a continuing appeal to a modern day reader because it I hilarious that Moll prostitutes herself to two brothers who actually are her brothers it is a bizarre experience for Moll. It is engaging for a modern day reader, as incest tends to occur when both relations are aware they are related, whereas Moll isn’t aware. Moll indulges in crime not just for survival but to have the fine clothes and ornaments. Moll says ‘ I needed to dress well in order to mingle’. Defoe makes it evident in both novels that society was beginning to be more capitalist, so as times changed Roxana and Moll, too had to modernize in order to be respected and accepted by society. Moll fine clothes and ornaments and Roxana expensive Turkish dress are symbols of the pressures in society to live lavishly.
However both Roxana and Moll reasons for indulging in crime are not strong sociological arguments, such as we might make today: they don’t ask themselves why a certain percentage of the population is destitute, they just want to make sure they are not one of them. However their determination not to be destitute shows their survival instincts. Also Defoe shows the emergence of an individualistic society where people tend not to look at religion for answers and rather take matters into their own hands.
The relationship between crime and identity has to be explored. For example Moll’s name is a common slang term in these times for a woman of low repute, often the girlfriend of a professional thief, Flanders was a term to describe women in prostitution. In Roxana where Roxana leaves her lavish life momentarily, she takes up Quaker dressing. This way of dressing is a drastic change from her lavish gorgeous dresses, which emphasis the change from her high life and erotic encounters to a simple way of living. Roaxna Turkish dress reveals her criminal identity as a courtesan. It interesting as their names are clear indications of their true identities and purposes. Roxana and Moll Flanders hide away behind their names and costumes to protect their identity, however their hidden identities explain that they don’t want to accept who they and are afraid of who they are and how people will react to them like in Robinson Crusoe. Defoe creates characters similar to how he felt about himself as he even changed his name from Foe to Defoe.
Crime is presented by the association with the devil’s works in both of these novels. Firstly it has to be considered that crime in the 16th century was seen either as the work of the influence of the devil, considering at this period people tended to be very superstitious. In Moll Flanders, Moll believes the crimes she commits is caused by her devil, it says in the text ‘She had enough to work on but the devil sends her out unto the streets’. It is interesting as Moll describes the Devil as a person Moll also refers to herself as a ‘busy devil’. The language used here is very interesting as the word busy often refers to hard work or a dedication to work, whereas the word devil contradicts the word busy as devil associates with evil or negative works, which causes an overall effect of irony.
In Roxana, where Roxana prostitutes Amy to her landlord, after Roxana realizes that what she did was immoral and indeed a sin she says she is the ‘instrument of the devil’s works’. This has a continuing appeal because the reader shocked that Roxana, supposedly a woman of virtue forces Amy, her closest friend, and pimps her to her landlord. Here it questionable whether Roxana has an ounce of integrity in left her. Although she admits she was the instrument of the ‘devils works’ one still has to be amazed at what people will do just to fulfill their own selfish gains. This is similar in Volpone by Ben Jonson, where the character of Corvino forgets all virtue and decided to pimp his own wife. However can it be argued that Moll and Roxana use notion of the ‘devil’ as a way to elevate the blame that they feel is already upon them. Also the actual meaning of the devil has to put into consideration. In the period in which Defoe lived, the devil was often described as a hideous creature with horns and jagged teeth. However in the novels Roxana and Moll Flanders, could the devil represent the poverty that eats away in their society, which ultimately leads them to committing crime? However in today’s society there is a less emphasize on the relationship of devil and people who commit crimes. There is a strong emphasis on the human conscience where people have a choice whether to commit crime or not, whereas in the 16th century people who committed crimes believed it was beyond their control, that they were controlled by a devil of some sort.
Looking deeper into these two novels it is noticeable how forceful and prolific Moll is in committing crime, whereas Roxana doesn’t seem to seek to commit crimes. In Moll Flanders, Moll is very assertive, when she wants something she is very determined to use any means to get what she wants. For example there is a situation in the novel where Moll cleverly convinces an accountant to leave his wife, as she was a whore, it is ironic considering Moll is also a whore herself. The accountant asks Moll for advice and Moll seizes this opportunity, as she knows that the man fancies her. The accountant says to Moll ‘What I’m to do’; Moll replies ‘you must run away from her, to find a more virtuous women’ (referring to herself). The man then says to Moll ‘will you take me, madam?’ Here Moll takes the advantage of the vulnerable gentlemen to again, marry into wealth. Although this may not be seen as a crime in the ‘eyes’ of the law, her devious and sly manner could be seen as deviant rather than criminal. Episodes such this have a continuing appeal as a modern has to marvel at her wit and how she, in this situation she has a higher status than the male as she full y controls the situation by manipulation. Even when Moll begins to age and realizes she is no more attractive, she begins to steal. Moll is very forceful and prolific when she begins thieving. My point is that Moll Flanders is attracted to crime as unarguable that she takes every opportunity to commit crimes when she will benefit from it. This is evident in one episode where Moll steals a lace and a reward is up for the return of the lace. Moll steals and then returns it just to be entitled to the money. This has a continuing appeal to a contemporary reader as we see Moll reached the depths of desperation, but one has to admire her for her with and the will power she has for doing the unthinkable. On the contrary Roxana receives tempting offers. For example her landlord offers her help in the time of her distress and forms a relationship with Roxana. Roxana commits adultery as she is still married to her first husband. She not only commits a crime against the state but against herself she says ‘ we were no more than two adulterers.’ She also says ‘ I sinn’d with open eyes, and thereby had a double guilt upon me.’ The words ‘open eyes’ express that she is openly aware of the severity of her crimes. Unlike Moll, Roxana regrets the life she had chose to live. Back to my initial argument Roxana, receives another tempting offer where after the death of her landlord. The Prince of France takes the advantage to soothe, care and court Roxana. The Dutch Merchant she meets later on also tries to marry her, but she refuses. Concluding to this Moll is a woman who is attracted to crime, whereas Roxana seems to be a woman that is unfortunate in attracting crime and tempting offers.
Another interesting factor I discovered about how Defoe presents crime is the important issue of whoring. Roxana considers herself a whore because she sleeps with her landlord, while she is still married to a man who has ran away from her. Roxana begins to love her landlord besides the comfortable lifestyle she lives. Even, though she still considers herself a whore. Roxana does commit adultery to an extent, but she forms a stable family and a happy lifestyle with her landlord. In today’s society Roxana act wouldn’t be describe as whoring or prostitution, and adultery wouldn’t be a crime in the ‘eyes’ of the law. Also whoring or prostitution in today’s society is based upon a direct exchange of money for sexual pleasure, no emotions, liking, or loving or relationships are formed, whereas in Roxana she falls in love. However Roxana’s extra martial affairs does cause excitement and tension. This is where Roxana spots her first husband in small dinner party. She doesn’t approach him at all. This peculiar situation can be referred to as a criminal episode because if Moll were caught she would have faced public humiliation and possibly death; this is because she also was also secretly the mistress of the Prince of France. This episode has a continuing appeal to a modern day reader as Defoe creates a typical soap opera situation where the protagonist is caught in a difficult situation, and the reader constantly tries to imagine what will happen next, which ultimately keeps the reader in deep interest.
There are also little interesting details in the way Defoe presents crime in these two novels. For example the irony of Moll Flanders being born in a prison seems as though a criminal life was destined for her, for example the quotation: ‘the vanity of the mother is blamed for the child wearing the necklace’. The quotation gives the impression that there is a connection between kin and crime, it is almost as if Moll’s mother had passed on to her a ‘criminal gene’. It can be argued that Moll did follow in the footsteps of her mother as she too was dispatched to Virginia. Maybe, this is where the reader has to sympathize with Moll, believing that her nature of committing crime is genetic and beyond her control. Another interesting part of the novel where crime is presented is the scene where Moll kidnaps a child and contemplates killing the child. This is a turning point as Moll reveals her dark side, the reader sees Moll in her previous encounters as a thief and whore but contemplating murder shocks the modern day reader. Episodes such as this are intriguing and have continuing appeal because not only does Moll reveal a dark side the reader can easily sympathies with the villain rather than the victim.
In Roxana crime is presented in a peculiar way. For example when Roxana and Amy are caught up in a vicious storm, and are on the verge of death, Roxana cries out ‘Heaven! Go to heaven’, it unusual Roxana doesn’t says she going to hell rather than heaven, considering the crimes she has committed. On the other hand Amy begins to say ‘Lord have Mercy upon me! Amy then says she would ‘lead a new life, if God would spare her but this time’. Although they do not die, they return to their wretched life of crime. It seems as though the boat incident could have been a sign trying to encourage them to leave their immoral lifestyle. This is similar in Dr Fasutus written by Christopher Marlowe, where Faustus is given countless opportunities to give up he corrupt lifestyle but refuses. This has a continuing appeal, as the audience is puzzled and literally frustrated at Roxana for not giving up her life of crime. Another crime Roxana commits against herself, besides selling her body is even when she reaches her preferred status, as she is highly respected through Europe her crime is being not able give up her life of vice even when she is living comfortably. In comparing how crime is presented it is worthwhile considering how both the stories end. It is ironic despite the fact that Moll committed a lot of crimes she still has a happy ending. It is almost as if that if she didn’t commit those crimes she wouldn’t have not gone to prison in Virginia, which again is ironic as her mother was also sentenced to death for theft, but she lucky leave the prison with her new lover. It gives the impression that an at times crime does pay. Whereas in Roxana she pays dearly for her life of crime, she falls into heavy sickness and dies. Defoe may have did this to express his personal feelings that those who do not have any reason to indulge in crime should stay away from crime, it could be argued that Roxana necessarily didn’t have to indulge in crime as she was highly educated and could have gained wealth in any other way. The overall appeal of both of these novels to modern day audience is the suspense, intrigue and tension that are built when the reader asks them self ‘will they be caught’. Concluding to this Roxana is a woman fatally torn between the dull virtue of middle-class respectability and the evil attractions of the beckoning city lights. Moll Flanders is woman who is strong in determination and saw crime as her only option to live well as many other women.
