Daniel Defoe's Depiction of Desire in Romantic Literature

The Romantic period came at a time of revolution throughout much of America and Europe, the glorious revolution resulting in triumph at waterloo, scientists and manufacturers were pushing the bounds of industry, during the industrial evolution and many authors began to do the same. Pushing the confines of society particularly in the field of desire. Interestingly, I will be examining Daniel Defoe (Moll Flanders) and his concept of desire, as this author uses a woman as the main protagonist of desire.

Daniel Defoe writes an autobiographical account of Moll's life; however, her desire is not sexual in nature, her desire is to escape servanthood and become a 'gentlewomen' of her own accord; this is Moll's inspiring theme in her life. She is portrayed as a resilient young woman who simply refuses to change her life goals regardless of how she manages to achieve them.

In 1722, women could not own property or have wealth without marrying in some way, they were very much under the ownership of men whether that be their father, husband, or ward at the time. Defoe made the revolutionary comment on women (through his works; not a literal comment) that women can have their own power by being masters over their own wealth and social situation; a modern remark on women’s desire for freedom. This desire to switch social class that we see in Fantomina and Moll Flanders alike, was common throughout the eighteenth century, albeit difficult to achieve.

'This set the old Gentlewoman a Laughing at me, as you may be sure it would: Well, Madam forsooth, says she, Gibing at me, you would be a gentlewoman, and pray how will you come to be a Gentlewoman? what, will you do it by your Fingers Ends?'. The above quote exemplifies the nature of social hierarchy in the eighteenth century and how laughable it seemed, that Moll would ever become anything close to a gentlewoman. This treatment of desire reiterates how this aspiration is treated as completely unobtainable; especially for a woman such as Moll, with very little to her name. Her expected life would be to become a lowly house servant and live a simple albeit mundane lifestyle. In this period, it was easier to fall down the social ladder, perhaps by loosing your wealth but it was next to impossible to move up the social ladder; Moll’s desire by societies standards was ridiculous; similar to how Fantomina would have been perceived.

However, Moll had her own interpretation of a gentlewoman as being one who could make her own living and not fall victim to being a house servant or joining the service. This makes her goal somewhat more achievable as she was a fairly talented sewer. Moll had the fundamental desire to become a Gentlewoman, this became more difficult as she grew older, her standards changed greatly. She fell into society's trap, that to be a successful gentlewoman one had to have material possessions, and a great few of them; this helps us understand Moll's life of crime as a side effect of her desire.

Moll has a desire for money, in fact she is so lustful of it, at times it stirs her into her passions more so than the man before her 'My Colour came and went, at the Sight of the Purse, and with the fire of his Proposal together; so that I could not say a Word, and he easily perceived it; so putting the Purse into my Bosom, I made no more Resistance to him, but let him do just what he pleased; and as often as he pleased; and thus I finished my own Destruction at once, for from this Day, being forsaken of my Virtue, and my Modesty, I had nothing of Value left to recommend me, either to God's Blessing, or Man's Assistance'. Her desire to become a gentlewoman has also mixed with her desire for money this is reflective of Moll's nineteenth century counterpart described in my secret life, who has her vagina filled with shilling pieces, this sexual-financial symbolism is to become more explicit in Moll's narrative. Defoe seems to be making the comment that Moll, is using her body as currency because as a woman in this period, it was really all she truly had. This bears the question, does Moll desire power and money or does she desire to be a 'gentlewoman' or perhaps, are these one and the same? And if so, can one ever have enough?

Defoe states himself at the beginning that this story is supposed to convey a very serious moral however it is interesting that throughout the novel Moll's immorality and desire remain excused as 'material necessity' even though we see at times Moll is set up with enough money etc to offer her a comfortable life. Is Defoe trying to show that desire, in any accord, is healthy until it moulds into obsession? Similar perhaps to Fantomina's obsession with Beauplaisir, Moll becomes obsessed with her desire for material possession as society dictates a necessity.

Moll is a character that would cause a stir in her period, yet she is undoubtedly interesting despite her unethical behaviour. Defoe seems to have envisioned his heroine as self-reliant, dedicated and someone who isn’t afraid of human labour; even in relation to crime. However, he also has the prominent theme of greed as aforementioned. Moll uses people, to her they almost seem like commodities, merely there to be bartered and brokered for example her marriage to Robin; the £500 bribe made her say yes rather quickly. Defoe intentionally influences the reader to view Moll as avaricious, using commercial language throughout his novel 'I found there was a suit of childbed-linen in it, very good and almost new, the lace very fine; there was a silvery porringer of a pint, a small silver mug and six spoons, with some other linen, a good smock, and three silk handkerchiefs, and in the mug, in a paper, 18s.6d, in money', he shows us the outer version of Moll, one that is hardened and determined in her desire to not be poor.

Is Moll's desire to be a gentlewomen or perhaps in a deeper sense, is her desire to survive. Defoe skirts around a lot of ethical obscurity, he shows Moll's internalised thought and her justification for her crimes, making the audience sympathise with her and her desire to survive. Defoe brings awareness to the struggles that humans deal with on a daily basis bringing light to the human struggle for survival, this desire is a universal one that would reverberate within his audience.

Interestingly, Moll never fully repents of her lifestyle, her honesty and frankness in this recount of her life lull the audience into a false sense of security yet it is impossible to deny she is an unreliable narrator. Thus, we must disbelieve her confession and consider her repentance ersatz. She is reluctant to fully repent of her lucrative lifestyle; her desire is strong even in the face of a death punishment. She lives off what she stole, having a comfortable even luxurious retirement which proves her desire to survive is ever strong.

This ending, where Moll lives the rest of her life with her money and seemingly no consequence, shows that Defoe does not think badly of desire. Particularly Moll's desire to survive and be more than what she was born and told she could be. Defoe shows the contrast between Christian ethics and societal class positions compared with the human struggle to survive and the natural born desire to do so and do so well. 'In sincere Penitence, for the wicked Lives [they] have lived', this particular phrase seems almost mocking in tone, again showing her remorse as more of a ruse to escape death than a genuine confession; Defoe walks the line carefully, with just enough punishment for her desire so as to avoid trouble but a firm acceptance of it, certainly in some parts, in agreement with her desire.

To conclude, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact treatment of desire within this romantic period however it is clear to see there is a shift, Defoe shows the universal desire to survive and uphold one's social standing. The author is creating ripples, turning to waves, in his texts, Defoe, that a desire to survive should not end in a hanging; the author gives warning of greed. Too much desire can have consequences, a life in the balance; desire is not good nor bad, a little is needed for survival.