Immoralities Found in Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders

ABSTRACT

Speaking about literature can not be separated from the message that the author wants to convey or present to the readers. By presenting something immoral in the story, the author of the novel does not mean that he wants the readers to follow it. But it is clearly an education that teaches the readers not to do that immoral behavior. Like in novel of Daniel Defoe, Moll Flanders, its story contains some kinds of immoralities of the main character, Moll Flanders.

Based on the background above, it can be formulated some problems as follows: (1) what are immoralities done by the main character Moll Flanders in Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders. (2) what causes of immoralities done by the main character Moll Flanders in Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders and (3) what are effects of immoralities done by the main character Moll Flanders in Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders. The purposes of that study are to describe the immoralities done by the main character Moll Flanders, the causes and the effects of immoralities done by the main character Moll Flanders in Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders.

Theories used in this study are structure of novel, literature and moral, morality, object of moral, moral and ethic, morality and religion, morality and law, immorality, the causes of immoral acts, the effects of immorality acts, and moral approach in literary criticism.

This study applies a literary criticism because in this study the writer conducts discussion of literature, including description, analysis, and interpretation of a literary work. In addition, the writer applies the moral approach because this study analyzes what moral messages want to be conveyed by the author.

From this study, there are three findings can be stated. First, the immoralities done by the main character Moll Flanders are adultery, bigamy, incest, and theft. Second, the causes of immoralities done by the main character Moll Flanders are economic necessity, passionate desire and Moll’s devil. Third, the effects of immoralities done by the main character Moll Flanders are a law sanction, psychological problem, and a moral sanction.

Finally, it is suggested for next researchers to investigate other literary works from some objects or analyze the same works from different points of view.