An analysis of the efforts of the main character in Daniel Defoe's Roxana or The Fortunate Mistress to reach higher social status

ABSTRACT

Literature is imaginative writing used to express many aspects of life, such as emotions, ideas, feelings, and experiences. The basic aim of literature is to provide pleasure and enjoyment. Life encompasses feelings, ideas, experiences, passions, and imagination. Literature is a means of reproducing or recreating the experiences and ideas of the author.

For this study, a sociological approach is used to analyze the novel Roxana or The Fortunate Mistress written by Daniel Defoe. The reasons for choosing this topic are twofold. First, the author is a renowned novelist whose works reflect the realities of society at his time, highlighting the growing influence of middle-class attitudes toward money and morals. Second, the researcher is interested in analyzing this novel because the main character has a strong ambition to become a wealthy woman and seeks to understand her efforts to achieve this goal, despite her guilt over her work as a courtesan.

This study aims to address two research problems: First, why is Roxana so ambitious to reach a higher social status? Second, how does Roxana achieve and change her social status to be higher than before?

A qualitative design is formulated, and a descriptive technique of analysis is used. The researcher employs a sociological approach to analyze the novel due to its embodiment of theories of social stratification, as the main character strives for higher social status. The data collection involves the researcher reading the novel to understand it. Subsequently, the researcher selects data relevant to the study problems and conducts an analysis of the collected data.

The analysis reveals that poverty is the main reason for Roxana’s ambition to become wealthy. Additionally, the researcher examines how Roxana uses education and economic means to achieve her goals. With a good education and intelligence, Roxana excels in speaking English and becomes a mistress to influential men, including a landlord, a prince, and a Dutch merchant. Being a courtesan allows her to earn substantial money, which aids her in reaching her desired social status.

Finally, the researcher suggests that further studies could benefit from a broader analysis using different approaches to enrich the understanding of the novel.