moll flanders: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareLiterary, Historical
Quick answer
What does “moll flanders” mean?
The title character and protagonist of Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel 'The Fortunes and Mis fortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders'. She is an Englishwoman who lives a turbulent life involving poverty, crime, prostitution, and eventual redemption.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The title character and protagonist of Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel 'The Fortunes and Mis fortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders'. She is an Englishwoman who lives a turbulent life involving poverty, crime, prostitution, and eventual redemption.
By extension, a literary archetype representing a resourceful, cunning woman from a low social class who uses her wits and sexuality to survive and advance in a hostile world. The term can refer to the novel itself or be used as a cultural reference to a woman with a scandalous or picaresque past.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is nearly identical, rooted in the shared Western literary canon. Slightly higher recognition might be presumed in the UK due to the novel's setting and author's nationality.
Connotations
Connotes a picaresque, morally complex female survivor. In feminist literary criticism, she can be seen as a proto-feminist figure exercising agency within severe constraints.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general discourse. Appears primarily in literary, historical, or gender studies contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “moll flanders” in a Sentence
[Proper Noun as Subject][Proper Noun as Object of Preposition]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “moll flanders” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [Not applicable as a verb]
American English
- [Not applicable as a verb]
adverb
British English
- [Not applicable as an adverb]
American English
- [Not applicable as an adverb]
adjective
British English
- [Rarely used adjectivally] e.g., 'a Moll Flanders-like narrative'.
American English
- [Rarely used adjectivally] e.g., 'a Moll Flanders-esque story of survival'.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in literature, history, and gender studies to discuss 18th-century fiction, the rise of the novel, or representations of women.
Everyday
Rarely used. Might appear in book club discussions or as a cultured allusion.
Technical
Not applicable in technical fields.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “moll flanders”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “moll flanders”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “moll flanders”
- Misspelling as 'Moll Flanders' (missing the second 'l' in Flanders).
- Confusing her with other 18th-century literary heroines like Fanny Hill or Clarissa.
- Using it as a common noun (e.g., 'She's a moll flanders').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Moll Flanders is a fictional character created by author Daniel Defoe in his 1722 novel.
'Moll' was common slang for a criminal's female companion. 'Flanders' may have been chosen for its vague, foreign sound, contributing to her constructed identity. It is a fictional name, not a descriptive title.
It would be a very literary and specific allusion. It implies a woman with a scandalous, adventurous, and difficult past who has shown great resilience, but it can carry judgmental connotations. Use with caution and context.
Central themes include survival, sin and redemption, the role of women in society, the impact of poverty, and the construction of identity and social status.
The title character and protagonist of Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel 'The Fortunes and Mis fortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders'. She is an Englishwoman who lives a turbulent life involving poverty, crime, prostitution, and eventual redemption.
Moll flanders is usually literary, historical in register.
Moll flanders: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmɒl ˈflɑːndəz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmɑːl ˈflændɚz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms. The name itself is the reference]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: MOLL (a slang term for a criminal's girlfriend) + FLANDERS (a region). She's a 'girlfriend' to misfortune from Flanders? Actually, she's a fictional character created by Daniel Defoe.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A JOURNEY OF FORTUNES AND MISFORTUNES; SURVIVAL IS A PERFORMANCE (as she constantly adopts new roles and identities).
Practice
Quiz
What is Moll Flanders primarily known as?