Moll Flanders, first published in 1722, like many early novels told on the first person narrative and presented as a truthful account, is about the realistic experiences of a woman, Moll Flanders, in the world of 18th century London and the details of her exploits from birth until old age while using motifs and themes like vanity, greed, repentance, women, sex, wealth and criminality.

Daniel Defoe creates in Moll Flanders a character of limitless interest, despite her revealed ethical and moral shortcomings by using a plain, simple and unliterary language, which must be one of many reasons why E. M. Forster called this classic of Daniel Defoe’s, “A masterpiece of characterization.”