The Dual-motif And Ethical Dilemma In Defoe's Novels

There are two obviously conflicting motifs of "accumulating wealth" and "abstaining from greed" in Robinson Crusoe,Moll Flanders and Roxana.On the one hand,the novels focus on the process of accumulating wealth by modern individuals,and take major characters' successfully gaining wealth as ends,affirming choices of accumulating possessions.Robinson amassed a large amount of wealth through overseas trade,reclamation plantations,and management of islands,and he succeeded in stepping into the upper strata of the society.Moore used a combination of marriages and extramarital relations,and even engaged in thieves,accumulated valuable assets,and in the end,the capital became a rich manor;Roxana made a fortune through being a mistress;fortunately,she became a wealthy and honorable countess after many setbacks.On the other hand,frequent moralizing of giving up greed in novels,questions the means and process of amassing wealth,which forms the trend of moralizing opposite to the trend of accumulating wealth.Robinson often condemned himself for not listening to his father's life,obsessed with ignorance,and fortune for prosperity.He hoped that people would be satisfied with God's arrangement.Moore claimed that his experience was entirely for the promotion of morality,and she warned people to refrain from desires;Roxana condemned her not to Morality,depravity and sin,and repeatedly proclaiming that people should restrain vanity and ambition.Obviously,two motifs are co-existing and questioning each other,which turns novels into divisive texture.At the same time,the two themes are also filled with cracks.As for the narrative of collecting wealth,the improper origin of the wealth obtained by the collectors is always ironic as a result of successful enrichment;the neglect of the family members and the absence of family in their storytelling constitute another aspect which questioning the theme of accumulating wealth.In the theme of abstaining from desire,the protagonists as narrators often have obvious contradictions in their narrative process,which makes their preaching appear not to be sincere and reliable;the narrator's repentance is always full of utilitarianism.The moral teachings it conveys are obviously lacking persuasion.Behind the split between the theme and the text,there is a cultural crux.In short,the dividing reflects anxiety of individual values in the 18 th and 19 th century as well as the ethical dilemma of western society.The dual theme is the dual echo of economic pursuits and religious ethics.However,in the historical transition period when the trend of the Puritanism and capitalism grew stronger,the era of Defoe appeared unavoidable confusion and confusion.The root cause of this value puzzle is the inevitable evolution of Protestant ethics and capitalist development.Therefore,the fictional text of fiction has become a manifestation of individual loneliness and anxiety.It has become a representation of the moral dilemma of capitalist culture from its source.