Roxana Essay

Literary Criticism of Daniel Defoe's Novel, Roxana Most critics agree that Daniel Defoe's novel, Roxana, is his darkest work. Author Malinda Snow, who wrote "Arguments to the self in Defoe's Roxana," quotes author David Blewett saying that "Roxana is Defoe's only protagonist who is passive in the face of disaster" (Snow, 1).

Roxana is portrayed as a significant character who is "intensely self-aware, she reasons with herself, judges herself, and ultimately cannot forgive herself' (Snow, l). One of the reasons the novel has such a serious mood and tone is because Roxana seems to constantly be arguing with herself. However, her arguments consist of two parts. Usually she narrates in the "narrative present-- a fixed point in time-- [and it]

It states that "argument provides a means to examine the past, present, or the future" (Snow, 2). This principle relates to Defoe's Roxana by stating that "not only is the internal debate possible, it is central to the novelistic portrayal of human experience" (Snow, 3). Snow also points out a significant observation about Roxana's standing in the community. Since her arguments are private (only to the readers), instead of public (as Aristotle's would have been), it speaks of the views of women in eighteenth century society. Because she is a woman, Roxana is not allowed to have a public stand on topics and is prohibited from speaking of 'significant' affairs. However, the kind of arguments and speech Roxana involves herself with stimulate, change and develop the character throughout the novel. We, as readers, witness her thinking and changing throughout the work, whether they are physical or psychological. "Through her arguments, she [Roxana] has begun to invent a self more to her liking than the naive wife who could be ruined by a fool... she has raised herself, in her own terms, from a wronged wife to a 'Whore for Bread' [Defoe, 74], and thence to the 'Queen of Whores' [Defoe, 82]" (Snow, 5). Often, Roxana asks questions that are not only related to herself, but addressed to others who are close to her, such as the Quaker woman, the Dutch Merchant, and her maid and constant

"Hardned my Heart against my own Flesh and Blood" is the older Roxana looking back on her youthful decision. However, the remainder of the passage is in the present time narrator, (the young Roxana) who is currently in the situation and must make an immediate decision. Snow argues that passages like this are found throughout the book; passages that have a more "practical than tender-hearted" tone, but still follow the "generally accepted morality and wisdom" of that time (Snow, 4). John Richetti, an author and professor? agreed with Snow by calling Roxana "the most conventional and the most disturbing of Defoe's major narratives" (Snow,