Emma Woodhouse, Moll Flanders, Elinor and Marriane Dashwood

Eighteenth Century English Novels

   Emma Woodhouse, Moll Flanders, Elinor and Marriane Dashwood were all fictional characters in 18th century English novels. Within the past few years, their stories have been re-told in movies released in theaters and on TV. An interest in particularly the works of Jane Austen has been revived.

   Daniel Defoe's pamphlet The Shortest Way with the Dissenters (1702) was judged to be critical of the Anglican Church. He was fined, put in the Charing Cross Pillory, and then put in Newgate Prison.

   Novels such as Jane Austen's Emma, Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility, Samuel Richardson's Pamela, and Daniel Defoe's controversial book Moll Flanders give insights about the status of women in the 18th century and of persons who were poor or even of moderate income.

   The women in these novels help us to understand better John Wesley's concern for ministering with those who were poor and/or in prison and his including women as leaders within his movement.

   John Wesley Preaches at Newgate Prison

For Further Study

Authors and Writings During Wesley's Time

• Jane Austen (1775-1817)
• Definitions of 18th Century Words
• Eighteenth Century E-Texts on the Web
• Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)
• Adam Bede by George Eliot (1819-1880)
  This book is a 19th century one, but of interest because the character of Dinah Morris was based on Methodist preacher Elizabeth Evans (She Offered them Christ, p. 121). The drawing at the right is of George Eliot.
• Newgate Prison, historical background
• Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) a famous British writer and lexicographer, was a leading literary figure in the second half of the 18th century and a friend of Charles Wesley's.
• Pamela: Economy, The Novel, & Women about the 18th century novel by Samuel Richardson and women of that time

Return: Quiz Questions

   This quiz is based on information in John Wesley: Holiness of Heart and Life copyright © 1996 Charles Yrigoyen, Jr.

   The drawing near the top of most the web pages for Holiness of Heart and Life depicts the Reverend John Wesley (1703-1791) at age 48. All of the black and white drawings have been scanned by Nancy A. Carter from public domain nineteeth century or early twentieth century Methodist history books. Please acknowledge this web site, John Wesley: Holiness of Heart and Life, http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/, if you reproduce these. Sorry, the graphics are available only in the 72 dpi resolution you see here.

E-mail: acraig@gbgm-umc.org