# The Elder Brother — Moll Flanders character guide

> The Elder Brother in Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** the elder brother, The elder brother

**First appearance:** 0001-moll-flanders

## Snapshot

The charming eldest son of Moll's foster household, who woos her with money and promises, then abandons her when marriage to a penniless girl becomes inconvenient.

## Who they are

He is the first man to teach Moll that love and economics are inseparable, pressing gold into her hand while insisting she refuse his brother. His seduction is patient and calculated, exploiting her vanity and her precarious position as a dependent in his family's house. His betrayal — refusing to marry her after taking her virtue — sets the pattern of exploitation and self-preservation that shapes Moll's entire subsequent life.

## Relationships

### [Mrs. Betty](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se/characters/mrs_betty)

_romantic_

Mrs. Betty (Moll's alias) is seduced by the Elder Brother, who promises marriage but abandons her.

### [Robin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se/characters/robin)

_family_

Robin is the younger brother of the Elder Brother, and their relationship is strained by the Elder Brother's manipulation.

### [Moll Flanders](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se/characters/moll_flanders)

_romantic_

Moll is seduced by the Elder Brother in her youth, an affair that sets her on a path of deception and survival.

### [The Gentleman at Bath](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se/characters/the_gentleman_at_bath)

_social_

The Elder Brother and the Gentleman at Bath are distant acquaintances, likely from similar social strata.

### [The Bank Clerk](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se/characters/the_bank_clerk)

_social_

The Bank Clerk and the Elder Brother have minimal direct interaction, but are linked through Moll's history.

### [Moll Flanders](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se/characters/moll_flanders)

_romantic_

Moll is seduced by the Elder Brother in her youth, an affair that sets her on a path of deception and survival.

### [Mrs. Betty](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se/characters/mrs_betty)

_romantic_

Mrs. Betty (Moll's alias) is seduced by the Elder Brother, who promises marriage but abandons her.

### [Mrs. Betty](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se/characters/mrs_betty)

_romantic_

Mrs. Betty (Moll's alias) is seduced by the Elder Brother, who promises marriage but abandons her.

### [The Gentleman at Bath](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se/characters/the_gentleman_at_bath)

_social_

The Elder Brother and the Gentleman at Bath are distant acquaintances, likely from similar social strata.

### [The Bank Clerk](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se/characters/the_bank_clerk)

_social_

The Bank Clerk and the Elder Brother have minimal direct interaction, but are linked through Moll's history.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se/characters/the_elder_brother
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/moll_flanders_se/characters