Daniel Defoe

The concept of Roxana possessing motherly instincts is a large theme in this text. .
             First, she abandons her own children because her husband had gone missing and she had nothing left in the world "except for her children. She gets ride of the only good things in her life "her children. .
             She then expects to take care of another grown woman and her child, when she cannot even begin to take care of herself, or the children she dispersed of. .
             Roxana is such a multi-layered character. She erases the children from her life, only to assure Amy of her devotion and dedication to caring for her and her child. This is the point in the text where the idea of a "snowball- begins to take effect. Roxana, being the bad decision-maker that she is, promotes her own downfall, which is escaping her past. By assuring Amy that she will help her with her child, Roxana feels as though she can compensate in some way for abandoning her own children. She feels this is a dutiful way to make up for her wrong deeds. .
             With the idea of Roxana being a multi-layered character, any reader can see her obvious obsession with vanity. This all begins after she meets the Prince for the first time. Roxana says, .
             This was the Way, in all the World, the more likely to break in upon my Virtue, if I had been Mistress of any, for I was now become the vainest Creature upon Earth, and particularly, of my Beauty; which, as other People admir'd, so I became every Day more foolishly in Love with myself, than before. (57) .
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             He is a Prince, and Roxana sees nothing but dollar signs when she looks into his eyes. He can offer her the world, and at this point, her vanity obsession is in full swing.
             She will use every one of her seductive skills to win him over. She immediately impresses the Prince, and he says, .
             My Quality sets me at a Distance from you, and makes you ceremonious; your Beauty exalts you to more than an Equality, speak the Language; tis enough to tell you, how agreeable you are to me; how I am surpriz'd at your Beauty, and resolve to make you happy, and to be happy with you.