Moll's children

Moll Flanders had at least 6 children (it was hard to keep count with her being so indeferent about her offsprings) and abandoned them all. Left 2 with her first husband's family, 1 with the next, 2 with her brother-husband, sold 1 or 2. She was much more occupied with her men than with her children. Even in America where she finds her son, again, for the prospect of income, and he is so welcoming toward her, she is not true and honest with him.
I can see that she is just trying to survive, but her manipulative and dishonest nature is hard to like. I guess I am being self-righteous from my comfortable 21st century air, but could it be that this was the only way to survive as an 18th century woman with neither means nor family? or is it becuase a male writer is writing her story?