Moll Flanders Blog Site

I know that we've all been analyzing little pieces of the book, but I think it's interesting to look at it from an overall perspective. From her upbringing, which started her off in poverty, to the conclusion of her novel, Moll makes quite a turn around. I think it's also int. that she seems to start off, as a child who has done nothing, worse than she finishes. At the end, she's all repented and happy and changed, and at the beginning, she's the daughter of a convicted felon. Had Moll not gone to prison for her final theft, do you guys think that she would have made her turn-around?

~mary~

I know that we've all been analyzing little pieces of the book, but I think it's interesting to look at it from an overall perspective. From her upbringing, which started her off in poverty, to the conclusion of her novel, Moll makes quite a turn around. I think it's also int. that she seems to start off, as a child who has done nothing, worse than she finishes. At the end, she's all repented and happy and changed, and at the beginning, she's the daughter of a convicted felon. Had Moll not gone to prison for her final theft, do you guys think that she would have made her turn-around?

okay guys, its time for me to wrap up my whole Moll Flanders experience with one final post. So here goes:

Overall, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I expected I would. I found it difficult to relate to Moll, or even keep up with her husbands. I really didn't get a finger on her personality, other than the obvious traits (like the economic self-interest) shown in her actions. I got to the end of the book and I was like, "what did this teach me?" really, nothing. I didn't even think it was that good of a social commentary, although i guess it did explore more candidly than other books of the era the lower and criminal classes.

btw, defoe was a dissenter, and i believe not a puritan... i havent decided exactly what a dissenter is, but i doubt it was seriously religious. From my biography research, it seems that defoe's father wanted him to be a minister, but he opted against it, though he remained tolerant of other's religions for his whole life.

I think i'm gonna write my paper on Moll's "repentance", which i Believe never happened. that is, i suppose, the most interesting aspect of the book to me. THis blog has been an interesting and new way for me to communicate my thoughts as I read the book and i get a kick out of going back and reading old posts. i think the blog was pretty successful about answering questions and ideas raised by previous posts but still moving along and discussing themes. But I'll leave you all with one more major question: why did defoe write this? What themes was he exploring?

hasta
-katie

I was reading a critique of Moll Flanders ( yay, i found more) and it said that Defoe believed that economic self interest was a part of the human psyce. With that tidbit known, it makes sense that Moll, a character of Defore, would be so motivated for financial gain. This was obvious on her various persuits in the novel. She constantly decieved others in hope of some type of monitary gain. It started from the beginning of the novel. Moll wanted to be a gentlewoman of a high social status. She constantly married ( in hopes of money) and stole to acheive her goal of financial security.

What I found interesting about the criticism was that it said that Defoe's ideal of this economic self interest contradicted with Puritan social and religious values. It's ironic that the character of Moll, a woman driven by her own economic self interest who turned "good", would be written by Defoe. Maybe he was trying to make some sort of statement. ( paper idea!)

What was so funny about reading this book, was that I found myself defending Moll and her actions ( look @ my other posts). I think that's really cool because I never usually get into assigned books:) Peace and Love

~Mz. Ivy

Okay, so now that I'm done with the book, I'm going to talk about Defoe. Weird guy. I found out some really interesting stuff while trying to write my biography. The most interesting thing I found was that he published his novels, Moll Flanders and A Journal of the Plague Year, as authentic memoirs because he wanted people to believe that the works weren't fictional. I think his ability as a journalist probably allowed him to do this -- because he was such an excellent, convincing journalist, he could make people believe almost anything he wrote, using the same "journalistic" type of writing style.

I also thought it was interesting that Defoe published A General History of the Pyrates under a pseudonymn and no one knew it was Defoe until MUCH later. Something I read said 100 years? I don't know much about this book, but I'm sure it would be interesting to try and see why Defoe published it under a pseudonymn.

'Nuff for now. :)
~mary~

Katie, i must say, you have a really good point. Ha Ha, you blew my little paragraph out of the water . It did seem as though Moll always tried to justify her scandalous past. An example would have to be when Moll stole a child's necklace. In the end,when she looked back on her past actions, she saw no real problem in stealing the necklace because the child was unharmed. But then again, maybe Moll was regretful. She had to be manipulative all her life, and how can you expect her to change her ways to easily. Who can really turn over a new leaf over night. It takes time.

Is anyone else sorta struggling to find 5 critques? I found stuff on Defoe, but nothing specifically on the novel.

// posted by Ivana @ Monday, March 01, 2004

Hey guys. Congrats to Ivy on Maryland...

I just finished the book today (yay!) and I kinda disagree with Ivy about the end. Though Moll does find a sympathetic priest in Newgate, and does find it convient to confess all of her sins and hope for salvation and forgiveness before she is hanged (hung?), i think that she does it merely to clear her own concience, not because she is truly sorry. I dont know that is understandable.... its like when you did something bad, and keep it a secret for a long time, and then tell someone, just to tell someone. You're not really sorry, just want to air it out. That's what I think Moll is doing. Even at the end, with her Lancashire husband (LH) and the governess, she still lies and gently manipulates them. She refuses to tell the governess, who has been her partner in crime for YEARS, about her husband, and then refuses to tell her husband, whom she claims to love very much, about her old marraige with her brother for quite a while. I would say that Moll never really repents or feels remorse for her past life... despite the apparently clear last line - Moll and her husband have returned to england "where we resolve to spend the remainder of our years in sincere penitence for the wicked lives we have lived." With a life as blessed with luck and fluctuating fortune as Moll's has been, and married to a rogue of a husband who has had the same, i think the last line can only have been written by a laughing, gently sarcastic Moll, who has accepted her socially unacceptable life, realized that she has mostly enjoyed it, and seen that it came to an absurdly happy conclusion.

-KATIE

I'm getting towards the end of the novel and I find it very interesting how Moll goes on this gradual penitence for her sins. She starts small by repenting her sins in her cell at newgate. Then once she heads to Virginia, she tells all her relatives of her dark past. Basically, she let the cat out of the bag. I really like how Defoe set up the ending of the novel. Almost realistic and just short of cheese;)

~Mz Ivy

I sympathize with the technology issues. I tried to do one of these last night, but my computer decided to fight with me ... Anyway, I'm going to respond to Ivy's second-to-last entry.

"Do you think that Moll's lack of a father figure or a positive male mentor/model affects her relationship with men?" Yes, to an extent. I can certainly see how her lack of a father figure would affect that, but I feel like it has to be part of her personality as well. Not *everyone* without a father figure reacts/grows up like that, dating/marrying/etc. every man that comes along as soon as he comes along. I feel like part of that was Moll's own insecurity which didn't come entirely from her lack of father figure; I think in that case, it was more of an intrinsic thing.

Yes, that's what I think. :)
~mary :) ~
p.s. Congrats to Ivy on getting into college!

Get out of town! (literally!) Congrats. Add another Terp to the table!

Another thought dawned on me in the shower yesterday ( TMI.. sorry), can you really dwell on love and relationships when you don't have any money or food. What is a marriage full of love when there is no food on the table? This little thought coinsides with Moll Flander's manipulation of men. Moll had to look out for number one, Moll Flanders. Thats why Moll stole, lied, and used men. I still think that her actions were wrong and unjust, but how would you act in the same situation?
~ Mz Ivy
ps. i got into university of maryland @ college park...

Hey Guys!
After some techincal problems and computer issues, I'm here to make a few comments on the previous blogs and say some thoughts of my own.

When reading the blog discussions on Moll and her pregnancy, I believe that Moll really did care about her son (duh). Moll felt ashamed and embarrased by her actions, but I think that she showed some type of responsiblity ( ie. the whole foster family process). Her comtimplation on her decision showed that she was compassionate for once. Her embarrassment was almost like her "drive" to do the right thing. But I wonder, what if Moll wasn't ashamed of her actions, what would become of her son?

I thought about something tonight. Do you think that Moll's lack of a father figure or a positive male mentor/model affects her relationship with men? We can all see that she can not commit to one man. When you think about it, how can you love, when never having been loved before in that manner. The father is the first male relationship a daugther develops. Think of Moll's first male relationship... she became his courtisan. How can Moll be expected to commit to anyone when the first man she ever loved/lusted after played with her emtions. More thoughts to come!
~Mz Ivy

thanks, blog on.