19 Facts About Moll Flanders

1.

Moll Flanders is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published in 1722.

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2.

Moll Flanders's mother is a convict in Newgate Prison in London who is given a reprieve by "pleading her belly, " a reference to the custom of postponing the executions of pregnant criminals.

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3.

Moll Flanders's gives birth and the midwife gives a tripartite scale of the costs of bearing a child, with one value level per social class.

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4.

Moll Flanders's continues to correspond with the bank clerk, hoping he will still have her.

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5.

Moll Flanders leaves her newborn in the care of a countrywoman in exchange for the sum of £5 a year.

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6.

Truly desperate now, Moll Flanders begins a career of artful thievery, which, by employing her wits, beauty, charm, and femininity, as well as hard-heartedness and wickedness, brings her the financial security she has always sought.

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7.

Moll Flanders's becomes well known among those "in the trade, " and is given the name Moll Flanders.

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8.

Moll Flanders's is helped throughout her career as a thief by her Governess, who acts as receiver.

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9.

Moll Flanders is found guilty of felony, but not burglary, the second charge; still, the sentence is death in any case.

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10.

Yet Moll Flanders convinces a minister of her repentance, and together with her Lancashire husband is transported to the Colonies to avoid hanging, where they live happily together .

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11.

Moll Flanders carefully introduces herself to her brother and their son, in disguise.

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12.

Moll Flanders reveals herself now to her son in Virginia and he gives her her mother's inheritance, a farm for which he will now be her steward, providing £100 a year income for her.

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13.

The following maps out Moll Flanders's relationships and marriages in the order that they appeared in the novel as well as any children that might have been born as a result of their union.

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14.

Moll Flanders's believed their union to be a marriage of the heart, as he professed his love first and he proved his intentions through periodic payments:.

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15.

Moll Flanders's discussion with the eldest brother to determine their next steps in the relationship is a shock for Moll Flanders, who was led to believe that their "marriage" was a deal, secured by the finances that the eldest provided.

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16.

Moll Flanders's reluctantly marries him, and her distaste for the coupling is evident in the presentation of their marriage, lasting for only one sentence:.

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17.

Moll Flanders's focus in the book is primarily on Robinson Crusoe, as that is Defoe's book that follows the clearest pattern of spiritual autobiography.

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18.

Moll Flanders does discuss Moll Flanders at length, stating that the disconnectedness of the events in the book can be attributed to the book's spiritual autobiographical nature.

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19.

However, Moll Flanders is unable to break the pattern of sin that she falls into, one of habitual sin, in which one sin leads to another.

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