Welcome back to Moll Flanders, the novel that reads like a slow motion train wreck. In this episode, Rhea and Shari discuss Moll’s continued decent and desecration of her soul. They discuss Moll as an addict; this insatiable need she has now developed to thieve after years of morally depraved choices. They wonder at Moll’s string of failed marriages and ask at what point these failures are because of her extreme lack of discernment rather than simply “bad luck.” They circle back to what they think Defoe is doing by telling this story. That is, what is the “aboutness” of this story really?? Is it about revealing and condemning the injustices woven through England’s social class system at that time? Is it about the injustices society foisted upon women? Or, is Defoe really trying to answer the question: Can there be redemption for people like Moll Flanders? If so, where does it come from? How?
What are your thoughts on all these things? Leave a comment below! We’d love to hear from you.
We have two episodes left for Moll Flanders:
June 17th, pages 297-363
June 24th, pages 364-427
One important note: R&W has made an adjustment to the second half of the 2025 reading schedule. Please stay tuned for an official announcement on that, coming soon!
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