Nature Vs Nurture In Moll Flanders - 1734 Words

In a world where a private agreement of marriage counted as a legally binding arrangement, and it was very easy to falsely accuse someone of a crime, or talk your way out of a sticky situation; it is no wonder that Daniel Defoe wrote the crimes that Moll Flanders committed, in the novel Moll Flanders, as a laughable adventure. From thievery to the thought of murder, Molls actions were inexcusable, but to Defoe, an example of what was wrong with crime and punishment at the time in which Moll was alive. While a court did exist, and officers of the law did attempt to thwart criminal behavior, there was something about how many criminals got away that DeFoe seemed to be criticizing, while also seeming to celebrate Moll. This novel not only†¦show more content†¦She began her criminal rendezvous by stealing a package in which she claimed was calling to her to take. Eventually, she gets to the point where she is so well off from stealing that she could retire from living a criminal life. Her criminality seems to give her an identity in life. She can no longer be defined by the men she marries, so she must turn elsewhere. Moll never seems to truly find herself within this novel, and her criminality seems to give her a faà §ade to hide behind. When Moll claims she is rich when marrying Jemy, this is another faà §ade to hide behind. Overall, Moll’s criminality seems like a crutch she uses to navigate herself through society. Moll, however, decides that the criminal life is for her, and does not stop. This is one way in which the novel celebrates the criminal life that Moll is living. She has multiple opportunities where she can get a real job, and support herself without stealing, but she does not. She could have become a seamstress, but she maintains her sticky finger lifestyle. She even talks about how her fingers itch for theft when she has not stolen for a substantial period of time. The novel also celebrates her criminal activity during the episode in which she steals the horse. It is something completely unnecessary in her life, and there is no situation presented that would justify her stealing the horse. It seemed as though she attempted to do that just so she