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Moll Flanders
Moll Flanders
The Fortunes & Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders &c.
Who was Born in Newgate, and during a Life of continu'd Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own Brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest, and dies a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums . . .
Book Excerpt
with a great deal of care.
But that which was worth all the rest, she bred them up very religiously, being herself a very sober, pious woman, very house- wifely and clean, and very mannerly, and with good behaviour. So that in a word, expecting a plain diet, coarse lodging, and mean clothes, we were brought up as mannerly and as genteelly as if we had been at the dancing-school.
I was continued here till I was eight years old, when I was terrified with news that the magistrates (as I think they called them) had ordered that I should go to service. I was able to do but very little service wherever I was to go, except it was to run of errands and be a drudge to some cookmaid, and this they told me of often, which put me into a great fright; for I had a thorough aversion to going to service, as they called it (that is, to be a servant), though I was so young; and I told my nurse, as we called her, that I believed I could get my living without going to service, if she pleased to let me; for she had
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I think it was all bcuz of the old feudal system wherein the rich ppl bcame more rich n the condition of the poor ones gradually worsened up!!! The poor ppl or the plebians were considered to belong to a lowest cast n the utmost position in diz hierarchy was occupied by d aristocrats.. especially women were d main targets since dey were weak, tender n nobody was dere to look after them..I think a person z not a born criminal but it is the situations vich make a person resort to do such things!!! Moll was betrayed by the person whom she loved deeply n therefore she had made a clear vision in her mind not to trust a man frm now onwards!!! achieving money was her main motive which she tried to attain by hook or by crook..!! Bt i guess it was next to impossible for a plebian like her to build a separate clan in a patriarchy society...thus she changed n therefore she z under criticism
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It's a very good reading considering that the book was written 300 years ago by a man. Some things never changed, although luckily the women don't need to abandon their children these days.
06/26/2012
Ridiculous old-timey story about a hag who never worked a day in her life and abandoned every child she had in order to keep marrying new guys and live off their money. Too many words spent detailing the ups and downs of her gd bank account. I truly don't know how I finished it.
09/16/2010
I found the book humourous, delightful, and informative. The customs and morals of that era were very well represented. I cannot help but wonder about the children she left in her wake. It would be an interesting study to find out who she was and what actually occured.
06/13/2007