Morality vs. Materialism in Moll Flanders

Morality vs. Materialism in Moll Flanders

Moll Flanders begins life with a great disadvantage. She was born in Newgate, a famous prision, where her mother was arrested for thievery. Moll’s mother was taken away by the Old Bailey and transported to Virginia, that’s how she ended growing up on her own. She then started serving as a maid. Maids were paid little, but at least they were fed and clothed. At a very early stage of her new life she learned how to take care of herself and the things she had do to survive. Therefore she learns the difference between materialism and morality. Moll was not a very moral person, but she knew she had to survive someway. Moll faces a lot of problems, which are firmly rooted in that time society, through out her ingenious and extraordinary life. In Moll’s first marriage we can see her lack of morality; she did not love him, even though she accepted him fearing to refuse him, and she thought that anyway she was going to have a wonderful lif...