As defined by the OED, crime consists of the intertwining of sin, injury, and specifically poor and weak morals and character—or rather, a complete lack thereof. The OED delineates a crime as “an evil or injurious act; an offence, a sin; esp. of a grave character” (“crime, n.”). In his preface to the text, Daniel Defoe presents his story as one in which, “All possible Care however has been taken to give no leud Ideas, no immodest Turns… what is left ‘tis hop’d will not offend the chastest Reader… the Moral ‘tis hop’d will keep the Reader serious” (Defoe 4). Despite Defoe’s insistence that Moll Flanders tells a story laced with moral lessons and positive intentions, the misfortunes of Moll outweigh the fortunes, and the connotation surrounding crime in the novel leave little to learn from. An appealing story because of its taboo content, Moll Flanders does more harm than good to its readers. The prevalent occurrence of crime, in which the word itself appears 24 times throughout the novel, fails to provide a sense of moral redemption because Moll is rarely punished, frequently recommits, and acts with a nonchalant attitude toward each act.
Moll’s narrative introduces crime in the opening scene both implicitly and explicitly. Moll references the local jail as having record of her real name, implicitly foreshadowing the life of crime to follow her throughout the narrative. Moll explicitly uses the word “crime” as evidence as to why the knowledge of her true identity must stayed concealed, stating that “it would not be proper, [to know her true identity], even without Exceptions and reserve of Persons or Crimes” (9).
Moll tells of the sexual crimes she begins to commit as a young girl. Moll’s sexual rendezvous with a boy she lives with proves scandalous and she describes their encounters as “frequent opportunities to repeat our crime… [full] of our wicked pleasure for nearly half a year” (26). This sexual promiscuity constitutes the first criminal act introduced by the author. Defoe illustrates Moll, a repeat offender, as to her satisfaction, never getting pregnant despite her careless and risky behavior. The lack of consequence for Moll’s crime enforces the claim that Defoe does not hold his character accountable, which does nothing to teach readers a moral lesson.
Moll’s believed mother-in-law tells of her own felonious ways and describes the “Crimes punishable with Death” she has bared witness to throughout her time in jail (70). After finding out the true identity of her mother-in-law and husband, Moll relays the crimes of incest she commits after knowing that she has accidentally married her own brother. Despite knowing this truth, Moll talks of having “lived in opened avowed incest and whoredom” while she continues to sin and commit sexual crimes (73).
Moll eventually takes on a life of more traditional crime, crimes not sexual in nature. Thievery is her vice. After robbing small children, thieving during a fire, dressing as a man to steal, and blatantly stealing a large horse for which she has no use for other than the sheer enjoyment committing crimes brings her, Moll states that “when once we are hardened in crime, no fear can affect us” (174). Defoe again falls short of instilling any moral message in his readers—crime leads to fearlessness. With crime on the rise in 18th-century London, this lack of fear presents itself as an appealing trait, and a necessary survival skill for one to possess.
Moll describes the newfound bravery the criminal life as awarded her, as well as the considerable riches she continues to accumulate through theft. Moll begins do describe herself as wicked as she “cast off all Remorse and Repentance… to have one Booty more that might compleat [her] Desires” (163). The religious connotation of repentance lends itself to the OED’s religiously sinful nature in its definition of crime, while the lack of remorse constitutes Moll’s grave character.
As the story draws to an end, and Moll later returns to London, she describes “being hardened by a long race of crime, and success” (211). By equating the sinful, criminal life to that of a successful life, Defoe presents the unmoral acts the reader sees as worthwhile in some way. Moll states that she did not feel remorseful for the crimes committed throughout her lifetime, and the payoff consisted of a reward nice enough to make up for the brief time in The Old Bailey.
As outlined by the OED, crime shares a relationship with sin, injury, and the complete lack of moral consciousness. Defoe’s countless depictions of Moll engaging in sexual crimes, including incest, and more traditional crimes like thievery, portray her sinful nature and sociopathic tendencies. Despite her hardships, Moll lives a full life, complete with countless adventure and riches. Defoe’s exploration of crime from religious and characterless perspectives makes it prevalent in the novel because of its constant reward while becoming progressively serious in nature.
Works Cited
“crime, n.” Def.1b. OED Online. Oxford University Press, September 2014. Web. 1 November 2014.
Defoe, Daniel. Moll Flanders. Norton Critical ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 2004. Print.
UT English Lit Major 