Moll Flanders audiobook cover - The Pursuit of Fortune by Any Means

Moll Flanders

The Pursuit of Fortune by Any Means

Daniel Defoe

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Moll Flanders
Early Life & Hardships+
Quest for Stability+
Criminality & Survival+
Redemption & Final Act+
Core Themes+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
Why was Moll's mother spared from execution after being convicted of a felony?
  • A. She escaped from Newgate Prison before the execution could take place.
  • B. She pleaded her 'belly,' receiving a lesser sentence because she was pregnant.
  • C. She proved her innocence with the help of a wealthy draper.
  • D. She agreed to be immediately transported to the Virginia Colony.
Question 2 of 7
What shocking revelation causes Moll to dissolve her marriage with the kind plantation owner in the Virginia Colony?
  • A. He loses all his wealth and escapes to France as a fugitive.
  • B. She realizes she is still legally married to The Draper.
  • C. She discovers that he is actually her half-brother.
  • D. He discovers her criminal past and sends her back to Newgate.
Question 3 of 7
According to the text, what does Moll’s series of marriages primarily reveal about 17th-century English society?
  • A. Marriage was often a strategic necessity for women to secure status and financial stability.
  • B. Women had widespread opportunities to build independent wealth without relying on men.
  • C. Society strictly enforced moral purity and severely punished any deception in courtship.
  • D. Romantic love was the sole driving force behind marital unions during this era.
Question 4 of 7
What ironic discovery do Moll and Jemy (her 'Lancashire husband') make shortly after their wedding?
  • A. They are both secretly wanted criminals who escaped from Newgate.
  • B. They are actually distant relatives from the same estate in Ireland.
  • C. They both have living spouses and their marriage is legally void.
  • D. They both pretended to be wealthy but were actually conning each other.
Question 5 of 7
What pivotal event forces Moll to confront her life's moral ambiguities and seek repentance?
  • A. Being caught stealing and imprisoned in Newgate, the place of her birth.
  • B. The death of The Banker after five years of happy marriage.
  • C. Contracting a severe illness while living as a kept woman in Bath.
  • D. Discovering her mother's plantation in the colonies was bankrupt.
Question 6 of 7
How does Daniel Defoe present the concept of morality through Moll's character?
  • A. As an absolute set of rules that must never be broken regardless of circumstances.
  • B. As a reflection of the innate immorality found within the lower classes.
  • C. As a subjective and situational construct driven by the necessity of survival.
  • D. As a straightforward binary where characters are either entirely good or entirely wicked.
Question 7 of 7
What role does identity play in Moll's life throughout the narrative?
  • A. It is a fixed trait that she strictly maintains to honor her family's legacy.
  • B. It is entirely determined by her husbands, leaving her with no personal agency.
  • C. It is a spiritual journey focused solely on achieving religious purity.
  • D. It is a fluid construct that she constantly morphs as a strategy for survival.

Moll Flanders — Full Chapter Overview

Moll Flanders Summary & Overview

Moll Flanders is an exploration of a woman's relentless quest for survival and prosperity in 17th-century England, weaving through her numerous marriages and criminal endeavors.

Who Should Listen to Moll Flanders?

  • Classic novel aficionados  
  • Social history enthusiasts  
  • Students of feminist literature

About the Author: Daniel Defoe

Daniel Defoe was an English trader, writer, journalist, and spy. He is best known for his novels Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders, which are monumental contributions to the development of the English novel and reflect his diverse interests and profound insights into human nature.

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