"Doing the Right Thing With Moll Flanders: A "Reasonable" Difference Between the Picara and the Penitent"
This article talked about
Defoe's novel, Moll Flanders. In the article the author calls Moll
Flanders a female rogue and because of that, this book is a picara novel,
but it is also a conversion story. The author talks about the contrary
directions the novel moves in through the application of two forces:
1) Reason 2) Transportation.
The author gets into talking about the religious aspects of the novel and
how these aspects lend to the understanding of this to be a conversion
piece. Moll uses reason in understanding things and in doing things.
In the end, Moll is penitent--this is her conversion from rogue to penitent.
Moll repents because she is afraid of death. The author talks a lot
about Moll's religious actions, even though she didn't realize they would
be interpreted that way--nor did she do them thinking they were religious
in nature.
The transportation aspect the author talks about has to do with Moll's
transportation to the new world. She's moved from the city of London
to the country of Virginia. a parallel to this is that she is moved
from poor to rich as she moves to the different places.
THE MAIN IDEA OF THE ARTICLE:
Moll Flanders is a Picara novel steeped in religious
context. Unknowingly the protagonist is both atheist and devout.
Her thoughts speak of religion while her actions voice greed. In
the end she's true to herself and penitent.
WHY IS THIS ARTICLE IMPORTANT:
This article article gives Moll more dimension and
helps her fit into society; It makes her more human and on the people's
level; It even makes her more like happy.
. 
