Moll Flanders

Moll becomes a skilled pickpocket, taught by her governess. She also inadvertently becomes quite famous among the other members of the trade, known by the alias of Moll Flanders. Thus, the governess decides Moll should dress up like a man when she goes out on her adventures. She is paired with another man, who does not know she is a woman; they even sleep in the same quarters without Moll being discovered. This only lasts a short time: the impulsive young man raids a warehouse and is caught by the crowd. When they come looking for his accomplice, Moll escapes any suspicion, as she was disguised as a man at the time. Again, another companion is hanged.

She is again almost caught while working as a pickpocket but convinces the authorities that it was another woman. Moll is relieved when the woman is hanged; she is then in the clear. She ventures out during Bartholomew’s Fair, a celebration of summer. Though she knows it will not provide much opportunity for thievery, she thinks she might meet a wealthy gentleman. Indeed, a man takes notice of her and invites her into a coach; he is quite drunk. He takes her to a house where they proceed to have sex. Back in the coach, he falls into a stupor, and Moll robs him of everything he has.

The governess knows who the gentleman is and proposes that they expose his actions and harm his reputation. Moll protests, but the governess convinces her that if they threaten to expose him, he will pay to keep them quiet. The governess approaches the gentleman and tells her what she knows. He is ashamed and concerned about the cleanliness of the woman with whom he slept. When the governess assures him that Moll is innocent, he wishes to see her. Instead, the governess brings back to him his stolen objects, one by one, and he pays her for the trouble. Finally, Moll acquiesces to seeing him; she even puts on makeup for the occasion. He takes her again to bed and pays her money for her services. This arrangement continues for some time, and Moll does not need to rely on thievery for her income.

After the arrangement is over, Moll returns to robbery. She happens upon opportunities as often as she devises them. She is also under suspicion at several turns. The one time she is actually innocent is the closest she comes to being accused: dressed in widow’s garb, like the actual thief, she is stopped by the mob in the street, then questioned by the shopkeeper, his servant, and the constable. She is treated rudely and roughly, and once she is cleared, she demands recompense.

When she returns to the governess, Mother Midnight is thrilled by the exploit. Moll is confused at first, but the governess explains that Moll will be able to take the mercer to court, extracting money from him legally for the false accusation and abuse. The governess finds an attorney to represent Moll, and he recommends she settle rather than take them to court. This serves Moll well because she is now well-known among the criminal community. He advises her to dress well for the meeting, and she is able to make a handsome settlement.

Between her larcenous escapades and her settlement, Moll becomes fairly wealthy. Still, she figures that she can always make more money with more schemes. She begins to dress like an impoverished beggar and, in this garb, happens upon other lawless opportunities. At one point, she even steals a horse; asked to hold it, she leads it away. She begins working with another gang of criminals, but when they ask her to help them make counterfeit money, she declines. She has to set aside her beggar disguise, lest the group confront her. She dons different disguises and has success stealing linen and lace, gold watches, and other valuables. She also spends a day in a gambling establishment, again showing her luck. She decides, however, that such endeavors are too risky: it is too easy to lose all that one might have gained.

She becomes so well-known in London that she decides to try her luck in more provincial towns. She goes to Cambridge, where she scores some linen, then on to Ipswich, where she steals a trunk from a drunken man at her hotel. Again, she almost gets caught; the trunk is searched, but she had already removed any identifying valuables. She returns to Colchester where she began her adventures so many years ago, only to find that most of her former companions have left or were dead. She finally returns to London. Her narrative reflects upon the dubious morality of this chapter of her life.