Now that we have explored the concept of the ‘evil woman’ as the focal character in Moll Flanders, a possible lens through which to enhance our reading of the narrative events Moll Flanders initiates and carries out is through the question of agency. To what extent are the characters in control of their decisions? Brief Definition of Agency
English professor Lynda Zwinger refers to agency as the extent to which the narrator has the power to affect his/her own life and breaks agency down further into four main pathways
A brief recap of events so far:
A Note on POVMoll is the primary voice through which events are filtered and appears to exercise narrative agency by the act of telling her story. However, as the extent to which her narrative has been edited, if at all, is unknown, it is difficult to judge the level of agency she exerts. Moll’s Cycles of AgencyFurthermore, Moll repeatedly cycles through the pathways of agency with the notable exception of the final stage of empowerment. Moll’s story is best characterized as a collection of mini stories, each with their own beginning, middle, and end. In each escapade she achieves self-mastery, often temporary status, and achievement yet she is never fully made better through and interaction with something greater than herself. Her self-mastery is characterized by her ability to spin vague stories about her circumstances that imply she is a woman of wealth to ensnare men she believes will take care of her, thus bettering her circumstances. This leads to victory where she secures a marriage or small financial gain, and achievement where she lives comfortably for a few years before her husband or lover dies or abandons her. However, after every small financial gain through marriage or mistressing, Moll’s circumstances revert to the desperate, compelling her to again return to the beginning stage of seeking money. Thus, she avoids empowerment or bettering herself. Further Narrative Technique
Moll is careful to call into doubt her own agency and convictions. When she takes up thieving, Moll writes that, “I am very sure I had no manner of design in my head when I went out; I neither knew nor considered where to go, or on what business; but as the devil carried me out and laid his bait for me, so he brought me, to be sure, to the place, for I knew not whither I was going or what I did.” She shifts the responsibility from herself to the temptations of the devil and, though she tells that she prays for forgiveness against her sins, she admits freely that the devil and her circumstances commit her to repeated theft. The villain then is perhaps best characterized as the society within which Moll finds herself, a temporal social scene that demands women prostrate themselves before men in order to secure a form of livelihood. You're currently a free subscriber to Letters By Layla. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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Tuesday, 24 February 2026
Female Autonomy and the Making of Self in Moll Flanders
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