The Daniel Defoe Library

Episod

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  Moll Flanders Author's preface 11.02.2026 10min

  In which a concealed narrator presents a private history newly dressed in modest language, urging the reader to weigh its truth and moral purpose rather than its outward scandal. The preface frames the tale as a sober account intended to instruct the discerning, promising reflections on vice, repentance, and human frailty without revealing the full course of events.
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  Moll Flanders Section 1 11.02.2026 24min

  In which the early years of a young girl named Moll Flanders are recounted, revealing her humble and uncertain beginnings, her tender hopes to avoid the drudgery of servants’ work, and her innocent ambition to become a “gentlewoman” by her own honest labour. We see her nurtured by a kind nurse and favoured by gentlefolk who aid her education, while she gains the admiration of those around her, setting the stage for a life marked both by genteel appearance and the complexities of human character.
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  Moll Flanders Section 2 12.02.2026 21min

  In which a young woman finds herself entangled in the romantic advances of two brothers, each declaring their love and making various overtures, while she navigates the complexities of pride, vanity, and the expectations of society. The delicate dance of affection, secrecy, and familial suspicion unfolds with tender moments and cautious encounters, revealing the hazards that attend a young woman's awakening to her own charms.
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  Moll Flanders Section 3 13.02.2026 27min

  In which the narrator finds herself ensnared in a delicate family intrigue, where misunderstandings and open declarations of affection embroil her in a complex web of honour, secrecy, and social expectation. Through earnest discourse with her beloved and the family’s probing suspicions, she navigates the precarious balance between truth and appearance, love and reputation, amidst the shifting sentiments that threaten her very standing.
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  Moll Flanders Section 4 14.02.2026 38min

  In which the intricate negotiations and misunderstandings of love and marriage among a gentleman’s family unfold with a delicate mix of honour, pride, and mistaken intentions, revealing the woman’s steadfast virtue amidst pressing temptations and obligations. Following the death of her husband, she finds herself cast into the precarious world of the Mint, where she resolves to escape the surrounding ruin and seek a more stable footing in life.
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  Moll Flanders Section 5 15.02.2026 34min

  In which the widow, navigating the changed and mercenary manners of London's matrimonial market, learns that money alone commands esteem and that women must guard their worth with prudence and stratagem. Guided by a faithful friend, she adeptly feigns wealth to ensnare a suitable husband, weaving artful deceit to secure her future while reflecting on the necessity for women’s courage in the affairs of love and fortune.
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  Moll Flanders Section 6 16.02.2026 26min

  In which the narrator recounts her voyage to Virginia with her husband, the discovery of her mother-in-law’s convict past, and the dreadful revelation of her own close kinship with her husband that shatters their domestic bliss. She struggles with the isolating burden of this secret, the increasing estrangement from her husband, and prepares herself and her mother for a painful reckoning that must one day be faced.
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  Moll Flanders Section 7 17.02.2026 33min

  In which I take the bold step of revealing the strange and distressing truth of my birth to my husband, with whom I have striven to maintain a semblance of harmony despite the heavy secret that binds us. Upon returning to England, I navigate the precarious life of a widow in the fashionable city of Bath, encountering new acquaintances and facing the challenges of limited means and uncertain prospects with a mixture of fortitude and cautious hope.
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  Moll Flanders Section 8 18.02.2026 25min

  In which Moll, grateful for the ample provision made for her lying-in, prudently saves a considerable sum while living comfortably with her gentleman at Hammersmith, though bound by the limitations of her unmarried state and haunted by the prospect of poverty. After years of devoted service and three children, she faces sudden abandonment and must grapple with the solitude and uncertainty of her altered fortunes, reflecting soberly on the consequences of freedom without guidance and the difficulties of a woman alone in the world.
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  Moll Flanders Section 9 19.02.2026 22min

  In which the widow, seeking trustworthy counsel for managing her modest fortune, is introduced to a gentleman and his friend who offer their assistance with a genuine air of honesty; and in the course of their meetings, she encounters delicate disclosures and proposals that entwine her affairs with matters of the heart, leading her ultimately to journey northwards under the auspices of a companion’s persuasion.
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  Moll Flanders Section 10 20.02.2026 24min

  In which our heroine is introduced to an affluent family and finds herself entangled in a marriage founded upon false pretences of fortune, only to discover the grievous truth of mutual deception and destitution. Amidst sorrow and candid discourse, she encounters a husband of noble spirit whose earnest repentance and tender affection offer a bittersweet solace against their shared misfortune.
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  Moll Flanders Section 11 21.02.2026 29min

  In which Moll reflects upon her passionate parting with a gentleman companion and contemplates ventures to America and Ireland as prospects for their future. She later finds herself in London with child, navigating the perils of childbirth and lodging under the care of a discreet but morally complex midwife amid a clandestine world of maternity and vice.
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  Moll Flanders Section 12 22.02.2026 36min

  In which the narrator, after the birth of her child and receiving news of her former husband's divorce, wrestles with her conscience and the practicalities of concealing her child while navigating proposals of marriage and plans for a discreet future. Amidst these weighty reflections, she enters into a private marriage with a gentleman, experiencing a fleeting peace and hope that contrast starkly with her past and uncertain destiny.
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  Moll Flanders Section 13 23.02.2026 31min

  In which the narrator discloses her descent from a peaceful domestic life into desperate poverty that drives her to theft and cunning deceit, guided and corrupted by the urgings of evil and the necessities of survival. She recounts various escapades in pilfering and association with a criminal mentor, reflecting on the heavy temptations and loss of virtue that accompany such a fall from grace.
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  Moll Flanders Section 14 24.02.2026 40min

  In which the industrious heroine details her various ventures in thievery, from clever shoplifting and the clever use of disguise to daring exploits amidst fires and fairs, all the while navigating the perils of discovery and the company of equally wayward accomplices. Though often haunted by the misfortunes of others and the threat of capture, she remains resolute yet reflective, uncovering both the art and the hardship of a life steeped in deception and cunning.
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  Moll Flanders Section 15 25.02.2026 32min

  In which the frequent meetings between my governess and a distressed gentleman unfold into a secretive exchange of lost possessions and delicate negotiations, marked by reluctant confessions and guarded trust. And in a turn of events revealing the perils of disguise and mistaken identity, I am seized unjustly in a shop, leading to a spirited contention that tests the limits of justice and civility in the city’s streets.
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  Moll Flanders Section 16 26.02.2026 36min

  In which a dispute arises from a mistaken accusation of theft, leading to a formal complaint and subsequent settlement that provides some measure of recompense; the narrator then adopts various disguises and schemes, navigating the risks and company of the criminal underworld with a sharp wit and cautious resolve. Throughout these ventures, she balances her precarious fortunes with a shrewd eye for opportunity, experiencing both the perils and profits of her chosen course amidst the bustling streets and fairs of England.
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  Moll Flanders Section 17 27.02.2026 30min

  In which the lady, having fled her former circumstances, journeys through the country with artful caution and encounters various adventures that test her wit and resolve, including a narrowly avoided theft and a false accusation that lands her in the dread confines of Newgate Prison. Amid the horrors and despair of confinement, she reflects on her life with mingled repentance and hardness, until the unexpected arrival of a notorious figure from her past rekindles her sorrow and prompts a profound change within her spirit.
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  Moll Flanders Section 18 28.02.2026 30min

  In which I find myself overwhelmed by the dreadful prospect of a death sentence, only to be moved toward a sincere repentance through the kind ministrations of a good man, amidst the sorrowful company of fellow prisoners and the ministrations of my afflicted governess. The narrative further reveals my narrow escape from execution to a sentence of transportation, and a poignant, secret meeting with my Lancashire husband in the prison’s press-yard, where our shared misfortunes unfold in subdued conversation.
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  Moll Flanders Section 19 01.03.2026 38min

  In which our heroine recounts a long conversation with her fellow prisoner—a highwayman and former husband—detailing his life, trials, and their shared prospects whilst on board a ship bound for Virginia as transported convicts. The narrative then follows their preparations and unexpected kindnesses during the voyage, highlighting the small hopes and plans they nurture for a new beginning in a distant land.