Moll is a very straight-forward narrator. She avoids hyperbole (exaggeration) when describing scenes in her life, instead simply stating the truth of the matter. Having discovered that she is half-sister to her husband, she does not wail about the horror of the situation (it is pretty horrible!). Instead, she bluntly states that she lived a lie, in "incest and whoredom." She actually calls herself a whore. Rather than eliciting sympathy from the audience, her announcement...
Moll is a very straight-forward narrator. She avoids hyperbole (exaggeration) when describing scenes in her life, instead simply stating the truth of the matter. Having discovered that she is half-sister to her husband, she does not wail about the horror of the situation (it is pretty horrible!). Instead, she bluntly states that she lived a lie, in "incest and whoredom." She actually calls herself a whore. Rather than eliciting sympathy from the audience, her announcement is designed to either shock or create respect, for the honesty of it. She also equates her husband's bad behaviors on the same level as hers—in other words, she does not make herself a victim. Moll says: "I was as impatient of bearing his carriage, as the carriage was unreasonable and unjust." She does not ask for our pity; instead, she condemns her own behavior.
Despite her attitude, we have to see that Moll actually is a victim. As a woman, she has no freedom. She has discovered a horrible truth about her marriage—discovered, actually, that they are not legally married due to incest—and wishes to leave her husband without burdening him with that unpleasant knowledge. However, she cannot. He must approve her leaving, so she is stuck. This passage highlights Moll's strength of character and her resiliency. She is not devastated by the news, but wishes to move on with life. However, she has no actual power to do so because of the the society in which she lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment