Prison

When Moll goes into Newgate here own words are best to describe the scene.” 'tis impossible to describe the terror of my mind, when I was first brought in, and when I look'd round upon all the horrors of that dismal Place: I look'd on myself as lost” Defoe connects Molls earth punishment to an eternal punishment by comparing the prison to hell. As it appears the walls are closing in on her she is thrown into a deep sincere repents and Defoe illustrates this as if it is sincere. She however doesn’t let her bad situation keep her down for too long and I soon realized that the prison does suck but its obviously not “eternal damnation” but a mere mortal housing for sinners. Its interesting how Defoe continues to beat this horse of the initial guilt that comes when Moll does something sinful or is thrown in to prison. The first time she stole she felt horrible and the obviously when she went to prison she compared it to Hell. Time however changes everything and Moll cannot be kept down. She became an excellent thief after her first offense and in prison a “truly repentant soul”. Just like most other things in her life she always has an out and is able to buy her way to freedom, and for me diminishing her repentance because it’s continuously a non-religious way to freedom.