Greed, Vanity, and Repentance in "Moll Flanders" by Daniel Defoe

Three recurring themes in Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe are greed, vanity, and repentance. Theme is defined as an underlying or essential subject of artistic representation. These three themes play an important role in the development of the story of Moll Flanders.
The first theme, greed, is shown in Moll's acts of prostitution. Moll turns to thievery in many instances to support herself. She also allows her morals to disintegrate; a result of her greediness.
Moll's first act of prostitution is thrust upon her unknowingly. In the beginning of the story, she is living with a gentle woman and her family. One of the brothers takes interest in Moll and seduces her into becoming his lover. 'He took these freedoms with me... when this was over he stayed but a little while, but he put almost a handful of gold in my hand...' (Defoe 26). Moll lets down her guard and meets with the brother frequently. …