William Malgren
English 504.01 Flores
September 12, 2006

Economic, Emblematic, and Erotic Exchange: Life as a Commodity
            Maybe, Ellen Pollak had run out of ideas to coherently discuss an aspect of incest when she reached Chapter 5, "Moll Flanders, Incest, and the Structure of Exchange," in her book Incest and the English Novel, 1684-1814. Her primary thesis statement, "The ideological significance of the tension between Moll's progressive mastery of social reserve on the one hand and her eventual surrender to an intense internal aversion to her incest on the other is best illuminated by considering Defoe's narrative as a text about exchange," does not appear until the fourth page, and, while she tantalizes us with hints in the opening paragraphs, she throws out enough concepts for at least two more essays.
            Pollak begins by arguing that Defoe challenges the cultural necessity of her train of thought. 
            Pollak begins by arguing that Defoe challenges the cultural necessity of family difference that essentially makes the female a form of masculine property. That is, Moll's incest becomes for her a source of economic gain. The story ends with Moll returning to America to capitalize on the fruits of her incest. Though appalled by her incestuous relationship, she maintains her self-interests and continues "under the appearance of an honest wife" for three years until revelation of the secret, not any moral aversion to it, causes her to break off a clearly profitable relationship. Ultimately, rejection of incest leads to her criminal life, thus making it "both materially and spiritually redeemable." Pollak points out that Moll's triumphs challenge "cultural codes that deny women agency in the realms of economic and symbolic exchange," while it "reinscribes woman's status as a fundamental form of sexual currency whose circulation is a necessary condition of social order."
            Pollak then presents her thesis statement, that is, Defoe uses Moll's incest as a symbol of her rejection of society's desire that she be a commodity in a male dominated economy.
According to Pollak "three dominate forms of exchange are represented in the novel," economic, emblematic, and erotic, all of which she briefly defines. Here she becomes sidetracked, only briefly to be sure, "the novel contains dramas of class and kinship at the same time that it specifically elaborates the contradictory status of women in early capitalist society. It is to this theme of class and kinship that Pollak returns to throughout the essay, but never clearly establishes.
            According to Pollak, Moll's failure to earn an honest living "addresses the problem of a woman's relation to a capitalist economy." In English society, a woman's sexuality (prostitution) is of more value than her "industrial productivity." Moll turns to crime at 48 when her erotic value has declined and this becomes emblematic of her loss of sexuality as a "desperate economic circumstance."  Pollak briefly discusses the meaning of Moll's name, again deviating from her main idea, to focus on purpose of the name, not what part it plays in the concept of exchange.
            Moving to the idea of emblematic, or language, Pollak contends that Moll refuses to be designated by a male directed society as a mere "ware." Her poetic courtship of her third husband proves this. "Language has become for Moll a weapon and a veil." Moll uses her language as a form of exchange to obtain economic security. This ability leads to the incestuous relationship. Pollak believes that "Moll's incest... functions as an emblem (and a fulfillment) of Moll's desire for lucrative exchange with other women." A contradiction appears at this point as the incest seems to point out the "quest for female power in the realms of economic and linguistic exchange," while at the same time Moll's rejection of it points to her refusal to extend the "quest for female power...into the realm of sexual exchange."
            By the end of the book, Moll has maneuvered through the stages of exchange to become as Jemy describes "his fortune," even then it is not so much a result of her efforts, but the result of her incestuous relationship. In conclusion, Pollak argues that Moll is "the essential form of foreign merchandise whose export is required in order to create the super familial bonds that make other forms of trade or communication possible." When Moll attempts to undo the common expectations of a woman in her society, the result is incest. For Pollak "If Moll Flanders is a narrative of the production of gender, language and goods, then, it is also a story of that particular moment of cultural change when England moved from a domestic to a colonial, world economy."  Where this statement comes from is unknown, the concept of England and colonialism has not emerged in the essay up to this point. Sadly, Pollak ends this essay, not with a strong finish, but a discussion of Moll’s origins and racial identity, as though between her opening paragraph "Her story, however, reminds us that are dangers attendant upon being, or believing oneself outside the family," and her final paragraphs, nothing else has been written.
            For the feminist and Marxist critics, this paper provides valuable insight into Defoe's story. Pollak strongly presents her arguments concerning Moll's use of economic, emblematic, and erotic exchange to advance her life and end it as a wealthy person. Pollak weaves the issue of incest through out the narrative to show how it affects the results of Moll's exchanges. She provides considerable support for her position from other scholars, making it easy to accept her conclusions. One might question whether Defoe would have even considered the concepts Pollak suggests, but, as an interpretation, it works. One has difficulty analyzing an article such as this because without in-depth study on other interpretations one has no basis for finding fault.  There is no question that the circumstances, (primarily her financial status) of Moll's life are often dependent upon how she uses her gender as a commodity. Economically, the elaborate attire Moll wears aids her as a thief. Amble hiding places for stolen goods were available in the flowing gowns, large hats, and decorated purses of the period. Even in her costume as a man, Moll is able to use her gender to her benefit, quickly changing back to a woman when the affair is over and thus escaping detection. Emblematically, Moll manipulates language to her advantage, enabling her to escape the traditional woman's role of a commodity bought and sold at the discretion of the masculine whim. In essence, Moll is able to alter certain perceptions of the 17th century woman and reach her goal of being free to live according to her own means, even when those means are illegal or immoral. Erotically, the use of her body as means to gain an advantage, a lesson she learns in her first love affair, ultimately through incest, makes her, at the end of the novel, the gentlewoman, not just able to work for herself, but to "live great, rich, and high," she always wanted to be.  
            The real problem with this essay is in the manner of presentation. Pollak wanders and this makes following her arguments difficult. The opening paragraph and the concluding ones, suggest she might have intended to write a completely different paper. There seems to be little to connect them with her thesis of exchange. This is perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the essay. Instead of enjoying a scholarly article, one must keep cutting through the digressions in order to obtain each piece of Pollak's excellent presentation.