The Enigmatic Figure of the Midwife in Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders
The midwife has often been an ambiguous figure both in the history of literature and within the history of labor.
Daniel Defoe
When Scientists Study Novels
The point is to understand that what constitutes “literary” versus “genre” fiction—an age-old topic of study and debate within literary circles—is fundamental, not ancillary, to scientific findings on the effects of reading novels.
The Self-Made Heir
Most Americans identify as “middle class,” though this is a reflection of mentality more than income. Economists define “middle income” households as those with incomes between 66% and 200% of the median household income. This means an annual income range of roughly $24,000 and $73,000 for one person. As someone who’s previously made both of…
Spying on the Rich in Crazy Rich Asians and Moll Flanders
In Crazy Rich Asians (2013), Kevin Kwan offers us a window into a world of wealth capable of altering the very ontological condition of the characters who enjoy it. Reading Kwan’s novel, I’m reminded of Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders (1722).