The nurse is Moll’s caretaker from the time Moll is three years old until she is a teenager. The nurse takes in orphaned children on behalf of the local parish, and she tenderly cares for them until they are old enough to either “go to Service”—work as maids, cooks, or other positions of service—or care for themselves. The nurse is kind and attentive, and she is from a good family. She enjoys art, and she makes sure that all the children under her care are able to read and dance. When Moll is eight years old and ordered into Service, the nurse agrees to keep her on, and she promises Moll that she will never have to go to Service. The nurse dies after a sudden illness, and Moll goes to live with the lady. The nurse represents piety and virtue in the novel, and she serves as an example of morality and goodness.
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The Nurse Character Timeline in Moll Flanders
The timeline below shows where the character The Nurse appears in Moll Flanders. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Moll’s Childhood
...three years old—to do any work. The Magistrates place Moll under the care of a nurse, who makes her living keeping children for the church until they are old enough to...
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The nurse also operates a school, in which she teaches children “to Read and to Work.” The...
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All day long, Moll works and weeps, until the nurse asks her why she is crying. Moll explains that she doesn’t want to go to...
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Moved by Moll’s sadness and determination, the nurse agrees to keep Moll. The nurse relays Moll’s pleas to the mayor, who calls in...
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...continues her work, all the while talking about how she will become a “Gentlewoman.” The nurse later asks Moll what she means by “Gentlewoman,” and Moll explains that it is a...
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...continues to work, mending linen and lace, and she gives all her money to the nurse, who promises to hold it and give it back when Moll comes of age. By...
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...time Moll is 14, she has grown even more beautiful. She continues working for the nurse, which, since Moll’s “Taste of Genteel” living at the lady’s house, isn’t as easy as...
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