“Moll” is a pejorative term in Australia and New Zealand for a woman of loose sexual morals, or a sex worker. In Western Australia, however, moll carries a more specific connotation and can also be used as a term of endearment or to refer to a woman who is unlikeable or annoying. In Jackie’s case, her designation as Boner McPharlin’s moll is largely a combination of the word’s primary meaning and its more local, affectionate implication.
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Moll Term Timeline in The Turning
The timeline below shows where the term Moll appears in The Turning. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Boner McPharlin’s Moll
...silence—Erin is aghast, and rumors spread quickly. In the popular imagination, Jackie has become Boner’s moll. Jackie does nothing to contradict these rumors; she even plays into them. Nevertheless, her drives...
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