What are the motifs in Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe?

Perseverance and ambition are recurring ideas. The story of Moll Flanders is the story of a woman who is nothing if not persistent in her quest to become independent and financially comfortable. From an early age she sets her sights on becoming something more than just a servant girl, pleading with the nurse to let her learn how to make money as a seamstress. Even though Moll spends much of her time in the book pursuing marriage, she is adamant that women should not have to settle for just any man. "Nothing is more certain than that the ladies always gain of the men by keeping their ground," she admonishes.