Maggie by Stephen CraneJoin now to read essay Maggie by Stephen CraneNajah MartinProfessor BroderickEng 102Maggie:Life of a Girl on the StreetsBy Stephen Crane“Maggie: Life of a Girl on the Streets” by Stephen Crane is a short novel revolving around the coming of age story of a young woman in New York City. Maggie is a child living in the tenements of the Bowery, a slum area of New York City. Her father and mother are both alcoholics, which affected her self image and self esteem. She and her two brothers also suffered a violent and abusive childhood. The younger of the two boys dies, but Maggie and Jimmie survive. Maggie grows into a beautiful girl, somehow untouched by the chaos around her. When her brother brings home his friend Pete, who shows her some attention, she falls in love with him.She sees Pete as her way out of this negative situation. She fails to see him as the ill-mannered braggart that he is and succumbs to his charms. She goes to live with him, but Pete soon tires of her. She tries to return home, but is turned away. Both her mother and her brother condemn her as a fallen woman, despite the immoral behavior of both of them. Maggie, homeless and penniless, turns to prostitution to make a living. As her life becomes more dismal, she commits suicide. Her mother, on learning of Maggies death, wails hypocritically that she will forgive Maggie her sins.
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. His creation of Maggie was to symbolize a person unscathed by their physical environment. Through Jimmie he attempted to portray a child raised without guidance who turned into his abusive, drunk father. Crane plays Jimmie and Maggie off of each other as opposites. The Mother and Father are depicted as failed drunken hypocrites and poor role models. Crane skillfully characterizes and stereotypes the personalities in Maggie to illustrate the influence of environment and the wretched conditions in slums.
• •
In the 1960s, Maggie’s mother, Marilyn, was raised with a culture of family separation and fear of her daughter’s violent motherhood. When she entered an abusive relationship, she was pushed from the role, and not only did she face an uphill climb of being adopted by her daughter, she was also a mother who felt ignored by her step-sisters. Over time, Marilyn, being raised by one of her step-fathers with mixed racial background, became the very embodiment of her mother’s anger and humiliation. Over time, she became a victim of her mother’s violence in a manner far beyond what the average mother experiences. In Maggie’s story, the mothers who were willing to turn to violence for safety’s sake made Maggie the ideal scapegoat, often in part by using it as a tool to keep the mother in the dark. Many of the mothers who came forward as victims of abuse and mistreatment did so because they did not want their son to live through their mother’s brutal assault. They said it wasn’t her fault. Maggie saw herself as not just a mother, she was also her own daughter growing up. Marilyn’s father and stepmother came to know her in very different ways. In their conversations, she described how she was never truly sure who had been abusive or what abuse she could possibly have caused. She also saw this mother figure as the only person she loved, and the only person who could help her. Marilyn’s mother believed what many women in the slums believe: that all women should have everything they wanted. Maggie saw Marilyn as the person she was supposed to be, and as if everything she had for her mother were simply a facade. When she refused to take responsibility for a mother who had abused her, Marilyn made Maggie angry and cruel, making her feel as though her mother had been the most important person in the world the whole time. Despite this, Marilyn refused to let others blame her for not giving up her own life. Her desire to see her stepfather’s abuse end was more about making her stand up for herself than any physical or emotional reason. When the Mothers of Slums heard that Tommy Crane was in the streets and he had killed their stepfather, they left the country. Many of their children were told that they no longer had freedom and that their rights had been taken away. When one parent talked of the horror of her stepfather’s death, they did not want to hear of Tommy Crane’s legacy. Maggie’s own mother, Marilyn, wanted Tommy’s family gone that didn’t involve violence, and their only means was to live with their daughter in peace. Many of Maggie’s stepfathers at the time expressed regret for the murders that happened to them, and they wanted to express sympathy for Maggie’s mother. She had never been held responsible for any of them. She had always believed herself to be a person like Tommy Crane. That belief that she would not only be safe, strong, and even able to deal with adversity at home, but that Tommy Crane could also be trusted in the world was all too tempting. Marnie’s desire to come forward because she saw the tragedy she was witnessing as a catalyst for healing and her own hope for her daughter was a message to Tommy Crane. Maggie went to prison for several years, with Wayne going to prison and her father incarcerated as another prisoner until his wife could make her leave. She went back home even though she knew no other reason for why she could not. Maggie went to bed early thinking about Tommy’s life and the fact that she was not sure he would ever really end up behind
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. His creation of Maggie was to symbolize a person unscathed by their physical environment. Through Jimmie he attempted to portray a child raised without guidance who turned into his abusive, drunk father. Crane plays Jimmie and Maggie off of each other as opposites. The Mother and Father are depicted as failed drunken hypocrites and poor role models. Crane skillfully characterizes and stereotypes the personalities in Maggie to illustrate the influence of environment and the wretched conditions in slums.
• •
In the 1960s, Maggie’s mother, Marilyn, was raised with a culture of family separation and fear of her daughter’s violent motherhood. When she entered an abusive relationship, she was pushed from the role, and not only did she face an uphill climb of being adopted by her daughter, she was also a mother who felt ignored by her step-sisters. Over time, Marilyn, being raised by one of her step-fathers with mixed racial background, became the very embodiment of her mother’s anger and humiliation. Over time, she became a victim of her mother’s violence in a manner far beyond what the average mother experiences. In Maggie’s story, the mothers who were willing to turn to violence for safety’s sake made Maggie the ideal scapegoat, often in part by using it as a tool to keep the mother in the dark. Many of the mothers who came forward as victims of abuse and mistreatment did so because they did not want their son to live through their mother’s brutal assault. They said it wasn’t her fault. Maggie saw herself as not just a mother, she was also her own daughter growing up. Marilyn’s father and stepmother came to know her in very different ways. In their conversations, she described how she was never truly sure who had been abusive or what abuse she could possibly have caused. She also saw this mother figure as the only person she loved, and the only person who could help her. Marilyn’s mother believed what many women in the slums believe: that all women should have everything they wanted. Maggie saw Marilyn as the person she was supposed to be, and as if everything she had for her mother were simply a facade. When she refused to take responsibility for a mother who had abused her, Marilyn made Maggie angry and cruel, making her feel as though her mother had been the most important person in the world the whole time. Despite this, Marilyn refused to let others blame her for not giving up her own life. Her desire to see her stepfather’s abuse end was more about making her stand up for herself than any physical or emotional reason. When the Mothers of Slums heard that Tommy Crane was in the streets and he had killed their stepfather, they left the country. Many of their children were told that they no longer had freedom and that their rights had been taken away. When one parent talked of the horror of her stepfather’s death, they did not want to hear of Tommy Crane’s legacy. Maggie’s own mother, Marilyn, wanted Tommy’s family gone that didn’t involve violence, and their only means was to live with their daughter in peace. Many of Maggie’s stepfathers at the time expressed regret for the murders that happened to them, and they wanted to express sympathy for Maggie’s mother. She had never been held responsible for any of them. She had always believed herself to be a person like Tommy Crane. That belief that she would not only be safe, strong, and even able to deal with adversity at home, but that Tommy Crane could also be trusted in the world was all too tempting. Marnie’s desire to come forward because she saw the tragedy she was witnessing as a catalyst for healing and her own hope for her daughter was a message to Tommy Crane. Maggie went to prison for several years, with Wayne going to prison and her father incarcerated as another prisoner until his wife could make her leave. She went back home even though she knew no other reason for why she could not. Maggie went to bed early thinking about Tommy’s life and the fact that she was not sure he would ever really end up behind
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. Its most important work is Maggie at Night, to illustrate the importance of social services in working to maintain the dignity of the poor. Crane’s portrayal of Maggie as unhinged and needy, out of step with life and working off a disability, can capture a sense of his own grief towards his wife. At its core, Maggie stands up above other human beings being that live in a constant state of deprivation and despair. An example of a life that would not be so different from any other life is his death or the deaths of all of his children. This juxtaposition is not to say that Maggie is unhinged or “selfless,” but the fact is that Maggie’s grief, selflessness, and sense of loss that she endured in spite of the circumstances is one that many of us have witnessed. Despite many of the elements of Maggie’s story that were never discussed, this story was a reminder of what a person can live, which is both unique in and in support of what Maggie had to share so that it is not one piece of one thing. Crane’s depiction of Maggie conveys in a large way the deep feelings she brought to the group. From what she told us about herself in the past she says, “I got into trouble a lot during my first three years. My roommate was trying to pull me apart and I remember him trying to kill me and I had to tell my therapist that I had to do something and try to pull his weight, and when I got back, I said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’” I also read about her experience in the newspaper and the magazine article about this book at the time but in her own words, she said, “They were just like “Oh, I read your book so much. It would go from funny to disturbing. … It’s like they saw in me the strength that I had to overcome and it’s true.” She told a friend, which she was deeply moved about, that she couldn’t hold back. In her words “there’s an innocence and innocence to [the book]. Her friend’s friend read it. He said, ‘You’re the only one who understood what Maggie is about.” And you know what? I was. I was angry. I had no choice but to feel embarrassed.” We can all feel those emotions in all of us. And with much of
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. His creation of Maggie was to symbolize a person unscathed by their physical environment. Through Jimmie he attempted to portray a child raised without guidance who turned into his abusive, drunk father. Crane plays Jimmie and Maggie off of each other as opposites. The Mother and Father are depicted as failed drunken hypocrites and poor role models. Crane skillfully characterizes and stereotypes the personalities in Maggie to illustrate the influence of environment and the wretched conditions in slums.
• •
In the 1960s, Maggie’s mother, Marilyn, was raised with a culture of family separation and fear of her daughter’s violent motherhood. When she entered an abusive relationship, she was pushed from the role, and not only did she face an uphill climb of being adopted by her daughter, she was also a mother who felt ignored by her step-sisters. Over time, Marilyn, being raised by one of her step-fathers with mixed racial background, became the very embodiment of her mother’s anger and humiliation. Over time, she became a victim of her mother’s violence in a manner far beyond what the average mother experiences. In Maggie’s story, the mothers who were willing to turn to violence for safety’s sake made Maggie the ideal scapegoat, often in part by using it as a tool to keep the mother in the dark. Many of the mothers who came forward as victims of abuse and mistreatment did so because they did not want their son to live through their mother’s brutal assault. They said it wasn’t her fault. Maggie saw herself as not just a mother, she was also her own daughter growing up. Marilyn’s father and stepmother came to know her in very different ways. In their conversations, she described how she was never truly sure who had been abusive or what abuse she could possibly have caused. She also saw this mother figure as the only person she loved, and the only person who could help her. Marilyn’s mother believed what many women in the slums believe: that all women should have everything they wanted. Maggie saw Marilyn as the person she was supposed to be, and as if everything she had for her mother were simply a facade. When she refused to take responsibility for a mother who had abused her, Marilyn made Maggie angry and cruel, making her feel as though her mother had been the most important person in the world the whole time. Despite this, Marilyn refused to let others blame her for not giving up her own life. Her desire to see her stepfather’s abuse end was more about making her stand up for herself than any physical or emotional reason. When the Mothers of Slums heard that Tommy Crane was in the streets and he had killed their stepfather, they left the country. Many of their children were told that they no longer had freedom and that their rights had been taken away. When one parent talked of the horror of her stepfather’s death, they did not want to hear of Tommy Crane’s legacy. Maggie’s own mother, Marilyn, wanted Tommy’s family gone that didn’t involve violence, and their only means was to live with their daughter in peace. Many of Maggie’s stepfathers at the time expressed regret for the murders that happened to them, and they wanted to express sympathy for Maggie’s mother. She had never been held responsible for any of them. She had always believed herself to be a person like Tommy Crane. That belief that she would not only be safe, strong, and even able to deal with adversity at home, but that Tommy Crane could also be trusted in the world was all too tempting. Marnie’s desire to come forward because she saw the tragedy she was witnessing as a catalyst for healing and her own hope for her daughter was a message to Tommy Crane. Maggie went to prison for several years, with Wayne going to prison and her father incarcerated as another prisoner until his wife could make her leave. She went back home even though she knew no other reason for why she could not. Maggie went to bed early thinking about Tommy’s life and the fact that she was not sure he would ever really end up behind
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. His creation of Maggie was to symbolize a person unscathed by their physical environment. Through Jimmie he attempted to portray a child raised without guidance who turned into his abusive, drunk father. Crane plays Jimmie and Maggie off of each other as opposites. The Mother and Father are depicted as failed drunken hypocrites and poor role models. Crane skillfully characterizes and stereotypes the personalities in Maggie to illustrate the influence of environment and the wretched conditions in slums.
• •
In the 1960s, Maggie’s mother, Marilyn, was raised with a culture of family separation and fear of her daughter’s violent motherhood. When she entered an abusive relationship, she was pushed from the role, and not only did she face an uphill climb of being adopted by her daughter, she was also a mother who felt ignored by her step-sisters. Over time, Marilyn, being raised by one of her step-fathers with mixed racial background, became the very embodiment of her mother’s anger and humiliation. Over time, she became a victim of her mother’s violence in a manner far beyond what the average mother experiences. In Maggie’s story, the mothers who were willing to turn to violence for safety’s sake made Maggie the ideal scapegoat, often in part by using it as a tool to keep the mother in the dark. Many of the mothers who came forward as victims of abuse and mistreatment did so because they did not want their son to live through their mother’s brutal assault. They said it wasn’t her fault. Maggie saw herself as not just a mother, she was also her own daughter growing up. Marilyn’s father and stepmother came to know her in very different ways. In their conversations, she described how she was never truly sure who had been abusive or what abuse she could possibly have caused. She also saw this mother figure as the only person she loved, and the only person who could help her. Marilyn’s mother believed what many women in the slums believe: that all women should have everything they wanted. Maggie saw Marilyn as the person she was supposed to be, and as if everything she had for her mother were simply a facade. When she refused to take responsibility for a mother who had abused her, Marilyn made Maggie angry and cruel, making her feel as though her mother had been the most important person in the world the whole time. Despite this, Marilyn refused to let others blame her for not giving up her own life. Her desire to see her stepfather’s abuse end was more about making her stand up for herself than any physical or emotional reason. When the Mothers of Slums heard that Tommy Crane was in the streets and he had killed their stepfather, they left the country. Many of their children were told that they no longer had freedom and that their rights had been taken away. When one parent talked of the horror of her stepfather’s death, they did not want to hear of Tommy Crane’s legacy. Maggie’s own mother, Marilyn, wanted Tommy’s family gone that didn’t involve violence, and their only means was to live with their daughter in peace. Many of Maggie’s stepfathers at the time expressed regret for the murders that happened to them, and they wanted to express sympathy for Maggie’s mother. She had never been held responsible for any of them. She had always believed herself to be a person like Tommy Crane. That belief that she would not only be safe, strong, and even able to deal with adversity at home, but that Tommy Crane could also be trusted in the world was all too tempting. Marnie’s desire to come forward because she saw the tragedy she was witnessing as a catalyst for healing and her own hope for her daughter was a message to Tommy Crane. Maggie went to prison for several years, with Wayne going to prison and her father incarcerated as another prisoner until his wife could make her leave. She went back home even though she knew no other reason for why she could not. Maggie went to bed early thinking about Tommy’s life and the fact that she was not sure he would ever really end up behind
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. Its most important work is Maggie at Night, to illustrate the importance of social services in working to maintain the dignity of the poor. Crane’s portrayal of Maggie as unhinged and needy, out of step with life and working off a disability, can capture a sense of his own grief towards his wife. At its core, Maggie stands up above other human beings being that live in a constant state of deprivation and despair. An example of a life that would not be so different from any other life is his death or the deaths of all of his children. This juxtaposition is not to say that Maggie is unhinged or “selfless,” but the fact is that Maggie’s grief, selflessness, and sense of loss that she endured in spite of the circumstances is one that many of us have witnessed. Despite many of the elements of Maggie’s story that were never discussed, this story was a reminder of what a person can live, which is both unique in and in support of what Maggie had to share so that it is not one piece of one thing. Crane’s depiction of Maggie conveys in a large way the deep feelings she brought to the group. From what she told us about herself in the past she says, “I got into trouble a lot during my first three years. My roommate was trying to pull me apart and I remember him trying to kill me and I had to tell my therapist that I had to do something and try to pull his weight, and when I got back, I said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’” I also read about her experience in the newspaper and the magazine article about this book at the time but in her own words, she said, “They were just like “Oh, I read your book so much. It would go from funny to disturbing. … It’s like they saw in me the strength that I had to overcome and it’s true.” She told a friend, which she was deeply moved about, that she couldn’t hold back. In her words “there’s an innocence and innocence to [the book]. Her friend’s friend read it. He said, ‘You’re the only one who understood what Maggie is about.” And you know what? I was. I was angry. I had no choice but to feel embarrassed.” We can all feel those emotions in all of us. And with much of
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. Its most important work is Maggie at Night, to illustrate the importance of social services in working to maintain the dignity of the poor. Crane’s portrayal of Maggie as unhinged and needy, out of step with life and working off a disability, can capture a sense of his own grief towards his wife. At its core, Maggie stands up above other human beings being that live in a constant state of deprivation and despair. An example of a life that would not be so different from any other life is his death or the deaths of all of his children. This juxtaposition is not to say that Maggie is unhinged or “selfless,” but the fact is that Maggie’s grief, selflessness, and sense of loss that she endured in spite of the circumstances is one that many of us have witnessed. Despite many of the elements of Maggie’s story that were never discussed, this story was a reminder of what a person can live, which is both unique in and in support of what Maggie had to share so that it is not one piece of one thing. Crane’s depiction of Maggie conveys in a large way the deep feelings she brought to the group. From what she told us about herself in the past she says, “I got into trouble a lot during my first three years. My roommate was trying to pull me apart and I remember him trying to kill me and I had to tell my therapist that I had to do something and try to pull his weight, and when I got back, I said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’” I also read about her experience in the newspaper and the magazine article about this book at the time but in her own words, she said, “They were just like “Oh, I read your book so much. It would go from funny to disturbing. … It’s like they saw in me the strength that I had to overcome and it’s true.” She told a friend, which she was deeply moved about, that she couldn’t hold back. In her words “there’s an innocence and innocence to [the book]. Her friend’s friend read it. He said, ‘You’re the only one who understood what Maggie is about.” And you know what? I was. I was angry. I had no choice but to feel embarrassed.” We can all feel those emotions in all of us. And with much of
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. His creation of Maggie was to symbolize a person unscathed by their physical environment. Through Jimmie he attempted to portray a child raised without guidance who turned into his abusive, drunk father. Crane plays Jimmie and Maggie off of each other as opposites. The Mother and Father are depicted as failed drunken hypocrites and poor role models. Crane skillfully characterizes and stereotypes the personalities in Maggie to illustrate the influence of environment and the wretched conditions in slums.
• •
In the 1960s, Maggie’s mother, Marilyn, was raised with a culture of family separation and fear of her daughter’s violent motherhood. When she entered an abusive relationship, she was pushed from the role, and not only did she face an uphill climb of being adopted by her daughter, she was also a mother who felt ignored by her step-sisters. Over time, Marilyn, being raised by one of her step-fathers with mixed racial background, became the very embodiment of her mother’s anger and humiliation. Over time, she became a victim of her mother’s violence in a manner far beyond what the average mother experiences. In Maggie’s story, the mothers who were willing to turn to violence for safety’s sake made Maggie the ideal scapegoat, often in part by using it as a tool to keep the mother in the dark. Many of the mothers who came forward as victims of abuse and mistreatment did so because they did not want their son to live through their mother’s brutal assault. They said it wasn’t her fault. Maggie saw herself as not just a mother, she was also her own daughter growing up. Marilyn’s father and stepmother came to know her in very different ways. In their conversations, she described how she was never truly sure who had been abusive or what abuse she could possibly have caused. She also saw this mother figure as the only person she loved, and the only person who could help her. Marilyn’s mother believed what many women in the slums believe: that all women should have everything they wanted. Maggie saw Marilyn as the person she was supposed to be, and as if everything she had for her mother were simply a facade. When she refused to take responsibility for a mother who had abused her, Marilyn made Maggie angry and cruel, making her feel as though her mother had been the most important person in the world the whole time. Despite this, Marilyn refused to let others blame her for not giving up her own life. Her desire to see her stepfather’s abuse end was more about making her stand up for herself than any physical or emotional reason. When the Mothers of Slums heard that Tommy Crane was in the streets and he had killed their stepfather, they left the country. Many of their children were told that they no longer had freedom and that their rights had been taken away. When one parent talked of the horror of her stepfather’s death, they did not want to hear of Tommy Crane’s legacy. Maggie’s own mother, Marilyn, wanted Tommy’s family gone that didn’t involve violence, and their only means was to live with their daughter in peace. Many of Maggie’s stepfathers at the time expressed regret for the murders that happened to them, and they wanted to express sympathy for Maggie’s mother. She had never been held responsible for any of them. She had always believed herself to be a person like Tommy Crane. That belief that she would not only be safe, strong, and even able to deal with adversity at home, but that Tommy Crane could also be trusted in the world was all too tempting. Marnie’s desire to come forward because she saw the tragedy she was witnessing as a catalyst for healing and her own hope for her daughter was a message to Tommy Crane. Maggie went to prison for several years, with Wayne going to prison and her father incarcerated as another prisoner until his wife could make her leave. She went back home even though she knew no other reason for why she could not. Maggie went to bed early thinking about Tommy’s life and the fact that she was not sure he would ever really end up behind
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. His creation of Maggie was to symbolize a person unscathed by their physical environment. Through Jimmie he attempted to portray a child raised without guidance who turned into his abusive, drunk father. Crane plays Jimmie and Maggie off of each other as opposites. The Mother and Father are depicted as failed drunken hypocrites and poor role models. Crane skillfully characterizes and stereotypes the personalities in Maggie to illustrate the influence of environment and the wretched conditions in slums.
• •
In the 1960s, Maggie’s mother, Marilyn, was raised with a culture of family separation and fear of her daughter’s violent motherhood. When she entered an abusive relationship, she was pushed from the role, and not only did she face an uphill climb of being adopted by her daughter, she was also a mother who felt ignored by her step-sisters. Over time, Marilyn, being raised by one of her step-fathers with mixed racial background, became the very embodiment of her mother’s anger and humiliation. Over time, she became a victim of her mother’s violence in a manner far beyond what the average mother experiences. In Maggie’s story, the mothers who were willing to turn to violence for safety’s sake made Maggie the ideal scapegoat, often in part by using it as a tool to keep the mother in the dark. Many of the mothers who came forward as victims of abuse and mistreatment did so because they did not want their son to live through their mother’s brutal assault. They said it wasn’t her fault. Maggie saw herself as not just a mother, she was also her own daughter growing up. Marilyn’s father and stepmother came to know her in very different ways. In their conversations, she described how she was never truly sure who had been abusive or what abuse she could possibly have caused. She also saw this mother figure as the only person she loved, and the only person who could help her. Marilyn’s mother believed what many women in the slums believe: that all women should have everything they wanted. Maggie saw Marilyn as the person she was supposed to be, and as if everything she had for her mother were simply a facade. When she refused to take responsibility for a mother who had abused her, Marilyn made Maggie angry and cruel, making her feel as though her mother had been the most important person in the world the whole time. Despite this, Marilyn refused to let others blame her for not giving up her own life. Her desire to see her stepfather’s abuse end was more about making her stand up for herself than any physical or emotional reason. When the Mothers of Slums heard that Tommy Crane was in the streets and he had killed their stepfather, they left the country. Many of their children were told that they no longer had freedom and that their rights had been taken away. When one parent talked of the horror of her stepfather’s death, they did not want to hear of Tommy Crane’s legacy. Maggie’s own mother, Marilyn, wanted Tommy’s family gone that didn’t involve violence, and their only means was to live with their daughter in peace. Many of Maggie’s stepfathers at the time expressed regret for the murders that happened to them, and they wanted to express sympathy for Maggie’s mother. She had never been held responsible for any of them. She had always believed herself to be a person like Tommy Crane. That belief that she would not only be safe, strong, and even able to deal with adversity at home, but that Tommy Crane could also be trusted in the world was all too tempting. Marnie’s desire to come forward because she saw the tragedy she was witnessing as a catalyst for healing and her own hope for her daughter was a message to Tommy Crane. Maggie went to prison for several years, with Wayne going to prison and her father incarcerated as another prisoner until his wife could make her leave. She went back home even though she knew no other reason for why she could not. Maggie went to bed early thinking about Tommy’s life and the fact that she was not sure he would ever really end up behind
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. Its most important work is Maggie at Night, to illustrate the importance of social services in working to maintain the dignity of the poor. Crane’s portrayal of Maggie as unhinged and needy, out of step with life and working off a disability, can capture a sense of his own grief towards his wife. At its core, Maggie stands up above other human beings being that live in a constant state of deprivation and despair. An example of a life that would not be so different from any other life is his death or the deaths of all of his children. This juxtaposition is not to say that Maggie is unhinged or “selfless,” but the fact is that Maggie’s grief, selflessness, and sense of loss that she endured in spite of the circumstances is one that many of us have witnessed. Despite many of the elements of Maggie’s story that were never discussed, this story was a reminder of what a person can live, which is both unique in and in support of what Maggie had to share so that it is not one piece of one thing. Crane’s depiction of Maggie conveys in a large way the deep feelings she brought to the group. From what she told us about herself in the past she says, “I got into trouble a lot during my first three years. My roommate was trying to pull me apart and I remember him trying to kill me and I had to tell my therapist that I had to do something and try to pull his weight, and when I got back, I said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’” I also read about her experience in the newspaper and the magazine article about this book at the time but in her own words, she said, “They were just like “Oh, I read your book so much. It would go from funny to disturbing. … It’s like they saw in me the strength that I had to overcome and it’s true.” She told a friend, which she was deeply moved about, that she couldn’t hold back. In her words “there’s an innocence and innocence to [the book]. Her friend’s friend read it. He said, ‘You’re the only one who understood what Maggie is about.” And you know what? I was. I was angry. I had no choice but to feel embarrassed.” We can all feel those emotions in all of us. And with much of
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. His creation of Maggie was to symbolize a person unscathed by their physical environment. Through Jimmie he attempted to portray a child raised without guidance who turned into his abusive, drunk father. Crane plays Jimmie and Maggie off of each other as opposites. The Mother and Father are depicted as failed drunken hypocrites and poor role models. Crane skillfully characterizes and stereotypes the personalities in Maggie to illustrate the influence of environment and the wretched conditions in slums.
• •
In the 1960s, Maggie’s mother, Marilyn, was raised with a culture of family separation and fear of her daughter’s violent motherhood. When she entered an abusive relationship, she was pushed from the role, and not only did she face an uphill climb of being adopted by her daughter, she was also a mother who felt ignored by her step-sisters. Over time, Marilyn, being raised by one of her step-fathers with mixed racial background, became the very embodiment of her mother’s anger and humiliation. Over time, she became a victim of her mother’s violence in a manner far beyond what the average mother experiences. In Maggie’s story, the mothers who were willing to turn to violence for safety’s sake made Maggie the ideal scapegoat, often in part by using it as a tool to keep the mother in the dark. Many of the mothers who came forward as victims of abuse and mistreatment did so because they did not want their son to live through their mother’s brutal assault. They said it wasn’t her fault. Maggie saw herself as not just a mother, she was also her own daughter growing up. Marilyn’s father and stepmother came to know her in very different ways. In their conversations, she described how she was never truly sure who had been abusive or what abuse she could possibly have caused. She also saw this mother figure as the only person she loved, and the only person who could help her. Marilyn’s mother believed what many women in the slums believe: that all women should have everything they wanted. Maggie saw Marilyn as the person she was supposed to be, and as if everything she had for her mother were simply a facade. When she refused to take responsibility for a mother who had abused her, Marilyn made Maggie angry and cruel, making her feel as though her mother had been the most important person in the world the whole time. Despite this, Marilyn refused to let others blame her for not giving up her own life. Her desire to see her stepfather’s abuse end was more about making her stand up for herself than any physical or emotional reason. When the Mothers of Slums heard that Tommy Crane was in the streets and he had killed their stepfather, they left the country. Many of their children were told that they no longer had freedom and that their rights had been taken away. When one parent talked of the horror of her stepfather’s death, they did not want to hear of Tommy Crane’s legacy. Maggie’s own mother, Marilyn, wanted Tommy’s family gone that didn’t involve violence, and their only means was to live with their daughter in peace. Many of Maggie’s stepfathers at the time expressed regret for the murders that happened to them, and they wanted to express sympathy for Maggie’s mother. She had never been held responsible for any of them. She had always believed herself to be a person like Tommy Crane. That belief that she would not only be safe, strong, and even able to deal with adversity at home, but that Tommy Crane could also be trusted in the world was all too tempting. Marnie’s desire to come forward because she saw the tragedy she was witnessing as a catalyst for healing and her own hope for her daughter was a message to Tommy Crane. Maggie went to prison for several years, with Wayne going to prison and her father incarcerated as another prisoner until his wife could make her leave. She went back home even though she knew no other reason for why she could not. Maggie went to bed early thinking about Tommy’s life and the fact that she was not sure he would ever really end up behind
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. His creation of Maggie was to symbolize a person unscathed by their physical environment. Through Jimmie he attempted to portray a child raised without guidance who turned into his abusive, drunk father. Crane plays Jimmie and Maggie off of each other as opposites. The Mother and Father are depicted as failed drunken hypocrites and poor role models. Crane skillfully characterizes and stereotypes the personalities in Maggie to illustrate the influence of environment and the wretched conditions in slums.
• •
In the 1960s, Maggie’s mother, Marilyn, was raised with a culture of family separation and fear of her daughter’s violent motherhood. When she entered an abusive relationship, she was pushed from the role, and not only did she face an uphill climb of being adopted by her daughter, she was also a mother who felt ignored by her step-sisters. Over time, Marilyn, being raised by one of her step-fathers with mixed racial background, became the very embodiment of her mother’s anger and humiliation. Over time, she became a victim of her mother’s violence in a manner far beyond what the average mother experiences. In Maggie’s story, the mothers who were willing to turn to violence for safety’s sake made Maggie the ideal scapegoat, often in part by using it as a tool to keep the mother in the dark. Many of the mothers who came forward as victims of abuse and mistreatment did so because they did not want their son to live through their mother’s brutal assault. They said it wasn’t her fault. Maggie saw herself as not just a mother, she was also her own daughter growing up. Marilyn’s father and stepmother came to know her in very different ways. In their conversations, she described how she was never truly sure who had been abusive or what abuse she could possibly have caused. She also saw this mother figure as the only person she loved, and the only person who could help her. Marilyn’s mother believed what many women in the slums believe: that all women should have everything they wanted. Maggie saw Marilyn as the person she was supposed to be, and as if everything she had for her mother were simply a facade. When she refused to take responsibility for a mother who had abused her, Marilyn made Maggie angry and cruel, making her feel as though her mother had been the most important person in the world the whole time. Despite this, Marilyn refused to let others blame her for not giving up her own life. Her desire to see her stepfather’s abuse end was more about making her stand up for herself than any physical or emotional reason. When the Mothers of Slums heard that Tommy Crane was in the streets and he had killed their stepfather, they left the country. Many of their children were told that they no longer had freedom and that their rights had been taken away. When one parent talked of the horror of her stepfather’s death, they did not want to hear of Tommy Crane’s legacy. Maggie’s own mother, Marilyn, wanted Tommy’s family gone that didn’t involve violence, and their only means was to live with their daughter in peace. Many of Maggie’s stepfathers at the time expressed regret for the murders that happened to them, and they wanted to express sympathy for Maggie’s mother. She had never been held responsible for any of them. She had always believed herself to be a person like Tommy Crane. That belief that she would not only be safe, strong, and even able to deal with adversity at home, but that Tommy Crane could also be trusted in the world was all too tempting. Marnie’s desire to come forward because she saw the tragedy she was witnessing as a catalyst for healing and her own hope for her daughter was a message to Tommy Crane. Maggie went to prison for several years, with Wayne going to prison and her father incarcerated as another prisoner until his wife could make her leave. She went back home even though she knew no other reason for why she could not. Maggie went to bed early thinking about Tommy’s life and the fact that she was not sure he would ever really end up behind
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. Its most important work is Maggie at Night, to illustrate the importance of social services in working to maintain the dignity of the poor. Crane’s portrayal of Maggie as unhinged and needy, out of step with life and working off a disability, can capture a sense of his own grief towards his wife. At its core, Maggie stands up above other human beings being that live in a constant state of deprivation and despair. An example of a life that would not be so different from any other life is his death or the deaths of all of his children. This juxtaposition is not to say that Maggie is unhinged or “selfless,” but the fact is that Maggie’s grief, selflessness, and sense of loss that she endured in spite of the circumstances is one that many of us have witnessed. Despite many of the elements of Maggie’s story that were never discussed, this story was a reminder of what a person can live, which is both unique in and in support of what Maggie had to share so that it is not one piece of one thing. Crane’s depiction of Maggie conveys in a large way the deep feelings she brought to the group. From what she told us about herself in the past she says, “I got into trouble a lot during my first three years. My roommate was trying to pull me apart and I remember him trying to kill me and I had to tell my therapist that I had to do something and try to pull his weight, and when I got back, I said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’” I also read about her experience in the newspaper and the magazine article about this book at the time but in her own words, she said, “They were just like “Oh, I read your book so much. It would go from funny to disturbing. … It’s like they saw in me the strength that I had to overcome and it’s true.” She told a friend, which she was deeply moved about, that she couldn’t hold back. In her words “there’s an innocence and innocence to [the book]. Her friend’s friend read it. He said, ‘You’re the only one who understood what Maggie is about.” And you know what? I was. I was angry. I had no choice but to feel embarrassed.” We can all feel those emotions in all of us. And with much of
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. Its most important work is Maggie at Night, to illustrate the importance of social services in working to maintain the dignity of the poor. Crane’s portrayal of Maggie as unhinged and needy, out of step with life and working off a disability, can capture a sense of his own grief towards his wife. At its core, Maggie stands up above other human beings being that live in a constant state of deprivation and despair. An example of a life that would not be so different from any other life is his death or the deaths of all of his children. This juxtaposition is not to say that Maggie is unhinged or “selfless,” but the fact is that Maggie’s grief, selflessness, and sense of loss that she endured in spite of the circumstances is one that many of us have witnessed. Despite many of the elements of Maggie’s story that were never discussed, this story was a reminder of what a person can live, which is both unique in and in support of what Maggie had to share so that it is not one piece of one thing. Crane’s depiction of Maggie conveys in a large way the deep feelings she brought to the group. From what she told us about herself in the past she says, “I got into trouble a lot during my first three years. My roommate was trying to pull me apart and I remember him trying to kill me and I had to tell my therapist that I had to do something and try to pull his weight, and when I got back, I said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’” I also read about her experience in the newspaper and the magazine article about this book at the time but in her own words, she said, “They were just like “Oh, I read your book so much. It would go from funny to disturbing. … It’s like they saw in me the strength that I had to overcome and it’s true.” She told a friend, which she was deeply moved about, that she couldn’t hold back. In her words “there’s an innocence and innocence to [the book]. Her friend’s friend read it. He said, ‘You’re the only one who understood what Maggie is about.” And you know what? I was. I was angry. I had no choice but to feel embarrassed.” We can all feel those emotions in all of us. And with much of
In Maggie, Stephen Crane deals with poverty and vice, not out of curiosity or to promote debauchery but as a defiant statement voicing the life in slums. Drawing on personal experience, he described the rough and treacherous environment that persisted in the inner-city. By focusing on the Johnsons, Crane personalizes a large tragedy that affected and reflected American society as a whole. Its most important work is Maggie at Night, to illustrate the importance of social services in working to maintain the dignity of the poor. Crane’s portrayal of Maggie as unhinged and needy, out of step with life and working off a disability, can capture a sense of his own grief towards his wife. At its core, Maggie stands up above other human beings being that live in a constant state of deprivation and despair. An example of a life that would not be so different from any other life is his death or the deaths of all of his children. This juxtaposition is not to say that Maggie is unhinged or “selfless,” but the fact is that Maggie’s grief, selflessness, and sense of loss that she endured in spite of the circumstances is one that many of us have witnessed. Despite many of the elements of Maggie’s story that were never discussed, this story was a reminder of what a person can live, which is both unique in and in support of what Maggie had to share so that it is not one piece of one thing. Crane’s depiction of Maggie conveys in a large way the deep feelings she brought to the group. From what she told us about herself in the past she says, “I got into trouble a lot during my first three years. My roommate was trying to pull me apart and I remember him trying to kill me and I had to tell my therapist that I had to do something and try to pull his weight, and when I got back, I said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’” I also read about her experience in the newspaper and the magazine article about this book at the time but in her own words, she said, “They were just like “Oh, I read your book so much. It would go from funny to disturbing. … It’s like they saw in me the strength that I had to overcome and it’s true.” She told a friend, which she was deeply moved about, that she couldn’t hold back. In her words “there’s an innocence and innocence to [the book]. Her friend’s friend read it. He said, ‘You’re the only one who understood what Maggie is about.” And you know what? I was. I was angry. I had no choice but to feel embarrassed.” We can all feel those emotions in all of us. And with much of
Maggie “blossomed in a mud puddle” and represented purity in a corrupt world. When she gets together with Pete she attempted to get out of the world she despised, but instead remained in the slum, unable to escape. Although she is repeatedly abused, Maggie continually picks up the remnants of her life despite being “in a worn and sorry state.”
Jimmie is seen both in a good light, like his sister, as well as an evil and cruel person. In the beginning of the story, he