4-Maggie

By Stephen Crane
Born in Newark, New Jersey the fourteenth child of parents who were Methodist revivalists He died when he was only 29, but he had time to publish five novels, two volumes of poetry and over three hundred sketches, reports and short stories. He ot literary fame as a conse!uence of the publication of "#$he %ed Bad e of &oura e## in '(9) *the &ivil +ar and its conse!uences,. He died of tuberculosis only five years later. He ained the rank of captain in a military academy and also worked as a -ournalist. $he publications in '(9. of Maggie: "#/ 0irl of the 1treets##, a powerful portrayal of a bli hted, poverty2 stricken lives of 3rish immi rants in New 4ork#s Bowery, brou ht him the friendship of two of the leadin fi ures of the /merican 5iterary realism6 Hamlim 0arland and +illiam 7ean Howels &rane#s interest in environmental determinism links him to late2nineteenth century writers such as 8rank Norris, Jack 5ondon and $heodore 7reiser. He writes about ordinary people who live in a universe of vast and indifferent natural forces. $here is no 0od here. &rane#s work reflects many of the ma-or artistic concerns at the end of the nineteenth century, especially naturalism, impressionism and symbolism. 1hockin the reader with new and often disturbin ideas *the &hristians were all the time criticisin the other and their faults instated of providin solutions to the problems, and perceptions is his aim. His compression in the selection of facts and character definition, to ether with his ima ery and concern for colour have led many critics to see in his writin s a literary parallel with impressionistic paintin . His 9discontinuous: renderin of action has also been identified as impressionist. *$here are many -umps in the novella, &rane had both a popular audience and a cultivated, literary one.

Important for Maggie:

-Inaugural vision of narrative in American fiction. -Banal story is given heroic stature without falsification *there is a very simple common type of story but the author ives it a lot of importance to that common element, the common life of common people, -Deceit an irresponsibility of men towar s women is a constant element in this te!t6 Ma ie stays in the shadow in the novella despite she is the prota onist. $his is made on purpose because the author wants to emphasis the power of men and their responsibility; they are responsible for the problems and the poor women conditions. +omen were unable to take any decisions without men#s permission. Ma ie#s romantic inability to see the world *she is unable to adapt to the society, and that the reason she dies at the end of the story, -"se of un erstatement an irony6 important elements are not taken into consideration, are -ust mentioned *the death of the baby and the death of the father,. -#aturalism: recreational spaces do not provide relief for the characters6 the violence created -$iterary e!pressionism an its application to the story: this is related to symbolism

Close rea ing:

$here is a very stron contrast in lan ua e re ister throu h the novella. Chapter %: 8rom the same chapter we can see the bi contrast in the lan ua e re ister6 the vernacular lan ua e and the standard one. +e have the vernacular lan ua e spoken by the 3rish people. +e find some irony too6 there is no reason to fi ht other kids. <ernacular lan ua e6 Run, Jimmie, run! Deyll get yehs $he use of different re isters is intentional. $he narrator presents the life of common people, who have a different culture and moral. $hey are 3rish immi rants who live a poor and hard life. $his is the elements of naturalism which shocks the reader. By this naturalism the author tries to shock the readers in order to make them react and take measures. 3n the novella we find very descriptive and short chapters, because the aim of the author is to describe and to present the vernacular lan ua e and the way poor people live. $he author doesn#t concentrate upon a character, or a few characters. He wants to show the whole community so he tries to picture the whole community of poor immi rants. Chapter &: +e have the description of the family members and the family environment. +e don#t know their -ob but we et to know that they spend all their money in drinks. $he mother is described as a very masculine fi ure, she is stron and she evens defeats her husband. +e don#t have many names in the story because the author tries to present the whole community. $hat can be a bit confused, but it is a strate y of presentin a lar e picture of the whole community. Chapter ': $he mother and the father have a fi ht, and the father decides to leave home. Chapter 4: 3n this chapter we find more information about Jimmie. "#$he babe, $ommie, died##6 we have only short information and only a short reference to such an important fact. $his is very typical of naturalism writers6 use of understatement *pa e '= 2 first para raph $he readers e>pect more information about this issue because it is a tra ic event, but the author doesn#t provide this information in purpose6 understatement +e have many aps in the novella, -umps in time, because we have fra mented information. $he story -umps from one thin to another, without ivin us all the information about the development of the characters. "#He clad his soul in armor by means?..for soup2tickets## *chapter. pa e '=, @oor people were iven food by the church but before that they have to listen to a sermon. @rices try to tell these people and to teach them the 5ord moral. $here is a criticism to the church, because they use the sermon to persuade them, but they should feed them first and help them. +e learn about Jimmie#s behavior and how he became to be. He maintained a belligerent attitude toward all well-dressed men. To him ine raiment was allied to wea!ness, and all goods "oats "o#ered aint hearts$$to be either !illed or laughed at He has not respect for the up classes. He drives his truck very violently, confrontin the police? He is very violent but that is a way of survivin in that environment. $he author doesn#t provide any deep description of the characters because he is not interested in.

He is interested in criticiAin the showin certain aspect of the society6 he blames the upper classes and the &hristian churches for not actin and for not takin solutions to improve the immi rants# life and their poor conditions of livin . Chapter (: 3n this chapter we have more information of Ma ie. The girl Maggie, blossomed in a mud %addle: she is compared with a flower which blossomed in a mud puddle. He is usin ironic by callin the people of the community "#philosophers##. $hey think they know a lot about life but in fact they know nothin . 7ifference between @ete and Ma ie6 @ete has the opportunity to improve his life -ust by bein a man. +omen have not that opportunity. Ma ie is unable to adapt to the environment when she lives. $his lack of adaptation is not due to her incapacity to work but for havin romantic ideas about men. 1he is incapable to see reality. 1he has romantic ideas which unable her to see reality. $his is conte>tualiAed to her relationship with @ete *pa e 'B last para raph,. "#Ma ie perceived that here was he beau ideal of a man?.her dream2 ardens there had always walked a lover## Chapter ): Here we have more information about @ete. He is always lau hin about his ability to fi ht other men, and how stron he is *pa e 'B,. $he author is usin irony while describin @ete; he is compared to a kni ht in a very ironic way. Here was a ormidable man who disdained the strength$he was a !night. Here we find also the criticism to men, who have the power and to nothin to protect women. $he author put the blame on @ete and Jimmie for Ma ie situation and tra ic end. $he mother is also responsible. $he mother is very hypocritical and she uses Ma ie to ain respect from his community. 1he put the blame on Ma ie. Chapter *: @ete and Ma ie o out to ether.

Chapter +: 1he contrasts her beauty with the lack of beauty of the other women of the factory. 1he starts takin into account how worth her beauty is, and how that is oin to ive her a better life; a better life with @ete *@a e '(, "#1he wondered as she re arded?..as valuable## +hen Ma ie is taken to the theatre to see a romantic play, her romantic ideas and feelin s are reinforced *pa e '9, e#ening during the wee!.... rom #illains $he melodrama reinforced her romantic view of the world. $his melodrama is criticised by the author because it ives the readers a false impression of the reality6 the oods at the end are always praised and the bad people always punished. But in this story we can see that this thin doesn#t happen. /t the end the ood ones die. 3t is the contrary to the melodrama ideas. Chapter ,: $he mother convinces Jimmie that Ma ie has dis raced their family reputation. +hen Ma ie returns home her mother ets her out of house *pa e22,. Chapter%-: Here we have the voice of one "#philosopher## tellin Jimmy what has happened with his sister.

Chapter %%:

He decided to o and fi ht with @ete in order to brin back the family reputation. @ete#s bar is destroyed and they are taken by the police. Chapter %&: +e are taken to a new area. Ma ie and @ete are into a bar, and @ete feels very superior to Ma ie. Ma ie sees prostitute around and at the same time she feels men look at her, because she of her beauty. Ma ie doesn#t know that this will be her future, to be a prostitute. .rom chapter %' to the en : @ete meets another woman and he decides to et to ether with her a ain and he decides to leave Ma ie. Ma ie is alone because she ets denied by her family, @ete and society. $he only option is to become prostitute. @ete is punished too, because he becomes a drunk a fool man. 3n the last chapter we have her mother cryin about the death of her dau hter and "#she for ives## for her sins6 irony