Essay on Stephen Crane's "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets"

For many of the citizens of developed countries, a life without luxuries is unimaginable. However, across the world, there are places where standard of living is below dismal. In Stephen Crane's novel "Maggie: a Girl of the Streets," he describes such a place that is afflicted by poverty, where violence is the solution. Through his careful description of setting, people, and the interactions between those people, Crane reveals the squalid environment in which Maggie lives.

Crane's illustration of the setting reveals the gruesome environment in which Maggie lives. Residing in a building with "a dozen gruesome doorways" and "cold, gloomy halls," the atmosphere is extremely repulsive. Using "cold," "gloomy," and "gruesome" which are normally associated with dungeons rather than places that people live, Crane draws a comparison in respect to living condition to describe the abject environment. Additionally, it is also dirty and unkempt with "yellow dust from cobbles." The color that Crane chooses is "yellow" which is often associated with sickness such as "yellow fever." In choosing this color, Crane focuses on the detrimental effects of living in such an environment. Furthermore, Crane describes how "the building quivered and creaked from the weight of humanity stamping about in its bowels." Personifying the building with traits such as "quivered," Crane directly links the dilapidated building to the condition of the environment that Maggie lives in.

Crane also describes the other residents to expose the environment in which Maggie lives. Around the building, "loads of babies" were on "the street and the gutter." Introduced with "buckets, brooms, rags and bottles," the babies are seen as objects more than human. They are dehumanized even further by Crane's decision to use "loads" which is only concerned with mass and not each baby's worth as a human being. Any place that views living beings as objects is not a decent environment to reside in. Crane also mentions "Formidable women, with uncombed hair and disordered dress" in order to contrast from the idea of a polite society. Not concerned with keeping appearances, the women are portrayed as uncivilized and savage. Crane's illustration of the women as savages reflects the state of the environment, which must also be hostile and underdeveloped.

Through his portrayal of the interactions between people, Crane describes the dismal environment in which Maggie resides. Fights and confrontations are common between everyone, whether they are related or not. Husbands "[bellow] at [their wives]" and brothers "[swear] and [strike their sisters]." Even "infants... [fight] with other infants." The fact that violence is so deeply rooted into the society to the point where infants have learned at a young age that violence is a solution reflects the defunct nature of the environment in which Maggie lives. The repeated mentioning of violence throughout the passage only serves to reinforce this point. In fact, every character who is introduced is involved in violence, whether they inflict or receive it. Many of the interactions between people are also marked by defiance and rebellion. The "urchin raised his voice in defiance to his parent" and "[the baby] protested against being dragged in a chosen direction" while "the woman's operations on the urchin instantly increased in violence" after hearing her husband's order to abate harassing the boy. Describing the defiance that ranges from infant to adult, Crane illustrates the unproductive nature of the environment. Also, the lack of love is apparent in the interactions between people. When the wife is beating her son, the cries "annoyed [the husband]" and so he orders her to stop. Not caring for his son but rather only for himself, the lack of love is exposed. Also, marital problems are exhibited by the husband who "[bellows] at his wife" and "in the quarrel between husband and wife, the woman was victor." The domination of woman over man completely opposes the traditional idea of the male being head of the household. In describing these interactions, Crane exposes the violence, rebelliousness, and selfishness that are key traits of the environment. Through illustration of the setting, people, and interaction between the people, Crane reveals the dismal environment that Maggie lives in. He utilizes traits such as being physically unpleasing, unsanitary, dehumanized, and stricken with societal problems such as violence and rebellion, in order to reflect the subpar conditions.