Maggie: a Girk Of The Streets

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Maggie: a girl of the street By Stephen Crane Themes and motifs present in the novella “Maggie: a girl of the street” is Stephen Crane’s first published fictional novel. It dates back in 1893. Because the book treated such a controversial subject, Crane had to print it privately, under the pseudonym Johnson Smith. Because of its short length, the book is often called a novella (short novel). I think the story does not revolve around Maggie only. Through this novella, Stephen Crane examines naturalistic tendencies in the harsh lives of the novel’s main character, Maggie. The book raises important questions about the American society of the time. In a 1922 edition of “Friday Nights: Literary Criticism and Appreciation”, Edward Garnett described the novella as “a little masterpiece in its remorseless study of New York slum and Bowery morals”. He also insisted that “Maggie: a girl of the street” “is not a story about people; it is primitive human nature itself, set down with perfect spontaneity and grace of handling”. What I would like to focus on this presentation are the themes and motifs present in the book. First of all, “Maggie: a girl of the street” is full of realistic elements. Crane wanted to portray a life without pretenses and tinted lenses. Realist novels tend to portray their protagonists as subject to massive social forces. Crane did not want to present the story of individuality, but the story of many others. Even though the title would suggest that the book is about a girl named Maggie, “a girl of the street” shows clearly that the story of Maggie itself is not important; she is just a sad tale out of many others. Hypocrisy is one of the themes present in the book. The Johnsons members struggle to justify their immoral actions. Mr. Johnson yells at his wife after she has hit one of the kids, Mrs.

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