maggie-a-girl-of-the-streets

Maggie:AGirloftheStreetsIntroductionMaggie:AGirloftheStreetsisan1893novelbyAmericanauthorStephenCrane.Oftencalledanovellabecauseofitsshortlength,itwasCrane'sfirstpublishedbookoffiction.Becausetheworkwasconsideredtoorisquébypublishers,Crane,whowas21yearsoldatthetime,hadtofinancethepublicationofthenovelhimself.ThenoveltakesplaceintheBowery,aNewYorkneighborhoodinlowerManhattan.Maincharacters•JimmieJohnson:Ayoungboy,MaggieandTommie'sbrother,whofirstappearsinthebeginningscenefightingagangwarofsomesortwiththeRumAlleyChildren.•Pete:Ateenager,inthebeginning,whoisanacquaintanceofJimmie,andsavesJimmieinthefight.Later,heseducesMaggieandbreaksherofherromanticviewpoints.•Father:Thebrutal,drunkardfatherofJimmie,Maggie,andTommie.•MaggieJohnson:TheeldestJohnsonchild,protagonistofthestory,apparentlyimmunetotheafter-effectsofthenegativefamily.SheisseducedbyPeteandisseenaseffectivelyruined.Sheisimpliedtohavebecomeaprostituteattheendofthenovelanddiesanearlydeath.•TommieJohnson:TheyoungestJohnsonchildwhodiesanearlydeath.•MaryJohnson:ThedrunkardandbrutalmotherwhodrivesMaggieoutofthehouse.PlotsummaryThestoryopenswithJimmie,atthispointayoungboy,tryingtofightagangofboysfromanopposingneighborhoodallbyhimself.Heissavedbyhisfriend,pete,andcomeshometohissistermaggie,histoddlingbrotherTommie,hisbrutalanddrunkenfatherandmother,MaryJohnson.Theparentsterrifythechildrenuntiltheyareshudderinginthecorner.yearspass,thefatherandtommiedie,andjimmiehardensintoasneering,aggressive,cynicalyouth.Hegetsajobasteamster,havenoregaedforanyonebutfiretruckswhowouldrunhimdown.Maggiebiginstoworkinashirtfactory,butherattemptstoimproveherlifeareunderminedbyhermother'sdrunkenrage.meggiebeginstodatejimmie'sfriendPete,whohasajobasabartenderandseemsaveryfinefellow,convincedthathewillhelpherescapethelifesheleads.Hetakeshertothetheaterandthemuseum.OnenightjimmieandmaryaccusemaggieofgointhdehNaturalismMaggieisregardedasthefirstworkofunalloyednaturalisminAmericanfiction.Accordingtothenaturalisticprinciples,acharacterissetintoaworldwherethereisnoescapefromone'sbiologicalheredity.Additionally,thecircumstancesinwhichapersonfindsoneselfwilldominateone'sbehavior,deprivingtheindividualofresponsibility.“这本书企图表明，环境是世界上的一个强有力的东西，他无视一切地左右着人们的生活。”Despitethetitle,isnotnecessarilyjustaboutMaggie,butratherdealsmoredirectlywiththeBoweryenvironmentitselfandhowitshapesthelivesofitsinhabitants.LookathowtheenvironmentinfluenceseverythingandpayattentiontothecontrastbetweentheBoweryandMaggieherself.ThetenementwhereMaggieresidesisdescribedas,“adarkregionwhere…adozengruesomedoorwaysgaveuploadsofbabiestothestreetandthegutter”.•Maggie,“blossomedinamudpuddle.Shegrewtobeamostrareandwonderfulproductionofthetenementdistrict,aprettygirl”.•Comparetheabovequotewith:“Formidablewomen,withuncombedhairanddisordereddress,gossipedwhileleaningonrailings,orscreamedinfranticquarrels”.Thankyouforyourattention