In the novel Maggie: Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane, Maggie is the tragic hero. The novel follows her epic downfall as she struggles with her self-reliance. At the end of the novel, the reader can observe the theme that a woman must be strong and ruthless to make it in the harsh world that they are living in. This theme is highlighted by Nellie, the foil character. The two women come from the same background and circumstances, however their lives end up very different. Maggie is innocent and naive and ends up living on the streets as a prostitute, while Nellie is horrible to the people around her but is spoiled and gets what she wants. These two characters invokes the question: is it better to be good and weak or to be bad and strong? Crane is illustrating the point that there is no such thing as happily ever after. The world does not pardon good people from the harshness of life. Maggie is naive and believes in the good and morality of people, but she ends up selling herself away until she is no longer herself.
Both Maggie and Nellie grew up in a poor immigrant area. They are both very beautiful women. Maggie’s home life and childhood is described in depth and is often referred to as “hell”. Maggie was lucky enough to be beautiful. The narrator states, “The girl, Maggie, blossomed in a mud puddle.” (Crane, 18) She came from a horrible home and area, but her beauty was something that could have saved her. While Maggie is very modest and does not indulge herself in her beauty, Nellie is very aware and conscious of her beauty and uses it.
Nellie is a gold-digging woman who uses her beauty and superior attitude to get what she wants out of men, while all the while leading them on. She holds herself with a confidence that makes men want her. The narrator describes her when Maggie first notices her, “Maggie took instant note of the woman… The woman looked clear-eyed through the stares of the men.” (Crane, 50) Nellie is not a good woman. However, in this novel goodness is not common among the characters. In the end of the novel we see Nellie and her girlfriends with Pete in a bar. They are accompanying Pete so he will pay for their drinks. When Pete slumps over drunk the women get up to leave. Before they leave, Nellie, out of greed and selfishness, takes his money. The narrator says, “The woman of brilliance and audacity stayed behind, taking up the bills and stuffing them into a deep, irregularly-shaped pocket. A guttural snore from the recumbent man caused her to turn and look down at him. She laughed. ‘What a damn fool,’ she said, and went.” (Crane, 66) Nellie is a ruthless woman who does not have a sense of goodness or morality, however she needs this to survive in the world she was born into.
Maggie is very innocent and does not see her own her beauty until she realizes Pete is noticing her. She does not have the confidence that Nellie does. She becomes completely dependent on Pete for money, a place to live, and love for herself. The narrator describes her as a dog following its owner, “The air of spaniel-like dependence had been magnified and showed its direct effect in the peculiar off-handedness and ease of Pete’s way toward her” (Crane, 50). She becomes completely dependent on Pete and her need for his attention is only makes her less attractive to him. Maggie lacks the entitlement of Nellie from the beginning.She feels lucky to have Pete. However, Pete is not good enough to be faithful and loyal to Maggie, so he finds Nellie who is knew and a challenge for him. Therefore, Maggie is left without her only source of life. She tries to return home but her mother and brother refuse her. Maggie has nothing else to do but become a girl of the streets. She sells herself to stay alive.
Crane develops the character of Nellie to create a foil for the tragic hero of Maggie. Nellie comes from the same background as Maggie, however she is very different and highlights Maggie’s characteristics. Nellie’s fierceness is very much different from Maggie’s softness. Nellie’s characteristics and actions in this novel are the opposite of Maggie’s characteristics. Nellie is reliant on herself, while Maggie is completely reliant on Pete. The bigger point that Crane is trying to make is that the world does not look out for people who have goodness in them. Both of these women are in the same harsh world of the immigrant neighborhoods of New York City in the turn of the 19th Century. Nellie learns how to survive in the world she was born into. She may not be the most moral and good of people, but she develops this shell and ruthlessness because she has to to survive. Maggie is thrown onto the streets with nothing to fall back on because she has not learned how to take care of herself. She is not tough like Nellie, which is why she is on the streets with nowhere to live. She does not know how to stick up for herself because she is naive. If she had been aware of the way the world works, she would not have lost herself and become just another girl of the streets.
-
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives
I like this piece because it brings up the battle of selfishness and looking out for yourself. Like most of the books we read this year Maggie Girl of the Streets brings up the importance of humanity vs. survival. This piece was difficult for me to write.
This is a well-written narrative essay. You did very well comparing the characters Maggie and Nellie, and connecting the literary foil part to your essay.The quotes from the book are explained adequately and they all tie back to the “self-reliance” thesis of your essay. You analyzed how Maggie became the girl of streets when she totally relied on Pete. Great piece.
These are indubitably some of the best https://www.hipuffy.com/collections/relax-gummies around. The weave was soft, the flavor tasted advantage, and there wasn’t any bizarre aftertaste progressive behind. They felt like a cyclopean daytime alternative, first in return moments when a more buoyant vibe made sense. The serving size was also artless and straightforward, which made them tranquil to charge into a routine. They also right really excellently into the drive gummies category because the blanket fancy was on the ball, beacon, and enjoyable.
does tadalafil expire tadalafil vs sildenafil tadalafil 100mg
sildenafil review does sildenafil work sildenafil medication
viagra generic viagra porn difference between viagra and cialis
cialis for ed cialis 20 mg cialis headache
canadian pharmacy online reviews no prescription viagra online pharmacy guardian pharmacy singapore propecia
vardenafil 20 mg tablets levitra vardenafil 20 mg vardenafil hcl 20 mg tablet
how many beers can you have with viagra viagra pill price how long for viagra to work
side effects of cialis cialis blood pressure cialis for women
tadalafil benefits tadalafil 5mg daily tadalafil para que sirve
united states online pharmacy viagra online pharmacy uk metronidazole online pharmacy without prescription
tadalafil online difference between sildenafil and tadalafil tadalafil prescription online
cheap pharmacy no prescription cheap viagra canadian pharmacy canadian pharmacy no prescription needed
tadalafil bluechew tadalafil tadalafil brand name
pharmacy store viagra + cialis spam mexican pharmacy online medications clomid online pharmacy no prescription uk
The CBD store – cbd gummies focus offers a medley of formats that please exceptional preferences, and each harmonious feels well executed. The unguent appears dry-clean and in conformance, the packaging materials discern durable, and the design is unostentatious besides elegant. The products are foolproof to inventory and treks with, thanks to obvious lids and aphoristic sizing. Overall, the kind delivers a outstanding and carefully crafted test without surplus extras.
The CBD amassment – delta 9 indica gummies offers a variety of formats that suit singular preferences, and each a certain feels ok executed. The unguent appears clean and accordance, the packaging materials bear long-lasting, and the fashion is unostentatious until now elegant. The products are quiet to store and go with, thanks to make fast lids and thick sizing. Entire, the label delivers a polished and carefully crafted sample without surplus extras.
how much does cialis cost at a pharmacy percocet online pharmacy without prescriptions online pharmacy not requiring prescription
tadalafil 30mg liquid dosage sildenafil vs tadalafil vs vardenafil tadalafil 20mg price cvs
legitimate online pharmacy usa women international pharmacy buy tetracycline online pharmacy
tadalafil 5mg uses tadalafil 20 mg para que sirve can you take tadalafil daily
online pharmacy non prescription drugs low dose naltrexone online pharmacy which online pharmacy is the best
canadian pharmacy cialis reviews omeprazole people pharmacy online pharmacy no prescription provigil
clomiphene citrate online pharmacy propecia online pharmacy no prescription online pharmacy without prescription
reputable online pharmacy cialis omeprazole people pharmacy can i buy viagra from pharmacy
online pharmacy that sells percocet azithromycin online pharmacy no prescription prescription free canadian pharmacy
best canadian pharmacy for cialis online pharmacy no prescription provigil pharmaceutical online ordering
reliable canadian pharmacy reviews online pharmacy fedex overnight shipping 1st pharmacy net cialis acheter sur internet
canadian prescription pharmacy clindamycin people pharmacy reputable online pharmacy levitra
clomiphene citrate online pharmacy canadian online pharmacy viagra online pharmacy no prescription ambien
how much is percocet at the pharmacy canadian online pharmacy no prescription best canadian online pharmacy
viagra online american pharmacy live pharmacy continuing education online best online foreign pharmacy
lisinopril online pharmacy no prescription rx pharmacy no prescription online pharmacy delivery delhi
legitimate canadian mail order pharmacy online pharmacy testosterone cypionate spironolactone online pharmacy no prescription
international pharmacies that ship to the usa sildenafil citrate online pharmacy best online pharmacy viagra review
cheap viagra online pharmacy prescription online pharmacy australia paypal canadian pharmacy 1 internet online drugstore
buy tetracycline online pharmacy no prescription viagra online pharmacy canadian pharmacy world coupon code
cooperative pharmacy store locator canadian pharmacy discount coupon online pharmacy no prescription
envision rx pharmacy help desk cialis online pharmacy australia online pharmacy estradiol valerate
best australian online pharmacy pain meds online without doctor prescription vipps approved canadian online pharmacy
simvastatin people pharmacy п»їlipitor copay card participating pharmacy lipitor generic target pharmacy
online pharmacy no prior prescription zoloft online pharmacy no prescription cheap pharmacy no prescription
a new grocery store features a bank a pharmacy a flower shop clomiphene citrate online pharmacy how much does cialis cost at pharmacy
buy tetracycline online pharmacy promo code for canadian pharmacy meds online pharmacy no prescription estradiol
where can i buy viagra is viagra over the counter side effects of viagra
what happens if a woman takes viagra order viagra online liquid viagra
viagra boys viagra cvs over the counter viagra cvs
how fast does viagra work what happens when a woman takes viagra what happens if a girl takes viagra
where can i buy viagra how viagra works viagra online buy
what happens when a woman takes viagra viagra cvs levitra vs viagra
horny goat weed vs viagra buy viagra online viagra effects
hims cialis low-dose cialis and viagra together how long does cialis take to work
canadian cialis cialis ad goodrx cialis
cialis vs levitra low-dose cialis and viagra together viagra or cialis
my wife took cialis cialis 20mg benefits difference between viagra and cialis
can you take cialis and viagra together cialis 20mg benefits online cialis
cialis 5mg cialis 10mg does cialis lower blood pressure
tadalafil 20 mg how long does it last tadalafil dose tadalafil reddit
how to flush cialis out of your system cialis 20mg price cialis generic
tadalafil tablets 20 mg tadalafil tablets 20 mg tadalafil reddit
cialis generic cost cialis 5mg price max dose of cialis
tadalafil generic usa tadalafil citrate liquid tadalafil vs sildenafil
cialis medication cialis half life difference between cialis and viagra
tadalafil dose mambo 36 tadalafil 20 mg tadalafil online pharmacy
what is the difference between viagra and cialis tadalafil vs cialis difference between viagra and cialis
sildenafil vs tadalafil tadalafil bph tadalafil online india
cialis 20 mg cialis online amazon cialis reviews
most common side effects of sildenafil how long for sildenafil to work sildenafil alcohol
where to buy female viagra pill olive oil and lemon juice viagra viagra without a prescription
sildenafil citrate 20 mg sildenafil for dogs how much sildenafil is too much
is tamsulosin like viagra cialis vs viagra viagra side effects
sildenafil citrate sildenafil prices sildenafil daily dosage
cvs viagra over the counter pills like viagra over the counter cvs side effects of viagra
sildenafil dose for high blood pressure sildenafil 20 mg para que sirve sildenafil oral jelly
viagra pill price viagra vs cialis what does viagra do
does sildenafil work sildenafil 50mg sildenafil vs viagra
is viagra safe female viagra pills natural viagra foods
how much sildenafil should i take sildenafil goodrx sildenafil 100mg price
how much does viagra cost viagra para hombres whats in viagra
sildenafil tablets sildenafil near me sildenafil pill
cbd viagra gummies side effects of viagra cost of viagra
viagra vs tadalafil cialis vs tadalafil tadalafil 20mg side effects
bluechew tadalafil tadalafil 5mg tadalafil tablet uses
tadalafil 5mg side effects tadalafil vs viagra tadalafil alcohol
tadalafil prescription sildenafil vs tadalafil vs vardenafil is tadalafil the same as cialis
cialis tadalafil tadalafil 5 mg maximum dose of tadalafil for erectile dysfunction
tadalafil 20 mg side effects tadalafil for sale tadalafil dosage 10 mg
generic tadalafil 20mg how does tadalafil work goodrx tadalafil 20mg
tadalafil 5mg side effects tadalafil how long does it last tadalafil 5mg side effects