Throughout the course of a novel, the structure of the environment plays a role in the development of key characters. In both Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, by Stephen Crane, and Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the development of the key characters is situated around a specific spot within the setting of the novel. In The Scarlet Letter, the scaffolding serves at the spot where the truths of Pearl’s birth unravel between different characters. In Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, the dance hall serves as the place where Maggie, the main character, loses her innocence and gains a clear understanding of her surrounding environment. In comparison, both the structure of the scaffolding in The Scarlet Letter and the dance hall in Maggie: A Girl of the Streets function as the spot where the major developments on the main characters occur.
In both novels, Pearls and Maggie’s first encounter with the structure of their environment highlights their innocence of the world around them. It also introduces the reader to the secondary characters with respect to their relationship with the protagonist while in the public of their community. Pearl’s first encounter with the scaffolding brings in the personalities of Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth while in public among the community. Although Pearl is young, there’s still some innocence suggested with the way she acts when hearing the voice of Dimmesdale. Unlike Pearl, Maggie is a little older in the sense that she self conscient but still young enough to be innocent or hidden from the truth. Maggie’s first encounter with the dance hall introduces us to Pete personality while in public along with Maggie’s obliviousness to the community surrounding her:
“Maggie perceived that Pete brought forth all his elegance and all his knowledge of high class costume for her benefit… The orchestra of yellow silk women and bald-headed men gave vent to a few bars of anticipatory music and a girl, in a pink dress with short skirt, galloped upon the stage. She smiled upon the throng as if in acknowledgment of a warm welcome, and began to walk to and fro, making profuse gesticulations and singing” (Crane 13).
Crane depicts Pete as a gentleman of class and wealth in the eyes of Maggie by describing his “elegance and all his knowledge of high class.” Maggie, coming from an unprivileged background, is flabbergasted by Pete’s wealth and the way he treats her. Crane describes a woman in a “pink dress” dancing to music on the stage. By using the words “galloped,” and “profuse gesticulations” to describe her movements, the reader can see the dramatic irony and infer that the woman on stage is a stripper. Crain use of language to show the setting of the dance hall through Maggies point of view highlights her innocence of the community around her. In correlation, both Pearl and Maggie are portrayed to be unaware of their ambience with respect to their background, and are introduced to secondary characters within the community.
Pearl and Maggie’s second encounter with the true structure of their environment helps them become aware of the community around them. Pearl’s second encounter with the scaffolding confirms that she knows of the secrets behind her birth and understands the societal consequences of her mother’s actions; therefore, she has gained an awareness of the true environment around her. In Maggie’s second encounter with the dance hall, Crane reveals Pete’s true character, and a somewhat continuity of Maggie’s innocence by showing how she has become aware of her environment, but still is blind to of how her relationship with pete is consuming the little independence she has. As Maggie and Pete were leaving the dance hall, the narrator says, “Maggie perceived two women seated at the table with some men. They were painted and their checks had lost their roundness. As she passed them the girl, with a shrinking movement, drew back her skirts ” (Crane 24). Earlier in the novel Crane used the word ‘painted’ to refer to prostitutes, and with this in mind, we are able to presume that Maggie is aware of the profession of the ‘painted women’ she walks by. Maggie notices how their ‘checks had lost their roundness,’ indicating that the women have lost their innocence, independence, and sense of self. The narrator is able to highlight Maggie’s continuity of innocence; although she is in the dance hall, by referring to her as a ‘girl’ as opposed to a ‘woman.’ Crane shows Maggie’s understanding of the truth behind the environment around her by her actions towards the ‘painted women.’ By using language such as ‘shrinking’ to describe Maggie’s gestures towards the women at the table, Crane is able to, not only show Maggie’s disgust towards these women and their profession, but to also show Maggie’s awareness of the environment of the dance hall. While sitting down in the bar with Pete, “She was timid, as if fearing his anger or displeasure. She seemed to beseech him” (Crane 23). Although Maggie has become mindful of the true purpose of the dance hall, she is still oblivious to how she is becoming dependant of Pete. Crane explains how Maggie’s ‘fear’ of disappointing Pete is what drives her dependence on him. By using language such as ‘beseech,’ Crane emphasizes how Maggie seeks Pete’s approval by imploring his attention. Within this scene we recognize a sense of dramatic irony within Maggie’s relationship where we as readers understand how the relationship is bad for Maggie, while she is unknowing of the truth behind Pete’s intentions. In Maggie’s second encounter with the dance hall, Crane is able to reveal her understanding of the purpose of the dance hall to highlight her loss of independence within her relationship with Pete. In comparison, both Maggie and Pearl have gained acknowledgment in the truth behind the structure of their environment, while Maggie continues to be oblivious to how her relationship with Pete is taking her independence away.
Pearl and Maggie’s last encounter with the structure of their environment reveals the truth behind all characters, and fosters a grand change among both protagonists. Pearls last encounter with the scaffolding is in the end of the novel, where all truth is revealed to the community about the secrets behind Pearl’s birth. The final moment of truth on the scaffolding leads Pearl to completely change from being an innocent girl under the guidance of her mother, to completely isolating herself from her by moving away from home. Maggie’s last encounter with the dance hall reveals Pete’s true character towards women, and stimulates a change within Maggie’s character among the environment. As Nellie and Pete are conversing in the dance hall, they both disregard Maggie and ignore her although she is sitting next to them. The narrator says, “As Maggie was silent, he paid no attention to her. He made a great show of lavishing wealth upon the women of brilliance and audacity” (Crane 26). Maggie, who has become completely dependent on Pete, felt dismal and left out after Nellie walked in and stole Pete’s attention. Maggie’s ‘silence’ indicates jealousy and disappointment from the way Pete treats her while he is around Nellie. Crane is able to disclose Pete’s true identity with the presence of Nellie. Pete changes from focusing his attention on Maggie to the ‘women of brilliance and audacity.’ Crane is able to show a drastic change in Pete’s character while around Nellie by using language like ‘lavishing,’ that highlights his extreme shift in attention from Maggie to Nellie.
After Pete had left Maggie, she had been rejected from her household, and had been wondering the streets, she undergoes a drastic change in character. The Narrator says, “A girl of the painted cohorts of the city went along the street. She threw changing glances at men who passed her, giving smiling invitations to men of rural or unthought pattern and usually seeming sedately unconscious of the men with a metropolitan seal upon their faces” (Crane 32). Maggie, having been forgotten by Pete, was left on the streets alone. By using the language ‘A girl of painted cohort,’ Crane emphasizes Maggie’s change from being pure and innocent, to becoming part of the nasty environment around her. The Narrator describes Maggie to be ‘painted,’ as are the prostitutes she encounters, as well as referring to her a ‘girl’ indicating that she has become ‘painted’ at such a young age. Crane is able to show a change in Maggie’s personality throughout her actions towards strangers on the streets. By describing Magies ‘glances’ to be ‘inviting’ towards the men she pases, it can be inferred that she has changed from being scared of strange men on the streets, to seeking attention from anyone possible. Maggie’s last encounter with the dane hall exposed Pete’s true personality, and with this truth, Maggie lost all independence and became part of the nasty community surrounding her. After Pearl and Maggie become aware of the truth behind the other characters in their community, they are both affected by the conditions of their environment and change their personality towards other characters on the story. In comparison, the truth of the environment around them, shapes them to be who they are at the end of the story.
In both the novels, when the truth that lies behind the structure of the environment is discovered, both the protagonist undergo a change that defines who they are at the end of the novel. While Pearl is born into hatred and lies established by Hester and her relationship with the community, by discovering the secrets of her birth she is able to move on past her mother’s bad reputation and change her life. On the other hand, Maggie is affected the opposite way by her environment compared to Pearl. At the beginning of the story, Maggie is seen to be pure and innocent indicating she has not been touched by the vile community around her. Once Maggie learns the truth behind her community and the people who live in it, she is consumed by her need for attention and soon becomes part of the nasty environment around her. As a result, the structure of the environment in both stories plays a significant role in the development of the protagonist throughout out the story.
Maggie Critical Essay (Student choice, dance hall, Pete’s Character, etc.)
This paper was a comparative essay about Maggie a Girl of The Streets and The Scarlet Letter. This paper proves how the environment both main characters are in function as a pivotal point for the story and how all characters developed around it. I feel like my ideas were strongly expressed thorough the paper enough to not make any changes to it. It would be a little better if it was longer, but that would just make it redundant. The length and the among of information and evidence provided is perfect for this paper.
Christian, you’ve done a very effective job here. You are absolutely right to connect the scaffolding scenes in The Scarlet Letter to the dance halls in Maggie. A thoughtful and interesting paper. Well done.
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