FREE ESSAY ON MAGGIE THE GIRL OF THE STREETS AND INNOCENCE

MAGGIE THE GIRL OF THE STREETS AND INNOCENCE

Maggie, A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane is an illustration of the morals and views
of innocence in the early 1900's. The story chases the young and innocent Maggie into a
life of sinfulness. The opinions of all of those around her change during her growth, and
express the ideals of life during that time.
Innocence is defined as freedom from sin, wrong, or guilt. (Barnhart 413) Many people
value innocence as a very respectable virtue to have. The poeple around Maggie in this
story have an opinion close to this.
Maggie begins her life with little sin, but as she grows older, this ideal begins to
weaken. Maggie's relationship with Pete is esentially what begins and pushes her along
this path to indecency. Pete is her brother's friend, whom she has liked for many years.
He carries with him an air of superiority, and Maggie looks up to his higher social
status. Maggie is incredibly happy when Pete finally asks her out. However, at the end of
the date, when he asks for a kiss, she refuses. (Crane 25) This refusal shows Maggie's
naive nature and how, at this point she is still maintaining her innocence.
From here on, however, it is all downhill for Maggie and her innocence. Her change in
attitude and demeanor, caused by Pete, affects many people. The way Pete took her out and
introduced her to a life of drinking and going out every night, a life of wealthier
society than the people around her had, bothered many people. Her brother becomes jealous
and shows up at Pete's pub and starts to fight. (Crane 39-41) jimmie, Maggie's brother,
believes that Pete has betrayed their friendship and that Pete has ruined his sister.
After she met Pete, Maggie also pulled away from her family and stopped living with them.
She would very rarely come home. Maggie's mother is also affected by Maggie's changes
such as these. Although a drunkard before, Maggie's mother begins to blame her
drunkenness and the trouble she gets into because of Maggie's newfound lifestyle. (Crane
46) Maggie's mother resents her for most of the story, often resulting in fights between
the two. As her mother states, she's gone the d'devil. (Crane 34) In the end, Maggie's
mother forgives her, but it is only after Maggie has died. (Crane 64-65)
Innocence takes many different shapes in this story. Pure, chaste, guiltless, naive, and
virtuous are all words that could have been used to describe Maggie before her encounters
with Pete. These qualities are all looked upon as admirable by those who are around her.
It is a miracle that Maggie had these traits to begin with. Although Pete did ruin her,
her home life played another part in her changing. Because her mother was a drunk, Maggie
felt worthless and unneeded. She also was bothered by her poverty. She longed for a life
of wealth, which Pete offered. Maggie believes she changed for the better, she is living
the life she had always wanted to live. Other people, on the other hand, look down upon
Maggie because of this. This is most apparent when Maggie and her mother have another
argument about her and Pete. The neighbors from around their apartment come out into the
hall and stare, but no one will come close because they do not want to be corrupted by
this evil child. (Crane 54)
Bibliography
Barnhart, Clarence L. Thorndike-Barnhart Comprehensive Desk Dictionary. Chicago: Scott
Foresman and Company, 1953.
Crane, Stephen maggie a Girl of the Street New York: Washington Square Press, 1972.