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maggie a girl of the streets - unseen essay
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Unseen essay from an extract from 'Maggie: A Girl of the Streets' by Stephen Crane.
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Jack ExtonThrough the extract from Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, Stephen Crane reflects the
connection drawn between class and the gender divide in its extremity and also the
way it is presented – with the upper class men in this extract feeling entitled to
objectify women with no repercussions as there is no-one above them socially to
make them aware of their wrongdoings. Crane uses this text to criticise the assumed
superiority of masculinity, whilst also acknowledging the security that this gives
women to fall back on. This is shown as the text was published towards the end of
the Gilded Age, highlighting that whilst masculinity may give the impression of a
strong and stable base for the community, underneath this is oftentimes not the
case, as corruption overtakes.
On one hand, through the extract from Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, Stephen Crane
reflects the connection drawn between class and the gender divide in its extremity
and the way it is presented, following ideas of the Gilded Age through trying to create
this veneer of an idealised society, hiding from the corruption within. Crane uses
biblical references regarding a move away from religion through the repetition of the
phrase “what deh hell”, highlighting not only the disregard of religion from those of
higher classes, but also blasphemy of it, suggesting that the upper classes believe
themselves to be superior to God. Similarly, their superior outlook on life is enhanced
by the semantic field of wealth through their “elegance”, “silks”, and “laces”. Whilst
Maggie is impressed by the grandiosity of the event, and grateful to be there, this
also does highlight that she does not belong due to her continuous mention of its
greatness, as if she did belong this would merely be the norm for her. Whilst the
change in Maggie’s language towards the end of the extract as she states “say,
Pete... dis is great”, highlights the influence that Pete is having over her as she
adopts his style of speech. This could also be reflective of the influence the
patriarchy can have over all women, forcing them to conform to capitalist ideology.
The colloquialism used by Pete does not suggest an upper-class upbringing, in fact
neither does the reaction to his speech from the waiter, whose speech is less broken
than his, suggesting that not only does he not belong in the class he makes out to
be, but also not even within the same setting.
On the other hand, the extract criticises the assumed superiority of masculinity,
whilst also acknowledging the security that this gives women to fall back on. Crane
does this by suggesting that whilst many society’s men remain in support of this
more capitalist idea of hierarchy and superiority, some women, through their
mistreatment, are beginning to move towards a more progressive direction of
equality as the Progressive Era approaches soon after the publication of this extract.
Crane uses the cyclical structure of the extract – beginning and ending with the
performance – to emphasise the inevitable continuity of the patriarchy. Although in
1893, there was movement towards the Progressive Era, change was not substantial
within the upper classes. Regarding the idea of women having to conform, the
semantic field of “smoke” and “cigars” alludes to the idea of smoke hindering one’s
vision – thus hiding the truth and allowing women to continue adhering to such a
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