The Viewpoints of Stephen Crane and His Novel Maggie: A Girl on the Streets

“[E]nvironment is a tremendous thing in the world, and frequently shapes lives regardless.” (“Although it’s origins…”) Stephen Crane was influenced to write his 1893 novella, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, as a result of his religious family, the secrecy to publish a novel that reveals the reality and impurity of the real world and from the impact of needy, urban landscapes that ended realism and began naturalism.

Beginning in the early years of Stephen Crane’s life, he was the last son of thirteen other siblings. Being raised by a Methodist family on both sides, Stephan’s parents focused a lot of their time writing religious articles. He also had two brother’s that were journalist, one working as a reporter. Growing up with several writers in his family, influenced Crane tremendously in the future when he became a writer of several novels. (“Stephen Crane Biography”)

Crane first attended Hudson River Institute in New York, then later enrolled at Lafayette College studying mining engineering. Not even accomplishing the first semester, he left and started taking classes at Syracuse University. Within the first semester there, he passed one course out of the six courses he took. He received an A in English Literature and this was also the time when he was writing for the New York Tribune. Although he lost his position the following year, journalism remained a main principle of support towards his successful future. (“Stephen Crane Biography”)

In the year 1893 the novella, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets was written and ready to be published. This became almost impossible due to publishers considering it too risky and didn't find it appropriate to be out for the public to read. Being only 22 years old, Crane financed the...

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...rrhage on the 29th of December, he sufficiently recovered, that January, beginning to then work on a new novel, The O’Ruddy. (“Death”)

When Crane planned to travel as a correspondent to Gibraltar to write sketches from Saint Helena, he suffered two more concerning hemorrhages towards the end of March and in early April. His friend, Conrad, remarked that Crane’s “‘wasted face was enough to tell me that it was most forlorn of all hopes.’” after visiting him for the last time. On June 5, 1900, Stephan Crane died at the young age of 28 and was interred in the Evergreen Cemetery. Even after his death, his publications continued to be read and appreciated. The variety of careers Crane was involved with such as being a historian, journalist, poet, and author of novels and short stories, helped him accomplish all of his many successions throughout his lifetime. (“Death”)