pense under the pseudonym Jonhston Smith. Maggie was highly criticized and quite unpopular. It was not until after the publication of his masterpiece The Red Badge of Courage, that Crane became well known. Maggie, although not the most well known piece of writing done by Crane, was perhaps his best realistic writing. Many criticized his style of writing but it eventually gained support as well as popularity. Credit is given to Crane’s, “uncompromising realism” which lead to many others, such as Frank Norris and Theodore Dreiser, to follow in his footsteps Parra 8(Peden, 150). Martin Seymour-Smith points out, “Regardless of whether naturalism is a ‘true’ philosophy or not, Crane gave an unforgettable account of one poor creature whose life was quickly snuffed out by her environment”(38). In Maggie, the only way out of the harsh realities was her illusions and fantasies, much like it is today in many people’s lives. They feel trapped in a world in which it is difficult to move forward and almost equally as hard to move on.In many ways it is in this manner and thought of mind that Stephen Crane created Maggie with his unique use of dialect, irony and perhaps most of all realism. Crane’s use of them created Maggie and in Maggie lies his little masterpiece. Perhaps not his most well-known or popular piece, but undoubtedly a piece of writing whose impact has not gone unnoticed. It can be credited to the success and evolution of a whole new style of writing that began a new chapter of American literature. Not only is Maggie the tragic story of the destruction of a young girl’s life, but rather a story of truth. A truth that lies in the lives of many, but remains unnoticed and unheard by those whose lives remain clean and untouched from its corruption....
