Maggie finds Pete as a man of "personal superiority" (17) that is capable of providing her with any dream she desires. She views the contrast between Pete and her environment when:The broken furniture, grimy walls, and general disorder and dirt of her home all of a sudden appeared before her and began to take a potential aspect. Pete's aristocratic person looked as if it might soil. She looked keenly at him, occasionally, wondering if he was feeling contempt .... Maggie perceived that here was the beau ideal of a man. (19)Therefore, Pete is the infatuation of Maggie because she has never known anything or anyone better than of her environment. Pete; although somewhat sly and charming, isn't the best that Maggie could do. However, a rather normal hustler such as Pete is practically god-like compared to her rotten state of life. In the above quote, Crane hints in Maggie's lack of self-confidence. Although Maggie does have hope to exit the slums, she is embarrased by the condition in which she lives as she fears that Pete is looking at her with contempt.Once Pete notices Maggie he doesn't waste anytime in taking her out on the town. An average night for them is watching "an entertainment of many hues and many melodies" (21) and other various performance acts. Maggie grows more feelings for him after wining and dining around all the local dinner halls and concerts. Pete continues to impress upon Maggie at these outings as she begins to conger visions of Pete having "some half dozen women in love with him .... he must live in a blare of pleasure. He had friends and people who were afraid of him" (21). Her hopes of an extravagant life grow rapidly while with Pete. This relationship builds to the point where Maggie decides to move out of her family apartment and in with Pete. Not that Maggie can be blamed for wishing this as even after the death of the father, Jimmie and the mother still bicker and break furniture as Jimmie had grown "large en...
