Welcome to life on the Lower East Side of New York at the turn of the 20th century. Maggie: A Girl of the Streets is full of beggars, over-worked manual laborers, prostitutes, the uneducated, and the homeless. The poor here have no way out.
That said, Crane reveals poverty in various ways—not just by describing the neighbor as a beggar or by showing Mr. Johnson stealing a beer. The apartments and the streets, and their interchangeability, are the ultimate settings for suffering. Fireplaces have no fires; plates are empty; everything looks tawdry. The music halls and entertainment venues offer some respite, but since they're filled with locals, even these fail to show anything truly different.
Questions About Poverty
- In what ways does Crane present Maggie as the "face" of immigrant poverty? For a jumpstart on this one, swing by her page in the "Characters" section.
- Do any of the novel's characters show promise for making it out? Why or why not? What does this tell you about poverty in this book?
- Is Pete really well-to-do, or does he just appear to be in comparison to the novel's other characters? Use the text for evidence.
- Does Maggie commit suicide because she has no financial hope? Does her cause of death matter? Explain your answer, please.
Chew on This
Crane presents the Bowery as a world unto itself. The characters do not leave the confines of the neighborhood and seem stuck in the world of poverty and ignorance.
Alcohol plays a central role in the poverty cycle: It's what people spend the little money they have on, and prevents them from being coherent and ambitious enough to get out. It's just enough short-term gratification to hold people back.