Levels, Distance, and Light

The use of light is seen as a metaphor in both “Maggie” and “Mole People” as a symbol of hope (brightness) and degradation (darkness). One of the first things I noticed when reading “Mole People” was that the lower the levels underground got, the darker and more hopeless and lost the people were. This descent reminded me of how in “Maggie” Maggie walks away from the light of the city and further into the darker outskirts to her eventual death. Both texts show the decline of self with the heaviness of darkness.

“She passed more glittering avenues and went into darker blocks…” (52) Light continually slips away as readers begin to realize that this girl is Maggie after all and this is what she has become. Crane shows Maggie’s journey into the darkness, walking swiftly and looking into the faces of possible customers. “She went into the blackness of the final block. The shutters of the tall buildings were closed like grim lips. The structures seemed to have eyes that looked over her, beyond her, at other things.” (53) This image can sufficiently portray that of society towards Maggie, pursed lips taught with disgust and contempt, avoiding eye contact and looking away, making her feel small, dismal, insignificant and as if she doesn’t exist. Her own mother and brother threw her out, why not the rest of society as well? “Afar off the lights of the avenues glittered as if from an impossible distance.” (53) These twinkling lights of splendid luxury are far out of reach for Maggie, and are positioned here to show that happiness and love will forever be unattainable.

These quotes from Maggie, specifically the ‘buildings of society’ imagery and far off glittering lights have a real place in “Mole People” as well. Many feel scorned by society, and that’s why they hide in the tunnels unable to accept daylight without shame; “it is not uncommon to find homeless who have gone a week or more without seeing sunlight” (192). However, unlike Maggie herself, a lot of the people interviewed by Toth would rather stay in the tunnels and eventually go deeper instead of wistfully staring at the “glittering avenues”. These homeless, in my opinion, have been adversely affected by the darkness in both good and bad ways. Good for their sense of community and belonging, but bad because in many ways they have lost parts of themselves and have chosen to accept the life below. For some its perfect, for others I wish a happier outcome. The deeper the people go however, the more prevalent this idea of ‘losing yourself’ or ‘a lost soul’ seems to become. No longer a member of sunlight and fresh air, the tunnel has turned some of these people into creatures.

Darkness, oppression, and hopelessness will be the end of many Mole People just as it was the end of Maggie. Gwen, a woman in Chapter 22, shows strength I wish was in every person introduced. She fought the darkness and is pulling her life back together, while Maggie accepted her course of action as fate, leading to her death. In both texts, light offers hope, but in both texts likewise, there is evidence that the further one moves away from it, the more lost and destitute one becomes… perhaps to the point of insanity, or death. Levels or distance, darkness is waiting.