Riis states that, "moral citizens, regardless of their economic status, should be given a chance to improve their lives" (Documenting the Other Half). In Crane's realistic story, Maggie and her family are products of the environment in which they live; their home was referred to as "a mud puddle" (Crane 16). Because of the destructive environment, the characters are doomed to live hectic lives strained by poverty. This disagrees with Riis statement. Through the story of Maggie, Crane argues that the development of character is dependent on both nature and nurture. Maggie and her siblings get trapped in a circle of depression; they live in a particular environment because their parents were not nurtured and do not know any other way. In return, the parents are only capable of providing unstable living situations for their children, without the knowledge of how to properly treat members of their family.
Nov 3, 2009
Nature and Nurture
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane tells the story of a family living in the slums of New York City. He clearly depicts the events of their daily lives and presents the challenges they face because of their living situation. In his autobiography, Jacob Riis discusses his ideas regarding the conflict of nature and nurture.
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I agree to Melissa's post in terms of the statement about Maggie's parents. Melissa put one of the reasons why Maggie cannot improve her life on her parents that "In return, the parents are only capable of providing unstable living situations for their children, without the knowledge of how to properly treat members of their family". Although I believe the presence of parents is important a lot for their children, I also believe one of the roles of parent is that they are also factors as environment to construct their children's own life. Because any parents influence their children a lot in terms of many things through the process which the children make their personality, identity, their way as life, the environment such as parents should be treated sensitive by the parents themselves. Although it would be able to say that the children are dependent on their parent absolutely as Naturalism, if the Naturalism ignores the children's free will completely, they cannot make any decision and choice by themselves. I believe Naturalism as domination should be avoided in the relationship between parents and children.
ReplyDeleteNature and Nurture; concepts that reveal themselves through loud visuals but silent voices in Crane's "Maggie". I wish to add onto both Melissa and Ryosuke's comments with a little tidbit of my own. Just as Melissa explained, the hectic and destructive environment dooms Maggie and Jimmie into a vicious cycle, however each reacts differently based off of their perceptions of "nurture".
ReplyDeleteJimmie fights, he fights so hard against everything that eventually he fights to be up at the same level as his parents. His defense to the lack of parental love and sustenance is to be tough as nails with the dirt of the street in his veins. This shows when he was younger; "for he felt it was degradation for one who aimed to be some vague soldier, or a man of blood with a sort of sublime license, to be taken home by a father" (6). He even associates to his father as 'a' father, showing the disconnect he feels emotionally to him as a parental unit.
Maggie on the other hand was a well-meaning individual, however this good-natured naivete becomes her downfall. She is often mentioned as "ragged" and we see her hide in corners and fleeing to other rooms while her parents are fighting. She even tries to help Jimmie out but he continually pushes her away until eventually she is pushed out of the family all together. Her position in the family in general was often overlooked. It appears as if she were the one that cleaned up after every mess and went through such trouble as to get a job and even by decorative ornaments to make the apartment presentable. The only environmental (nature) compromise really, is her ignorance. Her nurture factor was virtually non-existent as well, however this ignorance paired with lack of familial love is a huge component with her following of Pete, thus resulting in her downfall, doom, and death.
Nature and nurture always come paired together, and although in a way it worked for Jimmie, since he lived and knew how to handle the slum system, it was the end of Maggie the minute she laid eyes on Pete.