Mother-Daughter Torment
In Stephen Crane’s novella “Maggie, A Girl of the Streets”, the abundant examples of situational and dramatic irony highlights the personalities of the characters, characterizes individuals, and contributes to the development of the mother-daughter relationship between Mary and Maggie making it easier to relate to the characters and their problems. Mary develops as an ironic character in her nature as a mother and a drunk alcoholic. On the other hand, Maggie believes that despite her unfortunate childhood she can escape her mother and overcome poverty with hope for a real future. Her aspiration for a better life remains unimpaired throughout most of the novella. The relationship between Mary and Maggie invokes irony …show more content…
The irony allows crane to convey deeper meanings without having to state it bluntly
Creates comical relief and Authors can use irony to make their audience stop and think about what has just been said, or to emphasize a central idea. The audience 's role in realizing the difference between what is said and what is normal or expected is essential to the successful use of irony.
Mary the mother of Maggie contributes to the irony in the novella from the way she acts towards herself and others. She takes the name of Mary, the mother of God making her name itself ironic. Mary the mother of Maggie displays none of the same loving characteristics of Mary the mother of God. Mary Johnson acts as a cold-hearted vicious alcoholic, a near human form of the devil, who does not care about Maggie or her other children at all. For the duration of her children 's childhoods she abused them, “The mother’s massive shoulders heaved with anger. Grasping the urchin by the neck and shoulder she shook him until he rattled. She dragged him to an unholy sink, and, soaking a rag in water, began to scrub his lacerated face with it. Jimmie screamed in pain and tried to twist his shoulders out of the clasp of the huge …show more content…
The irony brings forth an interesting relationship between mother Mary and daughter Maggie. Topic sentence After Mary finds out Maggie has gone to the devil with Pete, she kicks Maggie out of the house yelling at her, “‘Yeh’ve gone teh deh devil, Mag Johnson, yehs knows yehs have gone teh deh devil. Yer a disgrace teh yer people, damn yeh’...’Go teh hell now, an’ see how yehs likes it. Git out. I won’t have sech as yehs in me house! Get out, d’yeh hear! Damn yeh, git out!’...’Go to hell an’ good riddance.’ She went” (36). It is clear here that Mary does not love or show empathy towards her daughter even when Maggie is at her lowest. Moreover, Maggie does not stand up for herself instead letting Mary trampel her to an emotional low. It is hypocritical of Mary to shame Maggie for going to the Devil when she is no better. “When arrested for drunkenness she used the story of her daughter’s downfall with telling effect upon the police justices. Finally one of them said to her, peering down over his spectacles: ‘Mary, the records of this show that you are the mother of forty-two daughters who have been ruined. The case is unparalleled in the annals of this court’” (50). Mary is hypocritical enough to criticize her daughter for immorality after frightening Maggie into leaving home. Later in the novella, after Maggie dies, Mary’s friends come to
In Stephen Crane’s novella “Maggie, A Girl of the Streets”, the abundant examples of situational and dramatic irony highlights the personalities of the characters, characterizes individuals, and contributes to the development of the mother-daughter relationship between Mary and Maggie making it easier to relate to the characters and their problems. Mary develops as an ironic character in her nature as a mother and a drunk alcoholic. On the other hand, Maggie believes that despite her unfortunate childhood she can escape her mother and overcome poverty with hope for a real future. Her aspiration for a better life remains unimpaired throughout most of the novella. The relationship between Mary and Maggie invokes irony …show more content…
The irony allows crane to convey deeper meanings without having to state it bluntly
Creates comical relief and Authors can use irony to make their audience stop and think about what has just been said, or to emphasize a central idea. The audience 's role in realizing the difference between what is said and what is normal or expected is essential to the successful use of irony.
Mary the mother of Maggie contributes to the irony in the novella from the way she acts towards herself and others. She takes the name of Mary, the mother of God making her name itself ironic. Mary the mother of Maggie displays none of the same loving characteristics of Mary the mother of God. Mary Johnson acts as a cold-hearted vicious alcoholic, a near human form of the devil, who does not care about Maggie or her other children at all. For the duration of her children 's childhoods she abused them, “The mother’s massive shoulders heaved with anger. Grasping the urchin by the neck and shoulder she shook him until he rattled. She dragged him to an unholy sink, and, soaking a rag in water, began to scrub his lacerated face with it. Jimmie screamed in pain and tried to twist his shoulders out of the clasp of the huge …show more content…
The irony brings forth an interesting relationship between mother Mary and daughter Maggie. Topic sentence After Mary finds out Maggie has gone to the devil with Pete, she kicks Maggie out of the house yelling at her, “‘Yeh’ve gone teh deh devil, Mag Johnson, yehs knows yehs have gone teh deh devil. Yer a disgrace teh yer people, damn yeh’...’Go teh hell now, an’ see how yehs likes it. Git out. I won’t have sech as yehs in me house! Get out, d’yeh hear! Damn yeh, git out!’...’Go to hell an’ good riddance.’ She went” (36). It is clear here that Mary does not love or show empathy towards her daughter even when Maggie is at her lowest. Moreover, Maggie does not stand up for herself instead letting Mary trampel her to an emotional low. It is hypocritical of Mary to shame Maggie for going to the Devil when she is no better. “When arrested for drunkenness she used the story of her daughter’s downfall with telling effect upon the police justices. Finally one of them said to her, peering down over his spectacles: ‘Mary, the records of this show that you are the mother of forty-two daughters who have been ruined. The case is unparalleled in the annals of this court’” (50). Mary is hypocritical enough to criticize her daughter for immorality after frightening Maggie into leaving home. Later in the novella, after Maggie dies, Mary’s friends come to