Violence In Maggie, A Girl Of The Streets, Chickamauga, By Stephen Crane

Violence as Spectacle Throughout the throngs of time, violence has been perceived as part of the life of man and nature, whether it be survival of the fittest, war between the people, or as a sport. These examples are not just native to one people, but they are part of the world as a whole. Although there are many examples of violence given throughout history, the examples given in the short stories by Stephen Crane’s, "Maggie: a Girl of the Streets,” Ambrose Bierce’s, "Chickamauga," and Jack London’s, "The Law of Life," such as degradation, violence as a living thing, and actual physical violence, can be seen in a manner in which violence becomes a spectacle. Violence does not always have to be of a physical nature, but can be of oral connotations such as degradation. Furthermore, the hurting of one’s character can have a more lasting effect on a person’s mental state than that of a true violent beating. As in Stephen Crane’s “Maggie,” there was made a spectacle of violence in this manner where Maggie’s mother tarnished her character by saying “Yer a disgrace to yer people, damn yeh.””Go the hell an’ good riddance” (Crane 967). This was a turning point with Maggie, she had heard enough of the degrading remarks from her mother. Her feelings were …show more content…
The old and weak are sought out by the strong, as described of the wolves in the story. After singling out the weakest of the herd, the wolves “they would stay by him to the end” (London 1045). This act will eventually end the life cycle of the animal hunted, but people have a longing to watch as shown in the story. “The finish would be a sight to see” (London 1045). Even with the dangers involved with wild animals, people have the need to see the spectacle of violence, plus the outcome of