Violence

Violence is very prevalent in Maggie. In the first few chapters, acts of violence are seen numerous times. The first paragraph of the novel is a violent scene. " A very little boy stood upon a heap of gravel for the Honor of Rum Alley. He was throwing stones at the howling urchins from Devil's Row who were circling madly about the heap and pelting at him."(Crane 3). The first page of the novel contains violent words like barbaric, blood, demon, fury, howling, and savagery. The fight between the kids in the alley is broken up by Jimmie's (the very little boy) dad and he drags him home. This is where Maggie appears for the first time, and she is jerking her baby brother Tommie (who dies early in the novel) by the arm and knocking him down on his face. Jimmie then hits her in the face. Their parents are both alcoholics and fight all the time. The mother is always drunk and violent throughout the entire novel. In the first few chapters, Crane basically shows Maggie's home as a battlefield and a prison. (Pizer 82).