Thoreau VS Crane Paper

7/23/2019 Thoreau VS Crane Paper

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Thoreau V.S. Crane Essay

Isabella Hunt

CAP Honors English 9

Green Group

11/2/1!


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Henry "a#i$ Thoreau%s& Walden& an$ Stephan Crane%s&Maggie: A Girl of the Streets& 'ere 'ritten

in an era o( so)ial an$ politi)al )hange. *e' i$eas 'ere e+erging )onstantly Walden 'as a so)ial

e,peri+ent o( sorts in 'hi)h Thoreau 'rote about his ti+e at -al$en Pon$ an$ the philosophi)al i$eas he

establishe$ 'hile there. Stephen Crane& a realist& 'rites (ro+ the perspe)ti#e o( i+po#erishe$ tene+ent

girl raise$ in *e' or inMaggie. Thoreau& in Walden& an$ Stephan Crane& inMaggie& ha#e si+ilar

#ie's on philanthropy an$ +aterialis+0 ho'e#er& they share $i((ering opinions on the )on)ept o( (ate.

Thoreau an$ Crane share si+ilar thoughts on philanthropy. oth authors ha#e )o+e to the

realiation that true philanthropy $oes not e,ist. Instea$ they thin that philanthropists are attention

seeers 'ith sel(ish +oti#es. Thoreau e,plains that people a)t (ro+ sel(3interest an$ 'ill o(ten engage in

a)ts o( philanthropy in an e((ort to +ae the+ (eel better about the+sel#es. Thoreau belie#es that people

)re$it their allege$ a)t o( sel(lessness& 4philanthropy5& as a #irtue 'hen in (a)t they are really a)ting in

their o'n sel(3interest. Philanthropy as an i$eal is a 'on$er(ul )on)ept but it )annot 'or in pra)ti)e

be)ause 46p7hilanthropy is al+ost the only #irtue 'hi)h is su((i)iently appre)iate$ by +anin$. *ay& it is

greatly o#errate$0 an$ it is our sel(ishness 'hi)h o#errates it5 8Thoreau :. Thoreau thins that 46t7he

philanthropist too o(ten surroun$s +anin$ 'ith the re+e+bran)e o( his o'n )ast3o(( grie( as an

at+osphere& an$ )alls it sy+pathy5 8Thoreau :. So )alle$ philanthropists are helping the+sel#es un$er

the guise o( helping others.

Crane si+ilarly $o)u+ents the har$ships o( the har$ships o( the poor& an$ illustrates the 'ealthy

person%s atte+pt to alle#iate their o'n guilt by engaging in a)ts o( 4philanthropy5 'ithout +eaning(ully

)hanging a less (ortunate person%s li(e. This is $e+onstrate$ 'hen ;aggie $is)usses 'ith Pete the trials

an$ tribulations o( her (or+er (a+ily li(e an$ her past atte+pts to obtain +eager le#els o( )o+(ort. Crane

'rites that Pete 4respon$e$ in tones o( philanthropy. He presse$ her ar+ 'ith an air o( reassuring

propriety5 8Crane !!:. Here Pete in e((e)t un)ons)iously belittles ;aggie. -hile Pete is o((ering ni)e

tones an$ senti+ents he is treating her as property rather than a person. Pete (ails to o((er her any

+eaning(ul thoughts or a$#i)e on ho' to )hange her )urrent li(e& an$ this is )ouple$ 'ith an air o(


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superiority. Crane illustrates the 'ealthy +an%s sense o( superiority an$ pree+inent nee$ (or

respe)tability o#er the nee$s o( the poor in a passage 'here& 6s7u$$enly she )a+e upon a gentle+an:. Suppose$

4philanthropists5 'ill blatantly ignore the opportunity to o((er #aluable help i( it $oes not bene(it the+ as

is $e+onstrate$ in the boo by& 46a7 stout gentle+an& 'ith po+pous an$ philanthropi) 'hisers& 'ent

stoli$ly by& the broa$ o( his ba) sneering at the girl5 8Crane ==:. Crane is spe)ulating that perhaps 4goo$

people5 $on%t ha#e go$ +orals. The +orally )orre)t a)t 'oul$ be to o((er help to those less (ortunate than

onesel(& but the +an Crane $es)ribes abo#e is )on)erne$ 'ith ho' so)iety #ie's hi+ rather than helping

people in nee$. oth Thoreau an$ Crane belie#e philanthropy is o#er#alue$ an$ it is sho'n in their

'riting.

Thoreau an$ Crane also share )o+pli+entary opinions on +aterialis+. Thoreau )onten$s that

+aterial goo$s are an unne)essary e#il that ha#e the e((e)t o( $istra)ting people (ro+ higher no'le$ge or

un$erstan$ing. Thoreau 'rites that i( one li#es 4si+ply an$ 'isely5 by only $oing 'hat is ne)essary to

4+aintain one%s sel( on this earth5 then they 'ill li#e a (uller +ore +eaning(ul li(e 8Thoreau !9:.

A))or$ing to Thoreau& it is not by the a))u+ulation o( +aterial possessions that one obtains sel(3

(ul(ill+ent. Instea$ he belie#es that the e,isten)e i( +aterial goo$s $istan)es people (ro+ nature an$

higher thought. Crane si+ilarly $ra's attention to the plight o( ;aggie 'ho& (ro+ hu+ble +eans& sees

+aterial goo$s to ele#ate her o'n sense o( sel(3'orth. It is )lear that no a+ount o( +aterial goo$s 'ill

e#er result in her obtain+ent o( a +eaning(ul sense o( happiness.

Thoreau%s philosophy on li(e is to 4si+pli(y& si+pli(y5 8Thoreau 1>:. He belie#es that anything

+ore than 'hat is absolutely ne)essary to sur#i#e is o( tri#ial i+portan)e. Thoreau 'rites& 6+7any o( the

lu,uries& an$ +any o( the so )alle$ )o+(orts o( li(e& are not only $ispensable& but positi#e hin$ran)es to

the ele#ation o( +anin$. -ith respe)t to lu,uries an$ )o+(orts& the 'isest ha#e e#er li#e$ a +ore si+ple


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an$ +eagre li(e than the poor5 8Thoreau 1:. Thoreau pra)ti)es this i$ea o( +ini+alis+ religiously. This

is sho'n in #arious 'ays but the +ost apparent e,a+ple is 'hen Thoreau spen$s ?ust @2=.1 on his )abin

at -al$en Pon$ 8roughly @2&= to$ay:.Thoreau pri$es hi+sel( on his sel(3relian)e an$ li#es o(( the lan$

at -al$en Pon$& an$ i+parts to his rea$er that +aterial goo$s 'ill not gi#e rise to a +eaning(ul li(e.

Thoreau goes on to )riti)ie the 'ealthy person 'ho has the nee$ to a))u+ulate )olle)tions or ni)

na)s. These see+ingly tri#ial a)ts o( sel(3relian)e +agni(y Thoreau%s stan)e on +aterialis+& +ore

spe)i(i)ally his a#ersion to'ar$s it.

Crane%s no#el&Maggie& is 'ritten $uring a ti+e 'here in$ustrialiation is ra+pant an$ a great

#alue is pla)e$ on a+assing +aterial goo$s. ;aggie%s $esire (or +aterial possessions is $e+onstrate$ in a

passage 'here& 46s7he began to ha#e intense $islie (or all o( her $resses< She en#ie$ elegan)e an$ so(t

pal+s5 8Crane 1:. It is )lear that Crane inten$s to $ra' the rea$er%s attention to this (ri#olous thought

that 'ill probably not result in her sel(3better+ent or progress. Crane also sho's ;aggie%s longing (or an

aestheti)ally pleasing ho+e be(ore Pete #isits. ;aggie is 'orrie$ that the slightest i+per(e)tion +ight

s)are hi+ o((. As a result& she $oes e#erything in her po'er to please hi+. She +aes a poor e)ono+i)

$e)ision an$ e#en spen$s her pre#ious 4'ee%s pay in the pur)hase o( (lo'ere$ )retonne (or a

la+breBuin. She +a$e it 'ith in(inite )are... She stu$ie$ it 'ith pain(ul an,iety (ro+ $i((erent points in

the roo+5 8Crane !3!:. -hen one gro's up 'ith so little& +aterial goo$s +ay hol$ a $eeper i+portan)e

to the+. ;aggie gro's up 'ith little to nothing. The la+breBuin isn%t ?ust an ite+ to her0 rather it%s a

+etaphor (or a better li(e& one she )oul$ ha#e 'ith Pete i( all goes as planne$. It is e#i$ent through their

'riting that both Thoreau an$ Crane per)ei#e +aterial a)Buisition as a shallo' 'ay (or people to (eel

better about their li#es.

Although Thoreau an$ Crane share si+ilar #ie's on philanthropy an$ +aterialis+ their opinions

on (ate stan$ in star )ontrast. Thoreau%s belie(s regar$ing (ate are )o+patible 'ith so(t $eter+inis+ or

(ree 'ill0 this +eans one%s o'n a)tions $eter+ine the out)o+e o( his/her li(e. Crane 'rites Maggie(ro+

the perspe)ti#e o( a har$ $eter+inist0 one%s a)tions )annot alter the out)o+e o( his/her li(e& (or it has


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alrea$y been pre$eter+ine$ by (ate. Thoreau 'rites& 4in the long run& +en only hit 'hat they ai+ at5

8Thoreau 2:& 'hi)h e,e+pli(ies his belie( that the out)o+e o( a person%s li(e is $ire)tly )orrelate$ 'ith

ones e((orts. Thoreau points out that +any laborers try to get by on a $aily basis rather than $o thigs to

i+pro#e their (uture. These 'orers are ?ust trying to sur#i#e the present0 they thin little o( the+sel#es or

their potential (uture. Thoreau proposes that 4the +ass o( +en lea$ li#es o( Buiet $esperation5 8Thoreau 9:

be)ause they are un'illing to put (orth the e((ort to )hange their (ate.

Thoreau as e)ono+i)ally 'ell o(( an$ able to )hoose 'hat he 'ante$ out i( li(e0 ho'e#er ;aggie&

so+eone 'ho+ Thoreau +ight ha#e seen as a )o++on laborer& $oes not ha#e the lu,ury o( sel(3

$eter+inis+. Gi#en ;aggie%s e)ono+i) status she is not a((or$e$ the opportunity to )hoose a )areer

base$ on her interests. Instea$ she sees a ro+anti) )o3$epen$ent relationship 'ith Pete. Instea$ o(

bringing her happiness the relationships #eers her +ore to'ar$s a $ar path& 46(7ro+ her eyes ha$ been

plu)e$ all loo o( sel(3relian)e5 8Crane >:. ;aggie an$ Pete are ne#er $estine$ to last5 there(ore 'hen

the relationship en$s she is isolate$ (ro+ her (a+ily an$ (or)e$ to be e)ono+i)ally sel(3reliant. This all

$epi)ts Crane%s belie( that li(e is (ate$3 ;aggie ha$ a $estiny she )oul$ not es)ape.

In light o( ;aggie%s upbringing at )lass status she is (ate$ to be poor& yet (ate inter#ene$ an$

pro#i$e$ a t'ist0 6t7he girl& ;aggie& blosso+e$ in a +u$ pu$$le. She gre' to be a +ost rare an$

'on$er(ul pro$u)tion o( a tene+ent $istri)t& a pretty girl5 8Crane 9:. ;aggie nee$s a 'ay to support

hersel( an$ her loos pro#i$e a +eans to an en$. She $oesn%t 'ant to be a (a)tory 'orer $o she +aes a

)hoi)e& a sel(3$epre)ating $e)ision& to sell her soul by be)o+ing a prostitute. This $e)ision +aes her (eel

as though she has )ontrol o#er 'here her li(e is hea$e$ e#en i( it%s in a ba$ $ire)tion. ;aggie%s $estiny

'as pre$eter+ine$ by her e)ono+i) status& but she is able to )hoose the path that taes her there. Crane

sho's the rea$er that& $ue to ;aggie%s nee$ to sur#i#e& she ulti+ately la)s )ontrol o#er her $estiny.

Degar$less o( her )hoi)e in pro(ession3 laborer or prostitute3 she )annot alter her out)o+e. y 'ay o(

e,a+ple& i( she )hooses li(e as a prostitute she +ay not be a laborer but she sa)ri(i)es her sel(3'orth (or


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+eager 'ages. *either path 'ill lea$ to e)ono+i) in$epen$en)e or prosperity& thus her li(e

pre$eter+ine$.

"espite that Thoreau an$ Crane share si+ilar #ie's on philanthropy an$ +aterialis+ they

$isagree regar$ing (ate. Thoreau an$ Crane both belie#e that true philanthropy is ne#er pra)ti)e$ an$ that

the $esire (or +aterial possessions )an i+pa)t one%s li(e negati#ely. Thoreau& ho'e#er& thins that one%s

(ate )an be )hange$ through $eter+ination 'hile Crane illustrates through his 'riting that one%s path is

alrea$y )hosen (or hi+/her. These )on)epts are e,a+ples o( both the si+ilarities an$ $i((eren)es in Henry

"a#i$ Thoreau%s Walden an$ Stephen CranesMaggie: A Girl of the Streets.


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-ors Cite$

Crane& Stephen. ;aggie A Girl o( the Streets. oston e$(or$/St.;artin%s& 1999. Print. Vol. 1

o( ;aggie A Girl o( the Streets. 2 #ols.

Thoreau& Henry "a#i$. -al$en an$ Ci#il "isobe$ien)e. *e' or arnes an$ *obel&2.

Print. Vol 1. o( -al$en an$ Ci#il "isobe$ien)e.2 #ols.

Thoreau VS Crane Paper

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