Thoreau/Crane Essay

Arshiya Dutta
11/22/15
Period 7/ Blue Group

Henry David Thoreau, in Walden, and Stephen Crane, in Maggie: A Girl of the Streets,
have conflicting views on destiny and self-reliance, but share views on philanthropy. Walden is a
collection of essays written by Henry David-Thoreau. In Walden, Thoreau criticizes aspects of
urban and suburban life, including possessions, labor, fashion, luxury, and other aspects. As an
attempt to escape these evil trivialities, Thoreau flees to the woods, where he builds a small cabin
and cleanses his life, spiritually and physically, living as simply as possible. This book is a
journalistic account of his romantic philosophies on controlling ones destiny, being self-reliant,
and the hypocrisy of philanthropy. Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, by Stephen Crane, is a more
hard-hitting, realistic novel centered on a young girl, Maggie, living in a New York tenement
during the Gilded Age, who is forced into prostitution and dies very young. Plagued by poverty
and lack of guidance, Maggie makes poor decisions and is taken advantage of on several
accounts. Maggie: A Girl of the Streets is an example of realism, and counters Thoreaus ideas of
controlling ones own fate and being self-reliant. Maggie is less fortunate than Thoreau in several
ways, and never has nearly as much guidance, opportunity and freedom, let alone money, to live
as blithely as Thoreau. Crane perpetuates opposing views than Thoreau by showing that not
everyone is fortunate enough to be able to control their own destiny, but the two authors
similarly write that philanthropy, although good in theory, is fruitless.
Henry David Thoreau and Stephan Crane would disagree on their views on destiny.
Thoreau believes that ones destiny can be entirely controlled by ones actions; the whole of
Walden is essentially centered on that ideal. Thoreaus complete and voluntary removal from
society is a symbol of control. The act of leaving everything and everyone behind to start anew
in the woods demonstrates ambition, belief in ones self, and strong will. Thoreau supplements

Thoreau/Crane Essay

Arshiya Dutta
11/22/15
Period 7/ Blue Group

this act by saying What a man thinks of himself, that is which determines, or rather indicates,
his fate (11), or by saying that a mans fate could be easily decided by his actions and what he
believes he can do. Thoreau also makes a comment refuting people who think they cant afford
this freedom; that they are obliged to work in laborious, dreary jobs to earn meager pay; by a
seeming fate, commonly called necessity, they are employed, as it says in an old book, laying up
treasures which moth and rust will corrupt and thieves break through and steal. It is a fool's life,
as they will find when they get to the end of it, if not before. (9). Thoreau is under the
impression that people work so hard every day for meaningless trifles, which is nave and untrue.
He makes several other comments that show his ideas on fate, including would a savage have
been wise to exchange his wigwam for a palace on these terms? (28), implying that a savage
can easily exchange his wigwam with a palace even if he wants to, which is a completely
romantic thought. Henry David Thoreau believes that one can control ones destiny, even in the
worst situations.
Maggie alternatively shows that controlling ones destiny is impossible for those who are
less fortunate. Maggie and her family reside in a pitiful tenement home, and are impoverished.
Maggies parents are alcoholics and are unsupportive and abusive toward Maggie and her baby
brother. Misfortune and acquiescence is all Maggie knows. She is left to choose between an
inadequately paying shirt factory job and prostitution, without knowing her full potential, let
alone what her other career options could be. Destiny is already laid out for her, and none of it is
her fault. Her brother, Tommie, is an even better example of this; his fate is limited to the babe,
Tommie died (46) in the book. He is too young to take action to change his destiny, and instead
he was controlled by his mothers actions, such as when she jerked the babys arm impatiently.

Thoreau/Crane Essay

Arshiya Dutta
11/22/15
Period 7/ Blue Group

He fell on his face, roaring. (46). Maggies fate is decided the minute she is born, and there is
nothing she can do about it. Stephan Crane conveyed in Maggie that destiny is close to
impossible to control for some people.
Henry David Thoreau and Stephen Crane would disagree on their views on self-reliance.
Self-reliance is a major theme in Walden, as Thoreau lived alone, in the woods, a mile away
from any neighbor, in a house which [he] had built [him]self, on the shore of Walden Pond, in
Concord, Massachusetts, and earned [his] living by the labor of [his] hands only (7). Thoreau
strongly believes in independence. In his education section, he elaborates on the importance of
learning through ones own experience, or hands-on learning. Senior citizens, whose lessons
would traditionally be respected, are of little merit to Thoreau. He states that people should never
take someone elses word for something, and instead they are to experience it for themselves.
Thoreau provides an example of how he is wary of becoming too reliant on a possession: I had
three pieces of limestone on my desk, but I was terrified to find that they required to be dusted
daily, when the furniture of my mind was all undusted still, and threw them out the window in
disgust (32). Thoreau argues that everyone should be self-reliant, even in the cruelest of times.
Crane believes that complete self-reliance is unrealistic, and that it is impossible to live a
wholesome life without help from others. Maggie is unsuccessful in living a happy life partially
because she is alone. She seeks nurture from Pete, who, however abhorrent, gives her a sense of
companionship that nothing else in life gives her. When he rejects her, Maggie is crushed and
she asked in a low voice; but where kin I go? (86). She is left alone again, and resorts to
suicide. Much like Maggie, Jimmy is abused by his parents, and seeks dependency. As one of the
few acts of humanity in the whole of Maggie, an old woman recognizes Jimmys hostile home

Thoreau/Crane Essay

Arshiya Dutta
11/22/15
Period 7/ Blue Group

life and says eh, Gawd, child, what is it dis time? Is yer fader beatin yer muder, or yer muder
beatin yer fader? (43). She even offers a place to stay for the night. This old woman, despite
her being a minor character, is the only genuinely good figure in the book because she allows
Jimmy to rely on her even though times are tough for her as well. Self-reliance is something that
Maggie inevitably develops in the book, but her life (and life span) would have greatly benefitted
from an honest companion, or someone she could rely on.
While Henry David Thoreau and Stephen Crane would contrast on their views of destiny
and self-reliance, they would compare on their views on philanthropists. Thoreau believes that
although many philanthropists may have some good intentions, their generosity is usually an
enhancement for their ego. He recognizes that a level of selfishness is required to be a
proclaimed philanthropist, and that charity is greatly overrated; and it is our selfishness which
overrates it (63). Thoreau also claims that philanthropists are to some extent demonstrating false
superiority by giving to the poor. They disregard that often the poor man is not so cold and
hungry as he is dirty and ragged and gross. It is partly his taste, and not merely his misfortune. If
you give him money, he will perhaps buy more rags with it (64). Philanthropists assume that
just because poor people have less material, they are less fortunate, and overlook the fact that
they may prefer their lifestyle as it is. According to Thoreau, philanthropy is for tawdry attentionseekers, and deserves little praise.
Crane would agree with Thoreau on his philanthropic standpoint. He considers
philanthropists to be self-consumed frauds. Philanthropy is underrepresented in Maggie, but in
its few appearances, it is mostly portrayed in a negative light. Earlier than she should have,
Maggie divulges all of her problems and secrets to Pete in search for comfort and support. Pete

Thoreau/Crane Essay

Arshiya Dutta
11/22/15
Period 7/ Blue Group

respond[s] in tones of philanthropy. He presse[s] her arm with an air of reassuring

proprietorship (73). Giving Maggie the impression that he actually cares about her problems,
Pete stuffs his ego with dominance and reassuring proprietorship, a sick ownership over
Maggie, in the form of philanthropy. Another example of false generosity is the priest, a
supposed philanthropist, whom Maggie encounters after Pete rebukes her. As if not to thwart his
reputation he gave a convulsive movement and saved his respectability by a vigorous side-step.
He did not risk it to save a soul (87). If he pretends not to see this poor girl who is visibly
falling to pieces, he would not be obliged to help her. This shows Cranes idea of a
philanthropists true mentality; to only help someone if people are watching.
Henry David Thoreau, in Walden, and Stephen Crane, in Maggie: A Girl of the Streets,
have conflicting viewpoints on motifs such as self-reliance and destiny, but have similar thoughts
on philanthropy. Thoreau believes that self-reliance and control over ones fate is crucial. Crane
believes that some people are not fortunate enough to be able to control their fate, or to choose
be independent. They both agree that philanthropists are fundamentally greedy and that true
philanthropy is nave.

Thoreau/Crane Essay

Arshiya Dutta
11/22/15
Period 7/ Blue Group

Works Cited:

Crane, Stephen, and Kevin J. Hayes. Maggie, a Girl of the Streets: A Story of New York. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999. Print.
Thoreau, Henry David, Jonathan Levin, and Henry David Thoreau. Walden ; And, Civil Disobedience.
N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.