Henry David Thoreau, Walden/Stephen Crane, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets Essay

Jennifer Brummett
Dr. Simel Honors CAP 9 English
November 23, 2015
Green Group

Henry David Thoreau, Walden, and Stephen Crane, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets,
compare in their views on philanthropists, but contrast in their views on self-reliance and fate
versus choice. Thoreaus Walden is a first person narrative which goes in depth on his personal
thoughts regarding life while staying in a cabin near Walden Pond which Thoreau builds himself.
He does this as a social experiment and believes in a simple, non-materialistic life. Stephen
Cranes Maggie, A Girl of the Streets tells a different story of a girl named Maggie who lives in a
tenement in the slums of New York City in the late 1800s. The young girl is soon forced into
prostitution and falls into a whirlpool of depression after losing all hope. This story shows some
of the harsh but true concepts of life in that time, while using aspects of classic realism. Though
Thoreaus Walden and Cranes Maggie: A Girl of the Streets may seem unrelated, they actually
have related themes and the authors have comparing and contrasting opinions.
Thoreau thinks that philanthropy is a good idea in theory but not in practice. In Thoreaus
words greatly overrated; and it is our selfishness which overrates it (58), is why people
practice philanthropy. In other words, if one is a philanthropist, its because one wants the credit
and only does good for themselves. Thoreau also writes A man is not a good man to me because
he will feed me if I should be starving (56). Thoreaus thinks that just because someone helps
another, it doesnt necessarily mean the helper has good intentions. It may just mean the helper is
a philanthropist and is doing it for the credit.
Henry David Thoreau and Stephen Crane would agree on their views of philanthropy and
philanthropists. Stephen Crane agrees Stephen Crane in his novel writes [He] did not risk
[helping Maggie] to save a soul. For how was he to know that there was a soul before him that
needed saving? (46). He is a clergy member and a philanthropist who instead of helping
Maggie out of the goodness of his heart, avoided her because he knew there was no reward in

helping a prostitute. Crane writes this in his novel regarding the theory of philanthropists, An
old woman opened a door (7). When Jimmy has no one else to go to, the old woman is there,
and is willing to help him. What Crane is saying is that the theory of philanthropy is good. The
old woman symbolizes someone who is not a philanthropist but simply someone who does good
deeds.
While Henry David Thoreau and Stephen Crane would compare on their views on
philanthropy, they would contrast on their views of self reliance. Thoreau believes that being self
reliant is a simple, day to day thing that ones environment cant affect. Thoreau uses this quote
to state that, To maintain ones self on this earth is not a hardship but a pastime (54). The
purpose of this quote is to show that Thoreau thinks of self-reliance as a simple pastime,
something that is an average task. Thoreau also explains this with this quote; I lived alonein a
house which I had built myself...living by the labor of my hands only (6). When Thoreau stays
near Walden Pond and lives alone and is self reliant, it shows that he is fine, if not superb
because he is self reliant.
Crane has a different opinion concerning self reliance. In his book, Maggies isolation is
her downfall and she has no control over self reliance because of her environment. Her
environment is so terrible she cannot possibly get out of her situation, unless she commits
suicide. Crane writes, From her eyes had been plucked all look of self reliance (33). In this part
of the novel, Maggie has become a prostitute and has absolutely nothing left because her
environment kills the last speck of self reliance and hope left in Maggies life. Another quote
regarding Cranes and Thoreaus contrasting views on philanthropy is The old woman was a
gnarled and leathery personage who could don, at will, an expression of great virtue (7). This
quote is written after Jimmy is beaten by his mother and has nowhere to go until an old woman

offers him a place to stay until Jimmys mother calms down. Thoreaus believes self-reliance is a
normal task, as Crane believes that self-reliance is not always possible with the use of his book
Maggie: A Girl of the Street.
While Henry David Thoreau and Stephen Crane would compare on their views of
philanthropy and disagree on their views of self reliance, they would also contrast on their views
on fate versus choice. Thoreau believes that ones life is a result of his/her choices while Crane
believes that ones fate is chosen my destiny. Thoreau writes Read your fate, see what is before
you, and walk on into futurity (84). This quote shows that Thoreau thinks of fate as a choice. He
also says What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates his fate
(9). In other words, Thoreau is saying that the type of person one chooses to be determines ones
life path, further describing his idea that fate is chosen.
Crane has a different opinion. He believes that fate is not a choice and that one is chosen
by fate. Toward the middle of the book Crane writes, The girl Maggie blossomed in a mud pile
(49). This quote shoes that Maggie didnt chose to blossom in a mud pile (49), but it is fate for
her to grow up in a harsh environment. Crane also writes Either go to hell or go to work (13).
After Maggie is kicked out of her home, Jimmy tells this to Maggie and means that Maggie can
either get a job or go into prostitution. Maggie turns to prostitution, but not because she wants to;
it is because she has to since fate has chosen this path for Maggie to follow. With these quotes,
Crane is able to show his contrasting opinions on fate and choice compared to Thoreau.
Henry David Thoreau, Walden, and Stephen Crane, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets,
compare in their views on philanthropy and philanthropists but contrast in their views on self
reliance and fate versus choice. Thoreau and Crane believe that philanthropy is a good idea in

theory but not in practice. Thoreau also believes that being self reliant is a simple, day to day
task that ones environment can not affect and essential and that ones life is decided by ones
own choices and one chooses ones fate. In contrast, Crane thinks that one cannot always be self
reliant depending on ones environment and that fate controls ones life.

Works Cited
Crane, Stephen. Maggie a Girl of the Streets. Boston: Bedford/St Martin's, 1999. Print. Vol. 1 of
Maggie a Girl of the Streets. 1 vols.
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1849. Print. Vol. 1 of Walden and
Civil Disobedience. 1 vols.