Portrayal of The Protagonist in John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men'and Stephen Crane's 'Maggie: A Girl of The Streets'.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................................................i
TABLE OF CONTENTS .........................................................................ii
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study .............................................................1-3
Statement of the Problem ................................................................4
Purpose of the Study .......................................................................5
Method of Research .........................................................................5
Organization of the Thesis ...............................................................5
CHAPTER TWO: PORTRAYAL OF THE
PROTAGONIST IN JOHN STEINBECK’S
OF MICE AND MEN
THROUGH
PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH ........................................6-16
CHAPTER THREE: PORTRAYAL OF THE
PROTAGONIST IN STEPHEN CRANE’S
MAGGIE: A GIRL OF THE STREETS
THROUGH
PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH ......................................17-27
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION .............................................28-31
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................32-33
APPENDICES:
Synopsis of Of Mice And Men ......................................................34
Synopsis of Maggie: A Girl of the Streets .....................................35
Biography of the Authors .........................................................36-37
Maranatha Christian Universityii
ABSTRACT
Di dalam Tugas Akhir ini, saya menganalisis penggambaran tokoh
protagonis dua buah novel yang berjudul Of Mice And Men oleh John Steinbeck
dan Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, sebuah karya Stephen Crane.
Saya menganalisis aspek Naturalisme yang melekat kuat dalam diri
sang protagonis beserta kekuatan (aspek Naturalisme) dari luar yang mengontrol
kehidupan mereka.
Lennie, protagonis dalam novel Of Mice And Men, digambarkan
sebagai orang bodoh berbadan besar yang sangat kuat; sedangkan tokoh
protagonis dalam novel kedua adalah Maggie, seorang gadis miskin yang cantik
namun polos.
Kehidupan Lennie dikendalikan oleh masyarakat dan pemikiran
stereotip yang berkembang pada masa itu; sedangkan kehidupan Maggie
dikendalikan oleh lingkungan dan realitas kehidupannya yang serba kekurangan.
Maranatha Christian Universityiii
APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF OF MICE AND MEN
There are two men, namely George and Lennie. They come to a ranch
in order to work. George is a small, dark man while Lennie, his companion, is a
huge man who loves soft things. Lennie has a mild mental disability, so then he is
very dependent upon George for protection and guidance. Even though George
always complains that his life will be easier without Lennie around him, but, in
fact, he loves him. Lennie sometimes makes mistakes and easily gets into
problems. Therefore, both of them make an agreement that if either of them gets
into trouble, he has to wait for the other in a pool of the Salinas River. They dream
of having a farm of their own and they think nobody else should know about their
plan. In the ranch, they meet some men, namely Candy, Curley (their boss’ son),
Slim, and Crooks; and a flirtatious woman, that is Curley’s wife. George prohibits
Lennie to befriend her and asks Lennie to stay away from her.
One day, Lennie has a fight with Curley and some days later, Lennie
makes a big mistake because he accidentally kills Curley’s wife. Lennie
remembers that if either of them gets a problem, he must wait for the other in a
pool of the Salinas River. There he goes. However, when George hears about the
accident, he goes to the place and then he kills his friend. In the end, Lennie dies
in George’s hand.
Maranatha Christian University34
SYNOPSIS OF MAGGIE: A GIRL OF THE STREETS
The Johnsons live in an area which is inhabited by the poor and the
drunken. It is an area where even the moon is hell. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have
three children: Maggie, Jimmie, and Tom. As time goes by, both Father and Tom
die. Maggie and Jimmie are now growing mature and older, and they have to work
in order to fulfill their family’s daily needs.
One day, Jimmie’s friend named Pete comes to the house and then he
meets Maggie. They begin dating and Maggie puts all her hopes in him, for she
sees in him the promise of a wealthy life, as an escape from her miserable life.
There comes a day when Maggie’s mother accuses her of disgracing
her family and then rejects her. Hopeless, Maggie comes to Pete and lives together
without the process of marriage. Their life seems far from problems until a woman
named Nellie appears and Pete falls in love with her. Since then, Pete has
changed.
One day, Maggie asks for Pete’s responsibilities, but he rejects her.
Then, she comes back to her house but, again, her family rejects her. Desperate,
sad, and having no money; Maggie becomes a prostitute. In the end, she dies.
BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN STEINBECK
Maranatha Christian University35
John Steinbeck (1902-1968), born in Salinas, California, came from a
family of moderate means. He worked his way through college at Stanford
University but never graduated. In 1925 he went to New York, where he tried for a
few years to establish himself as a free-lance writer, but he failed and returned to
California. After publishing some novels and short stories, Steinbeck first became
widely known with Tortilla Flat (1935), a series of humorous stories about
Monterey paisanos. Steinbeck's novels can all be classified as social novels
dealing with the economic problems of rural labor, but there is also a streak of
worship of the soil in his books, which does not always agree with his matter-offact sociological approach. After the rough and earthy humor of Tortilla Flat, he
moved on to more serious fiction, often aggressive in its social criticism, to In
Dubious Battle (1936), which deals with the strikes of the migratory fruit pickers
on California plantations. This was followed by Of Mice and Men (1937), the
story of the imbecile giant Lennie, and a series of admirable short stories collected
in the volume The Long Valley (1938). In 1939 he published what is considered
his best work, The Grapes of Wrath. Among his later works should be mentioned
East of Eden (1952), The Winter of Our Discontent (1961) and Travels with
Charley (1962), a travelogue in which Steinbeck wrote about his impressions
during a three-month tour in a truck that led him through forty American
states. He died in New York City on December 20, 1968.
Source: Frenz, Horst. Nobel Lectures, Literature 1901-1967. Amsterdam: Elsevier
Publishing Company, 1969.
BIOGRAPHY OF STEPHEN CRANE
Maranatha Christian University36
Crane was born in Newark, New Jersey, the fourteenth child of a
Methodist minister. His father died in 1880 and Crane was raised by his devout
mother, who died in 1890. Crane studied at Lafayette College and Syracuse
University, but attained degrees from neither. After his mother's death in 1890,
Crane moved to New York City, where he lived a bohemian life and worked as a
free-lance writer as well as journalist. Crane used his unsparing observations of
the life of the Bowery poor in short stories and his first novel, Maggie: A Girl of
the Streets (1893), is a milestone in realism and the early development of literary
naturalism. He published the book with money borrowed from his brother and
released it under the pseudonym "Johnston Smith". The Red Badge of Courage
(1895) introduced Crane's innovative writing style. It received intense
international acclaim. His short story masterpiece, The Open Boat (1898), is based
on his personal experience. Crane met Cora Stewart-Taylor (July 12, 1865 – Sep
4, 1910) and they married in 1897 or 1898. Taylor was also a writer and she and
Crane worked together as war correspondents during the Greco-Turkish War of
1897. This experience was the basis for his novel Active Service (1899). Crane
produced not only short stories but also poems. His first collection of poetry
entitled The Black Rider and Other Lines (1895). After a fruitless attempt to
improve his health in Greece, Crane died of tuberculosis in Badenweiler,
Germany, on June 5, 1900.
Source: “Stephen Crane”
Maranatha Christian University37
2
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
I choose John Steinbeck and Stephen Crane because both of them are
good novelists. John Steinbeck remains one of America's most significant
twentieth-century writers, whose popularity spans the world, whose range is
impressive; whose output was prodigious (Shillinglaw).
While about Stephen Crane, I choose him because of his contribution
to the world of literature, specifically the American Literature. Stephen Crane
starts the beginning of modern American Naturalism. He is well-known for his
naturalistic style. His works have had a popular success with a wide range of
readers, and his styles and subject matter have influenced numerous subsequent
writers, including Ernest Hemingway and the free verse “Imagist” poets, such as
Amy Lowell, in the early twentieth century (Vanouse).
I would like to discuss their books entitled Of Mice And Men and
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets because for me, the two works are very good and
Maranatha Christian University1
worth reading. John Steinbeck’s works are always amazing and have underlying
meaning throughout the story. His Of Mice And Men is one of the most well-
Maranatha Christian University2
known novels in the world, in which it tells about Naturalism. Blastiose once
states that:
Of Mice and Men is a work that is different from a large number of
so-called classics because of its brevity and universal appeal. It
utilizes
simplicity and linearity for the sake of writing a good, not great, novel. Despite
any fault one might find, Of Mice And Men is
from one of America's most respected
nevertheless a decent offering
authors of the twentieth century.
(Blastiose).
I am going to analyze Stephen Crane’s work, namely Maggie: A Girl
of the Streets because this novel is often regarded as the first American specimen
of literary naturalism. On a cursory reading, the novel may appear to dramatize the
naturalistic precept that human beings are inexorably molded by environmental
and biological forces (Sloan). Besides, this novel offers an accurate, detailed,
straightforward portrayal of life in a nuance of naturalism (Richards).
I am interested in analyzing the characters, particularly the protagonist,
because I want to go deeper, find any motive and the reasons of the author
creating his characters in such a way; since we know that to analyze characters is
not easy, for character is much more complex, variable, and ambiguous (Perrine).
I also pay attention to naturalism because I figure out that fate is
already determined, and our life is controlled by nature. The universe has its own
natural law, which is one can either accept the laws determining social order or
become their victim. Naturalism deals with human beings, for they are creatures
who
are
(Richards).
controlled
by
influences
beyond
their
power
I choose the Philosophical approach, particularly naturalism, because
after reading both of the novels and try to portray the protagonist in each of the
book, I come to a conclusion that both of the novels deal with naturalism of the
Philosophical approach. It is widely known that Crane’s novel, Maggie: A Girl of
the Streets is a naturalistic novel; while Steinbeck is a writer who has
experimented with and uses naturalism in his works. The definition of Naturalism
in literature is:
The term naturalism describes a type of literature that attempts to
apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of
human beings. Unlike realism, which focuses on literary technique,
naturalism implies a philosophical position: for naturalistic writers,
since human beings are, in Emile Zola's phrase, "human beasts,"
characters can be studied through their relationships to their
surroundings (Campbell).
Naturalistic work deals with these conditions:
The naturalist populates his novel primarily from the lower middle
class or the lower class.
The second tension involves the theme of the naturalistic novel. The
naturalist often describes his characters as though they are conditioned
and controlled by environment, heredity, instinct, or chance.
Characters. Frequently but not invariably ill-educated or lower-class
characters whose lives are governed by the forces of heredity, instinct,
and passion. Their attempts at exercising free will or choice are
hamstrung by forces beyond their control.
Setting. Frequently an urban setting.
The forces of heredity and environment as they affect--and afflict-individual lives.
An indifferent, deterministic universe. Naturalistic texts often
describe the futile attempts of human beings to exercise free will,
often ironically presented, in this universe that reveals free will as an
illusion (Campbell).
After reading both of the novels, I find out that both of these books
fulfill the condition of a naturalistic work. These two books are suitable to be
analyzed using this criticism. Thus, I choose the Philosophical approach,
particularly naturalism for analyzing the portrayal of the protagonist in John
Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men and Stephen Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets.
II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The problems are stated as follows:
1. How do John Steinbeck and Stephen Crane portray the protagonists in both of
the novels?
2. How do the authors portray the protagonists in relation to the Naturalism?
III. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Based on the statement of the problems above this study is done:
1. To show how John Steinbeck and Stephen Crane portray the protagonists in
both of the novels.
2. To show how the authors portray the protagonists in relation to the
Naturalism.
IV. METHOD OF RESEARCH
I start the research for this thesis by library research, by first reading Of
Mice And Men and Maggie: A Girl of the Streets as the primary texts. I also read
and compile some texts that are taken from the Internet.
V. ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
This thesis contains four chapters. The thesis starts with the Preface.
The first chapter is the Introduction, which consists of the Background of the
Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, Method of Research, and
Organization of the Thesis. Chapter two and three are the discussion of Of Mice
And Men and Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. The last chapter is Conclusion. The
thesis ends with the Bibliography and the Appendix, which contains the Synopses
of the two novels and the Biographies of the Authors.
CHAPTER FOUR
CONCLUSION
After analyzing the novel by John Steinbeck entitled Of Mice And
Men and that of Stephen Crane entitled Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, I finally
come to a conclusion that the protagonist’s life in the first novel is controlled by
heredity, fate and the stereotypical thinking; while the latter protagonist’s life is
controlled by fate, chance and the environment she lives in. Here, I would like to
discuss these factors in relation to their life.
The protagonist in John Steinbeck’s novel is a man named Lennie. His
life is controlled by heredity, fate, and the stereotypical thinking at that time. In
my opinion, these aspects control his life. The first aspect, heredity, is the main
aspect that controls his life. He has hereditary features of having a big body as
well as mentally retarded. This features cannot be changed; therefore, Lennie has
to accept these facts even though he does not like it. In addition, he is not able to
choose not to be someone with such imperfection.
Lennie’s hereditary features are having a big body as well as mentally
retarded. The first feature of him makes the society hates him; while the latter
results in the society does not want to accept and recognize his existence. In my
Maranatha Christian University28
opinion, it is his fate to be hated by the society besides to be unaccepted and not
recognized by the society he is in.
Lennie is fated to be hated by the society. Personally, the society’s
hatred towards Lennie is caused by Lennie is big. The fact that he has a big body
results in his being hated by the society, in this respect, the people where he
works. Lennie is hated simply because he is big; therefore, perhaps if Lennie is a
small man, the society will love him instead of hating him. Yet, the real condition
is totally different. Because of his having a big body, the society hates him even
though he does not do anything bad. In my opinion,. this is not rational to hate
Lennie just because of his physical features. Lennie is not wrong because he does
not ask to be born with big body. Furthermore, it is not his mistake to be born big.
If he can choose, of course he wants to have a small body rather than a big one so
that he will not be hated by other people. Nevertheless, he has no power to do that,
to change his big body into a small one.
Besides being hated by the society, Lennie is also fated to be
unaccepted in the society he is in. I think this can happen because Lennie is a
mentally retarded person. This fact makes the society does not want to accept him;
furthermore, they do not recognize his existence because the society thinks that
they are normal whereas Lennie is not. Thus, I think it is his fate to be not
appaling to the society. If he can choose, of course he wants to be a ‘normal’
person instead of being a person who is mentally retarded.
The society’s hatred towards Lennie is caused by not only it is
Lennie’s fate but also it comes as a result of the stereotypical thinking which
develops in the society at that time. Lennie’s hereditary feature of having a big
body makes people hate him because they are already stuck to the stereotypical
Maranatha Christian University29
thinking at that time which says that ‘a big person is a bad person’. I think this
kind of principle also controls Lennie’s life because if such principle does not
exists, I am sure that he will not hated by the society even though he is big.
However, since they are already believed in that stereotypical thinking, they just
hate him no matter how good and kind Lennie is.
The protagonist in the second novel is a girl named Maggie. Her life is
controlled by the fate, chance and the environment she lives in. Maggie is fated to
be a girl who has a bitter life and to face poverty. Every body wants to have a
good life and to be rich. The same is also happen to Maggie. However, she has no
power to choose her life since it has already determined. Therefore, she has to
accept the reality even though she does not like it.
Maggie is also fated to become a street prostitute because she has no
other choice. In other words, she is given no chance to be a better person. Because
of being born poor, she needs money. She has no other choices but to be a
prostitute since she lives in a needy condition. If she is given a choice to be a
worker with good salary, of course she will not have to become a prostitute.
However, she has no choice and she is also given none.
The environment matters the most in Maggie’s life. I think she is the
product of the environment. She has to become a street prostitute because the
environment she lives in does not help her to be a better person. Maggie lives in a
slum area, thus her surroundings has the role to make her a street prostitute. I think
if she does not live in that area, she will not become a prostitute. However,
Maggie lives in a slum area, not in a good one. Therefore, she becomes a street
prostitute.
Maranatha Christian University30
In conclusion, Lennie’s life is controlled by heredity, fate, and the
stereotypical thinking at that time; while Maggie’s life is controlled by fate,
chance and the environment she lives in.
Maranatha Christian University31
BIBLIOGRAPHY
o Primary Texts:
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice And Men. England: Penguin Books Ltd., 1983.
Crane, Stephen. Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. New York: Penguin Group,
1991.
o Biography of John Steinbeck:
Frenz, Horst. Nobel Lectures, Literature 1901-1967. Amsterdam: Elsevier
Publishing Company, 1969.
o Biography of Stephen Crane:
“Stephen Crane”. 7 December 2007. 8 December 2007.
.
o References:
Perrine, Laurence. Story and Structure. 6th Edition. New York: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich, Inc., 1959
Maranatha Christian University32
o Internet Sources:
Blastiose. “Of Mice And Men – Reflection”. 8 July 2005. 29 March 2007.
Campbell, Donna M. “Naturalism in American Literature”. Literary
Movement. 7 November 2007. 7 December 2007.
Richards, Dwayne. “The Laws of Naturalism”. 8 July 2005. 29 March 2007.
Shillinglaw, Susan Dr. “John Steinbeck, American Writer”. The Martha
Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies.
18
January
2004.
5
December
2007.
Sloan, Gary. “Stephen Crane: The Black Badge of Unbelief”. Summer/Fall
2004. 6 December 2007.
Vanouse, Donald. State University of New York at Oswego. “Stephen Crane.”
The Literary Encyclopedia. 16 April 2004. The Literary Dictionary
Company. 6 December 2007.
Maranatha Christian University33
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................................................i
TABLE OF CONTENTS .........................................................................ii
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study .............................................................1-3
Statement of the Problem ................................................................4
Purpose of the Study .......................................................................5
Method of Research .........................................................................5
Organization of the Thesis ...............................................................5
CHAPTER TWO: PORTRAYAL OF THE
PROTAGONIST IN JOHN STEINBECK’S
OF MICE AND MEN
THROUGH
PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH ........................................6-16
CHAPTER THREE: PORTRAYAL OF THE
PROTAGONIST IN STEPHEN CRANE’S
MAGGIE: A GIRL OF THE STREETS
THROUGH
PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH ......................................17-27
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION .............................................28-31
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................32-33
APPENDICES:
Synopsis of Of Mice And Men ......................................................34
Synopsis of Maggie: A Girl of the Streets .....................................35
Biography of the Authors .........................................................36-37
Maranatha Christian Universityii
ABSTRACT
Di dalam Tugas Akhir ini, saya menganalisis penggambaran tokoh
protagonis dua buah novel yang berjudul Of Mice And Men oleh John Steinbeck
dan Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, sebuah karya Stephen Crane.
Saya menganalisis aspek Naturalisme yang melekat kuat dalam diri
sang protagonis beserta kekuatan (aspek Naturalisme) dari luar yang mengontrol
kehidupan mereka.
Lennie, protagonis dalam novel Of Mice And Men, digambarkan
sebagai orang bodoh berbadan besar yang sangat kuat; sedangkan tokoh
protagonis dalam novel kedua adalah Maggie, seorang gadis miskin yang cantik
namun polos.
Kehidupan Lennie dikendalikan oleh masyarakat dan pemikiran
stereotip yang berkembang pada masa itu; sedangkan kehidupan Maggie
dikendalikan oleh lingkungan dan realitas kehidupannya yang serba kekurangan.
Maranatha Christian Universityiii
APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF OF MICE AND MEN
There are two men, namely George and Lennie. They come to a ranch
in order to work. George is a small, dark man while Lennie, his companion, is a
huge man who loves soft things. Lennie has a mild mental disability, so then he is
very dependent upon George for protection and guidance. Even though George
always complains that his life will be easier without Lennie around him, but, in
fact, he loves him. Lennie sometimes makes mistakes and easily gets into
problems. Therefore, both of them make an agreement that if either of them gets
into trouble, he has to wait for the other in a pool of the Salinas River. They dream
of having a farm of their own and they think nobody else should know about their
plan. In the ranch, they meet some men, namely Candy, Curley (their boss’ son),
Slim, and Crooks; and a flirtatious woman, that is Curley’s wife. George prohibits
Lennie to befriend her and asks Lennie to stay away from her.
One day, Lennie has a fight with Curley and some days later, Lennie
makes a big mistake because he accidentally kills Curley’s wife. Lennie
remembers that if either of them gets a problem, he must wait for the other in a
pool of the Salinas River. There he goes. However, when George hears about the
accident, he goes to the place and then he kills his friend. In the end, Lennie dies
in George’s hand.
Maranatha Christian University34
SYNOPSIS OF MAGGIE: A GIRL OF THE STREETS
The Johnsons live in an area which is inhabited by the poor and the
drunken. It is an area where even the moon is hell. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have
three children: Maggie, Jimmie, and Tom. As time goes by, both Father and Tom
die. Maggie and Jimmie are now growing mature and older, and they have to work
in order to fulfill their family’s daily needs.
One day, Jimmie’s friend named Pete comes to the house and then he
meets Maggie. They begin dating and Maggie puts all her hopes in him, for she
sees in him the promise of a wealthy life, as an escape from her miserable life.
There comes a day when Maggie’s mother accuses her of disgracing
her family and then rejects her. Hopeless, Maggie comes to Pete and lives together
without the process of marriage. Their life seems far from problems until a woman
named Nellie appears and Pete falls in love with her. Since then, Pete has
changed.
One day, Maggie asks for Pete’s responsibilities, but he rejects her.
Then, she comes back to her house but, again, her family rejects her. Desperate,
sad, and having no money; Maggie becomes a prostitute. In the end, she dies.
BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN STEINBECK
Maranatha Christian University35
John Steinbeck (1902-1968), born in Salinas, California, came from a
family of moderate means. He worked his way through college at Stanford
University but never graduated. In 1925 he went to New York, where he tried for a
few years to establish himself as a free-lance writer, but he failed and returned to
California. After publishing some novels and short stories, Steinbeck first became
widely known with Tortilla Flat (1935), a series of humorous stories about
Monterey paisanos. Steinbeck's novels can all be classified as social novels
dealing with the economic problems of rural labor, but there is also a streak of
worship of the soil in his books, which does not always agree with his matter-offact sociological approach. After the rough and earthy humor of Tortilla Flat, he
moved on to more serious fiction, often aggressive in its social criticism, to In
Dubious Battle (1936), which deals with the strikes of the migratory fruit pickers
on California plantations. This was followed by Of Mice and Men (1937), the
story of the imbecile giant Lennie, and a series of admirable short stories collected
in the volume The Long Valley (1938). In 1939 he published what is considered
his best work, The Grapes of Wrath. Among his later works should be mentioned
East of Eden (1952), The Winter of Our Discontent (1961) and Travels with
Charley (1962), a travelogue in which Steinbeck wrote about his impressions
during a three-month tour in a truck that led him through forty American
states. He died in New York City on December 20, 1968.
Source: Frenz, Horst. Nobel Lectures, Literature 1901-1967. Amsterdam: Elsevier
Publishing Company, 1969.
BIOGRAPHY OF STEPHEN CRANE
Maranatha Christian University36
Crane was born in Newark, New Jersey, the fourteenth child of a
Methodist minister. His father died in 1880 and Crane was raised by his devout
mother, who died in 1890. Crane studied at Lafayette College and Syracuse
University, but attained degrees from neither. After his mother's death in 1890,
Crane moved to New York City, where he lived a bohemian life and worked as a
free-lance writer as well as journalist. Crane used his unsparing observations of
the life of the Bowery poor in short stories and his first novel, Maggie: A Girl of
the Streets (1893), is a milestone in realism and the early development of literary
naturalism. He published the book with money borrowed from his brother and
released it under the pseudonym "Johnston Smith". The Red Badge of Courage
(1895) introduced Crane's innovative writing style. It received intense
international acclaim. His short story masterpiece, The Open Boat (1898), is based
on his personal experience. Crane met Cora Stewart-Taylor (July 12, 1865 – Sep
4, 1910) and they married in 1897 or 1898. Taylor was also a writer and she and
Crane worked together as war correspondents during the Greco-Turkish War of
1897. This experience was the basis for his novel Active Service (1899). Crane
produced not only short stories but also poems. His first collection of poetry
entitled The Black Rider and Other Lines (1895). After a fruitless attempt to
improve his health in Greece, Crane died of tuberculosis in Badenweiler,
Germany, on June 5, 1900.
Source: “Stephen Crane”
Maranatha Christian University37
2
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
I. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
I choose John Steinbeck and Stephen Crane because both of them are
good novelists. John Steinbeck remains one of America's most significant
twentieth-century writers, whose popularity spans the world, whose range is
impressive; whose output was prodigious (Shillinglaw).
While about Stephen Crane, I choose him because of his contribution
to the world of literature, specifically the American Literature. Stephen Crane
starts the beginning of modern American Naturalism. He is well-known for his
naturalistic style. His works have had a popular success with a wide range of
readers, and his styles and subject matter have influenced numerous subsequent
writers, including Ernest Hemingway and the free verse “Imagist” poets, such as
Amy Lowell, in the early twentieth century (Vanouse).
I would like to discuss their books entitled Of Mice And Men and
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets because for me, the two works are very good and
Maranatha Christian University1
worth reading. John Steinbeck’s works are always amazing and have underlying
meaning throughout the story. His Of Mice And Men is one of the most well-
Maranatha Christian University2
known novels in the world, in which it tells about Naturalism. Blastiose once
states that:
Of Mice and Men is a work that is different from a large number of
so-called classics because of its brevity and universal appeal. It
utilizes
simplicity and linearity for the sake of writing a good, not great, novel. Despite
any fault one might find, Of Mice And Men is
from one of America's most respected
nevertheless a decent offering
authors of the twentieth century.
(Blastiose).
I am going to analyze Stephen Crane’s work, namely Maggie: A Girl
of the Streets because this novel is often regarded as the first American specimen
of literary naturalism. On a cursory reading, the novel may appear to dramatize the
naturalistic precept that human beings are inexorably molded by environmental
and biological forces (Sloan). Besides, this novel offers an accurate, detailed,
straightforward portrayal of life in a nuance of naturalism (Richards).
I am interested in analyzing the characters, particularly the protagonist,
because I want to go deeper, find any motive and the reasons of the author
creating his characters in such a way; since we know that to analyze characters is
not easy, for character is much more complex, variable, and ambiguous (Perrine).
I also pay attention to naturalism because I figure out that fate is
already determined, and our life is controlled by nature. The universe has its own
natural law, which is one can either accept the laws determining social order or
become their victim. Naturalism deals with human beings, for they are creatures
who
are
(Richards).
controlled
by
influences
beyond
their
power
I choose the Philosophical approach, particularly naturalism, because
after reading both of the novels and try to portray the protagonist in each of the
book, I come to a conclusion that both of the novels deal with naturalism of the
Philosophical approach. It is widely known that Crane’s novel, Maggie: A Girl of
the Streets is a naturalistic novel; while Steinbeck is a writer who has
experimented with and uses naturalism in his works. The definition of Naturalism
in literature is:
The term naturalism describes a type of literature that attempts to
apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of
human beings. Unlike realism, which focuses on literary technique,
naturalism implies a philosophical position: for naturalistic writers,
since human beings are, in Emile Zola's phrase, "human beasts,"
characters can be studied through their relationships to their
surroundings (Campbell).
Naturalistic work deals with these conditions:
The naturalist populates his novel primarily from the lower middle
class or the lower class.
The second tension involves the theme of the naturalistic novel. The
naturalist often describes his characters as though they are conditioned
and controlled by environment, heredity, instinct, or chance.
Characters. Frequently but not invariably ill-educated or lower-class
characters whose lives are governed by the forces of heredity, instinct,
and passion. Their attempts at exercising free will or choice are
hamstrung by forces beyond their control.
Setting. Frequently an urban setting.
The forces of heredity and environment as they affect--and afflict-individual lives.
An indifferent, deterministic universe. Naturalistic texts often
describe the futile attempts of human beings to exercise free will,
often ironically presented, in this universe that reveals free will as an
illusion (Campbell).
After reading both of the novels, I find out that both of these books
fulfill the condition of a naturalistic work. These two books are suitable to be
analyzed using this criticism. Thus, I choose the Philosophical approach,
particularly naturalism for analyzing the portrayal of the protagonist in John
Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men and Stephen Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets.
II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The problems are stated as follows:
1. How do John Steinbeck and Stephen Crane portray the protagonists in both of
the novels?
2. How do the authors portray the protagonists in relation to the Naturalism?
III. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Based on the statement of the problems above this study is done:
1. To show how John Steinbeck and Stephen Crane portray the protagonists in
both of the novels.
2. To show how the authors portray the protagonists in relation to the
Naturalism.
IV. METHOD OF RESEARCH
I start the research for this thesis by library research, by first reading Of
Mice And Men and Maggie: A Girl of the Streets as the primary texts. I also read
and compile some texts that are taken from the Internet.
V. ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
This thesis contains four chapters. The thesis starts with the Preface.
The first chapter is the Introduction, which consists of the Background of the
Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, Method of Research, and
Organization of the Thesis. Chapter two and three are the discussion of Of Mice
And Men and Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. The last chapter is Conclusion. The
thesis ends with the Bibliography and the Appendix, which contains the Synopses
of the two novels and the Biographies of the Authors.
CHAPTER FOUR
CONCLUSION
After analyzing the novel by John Steinbeck entitled Of Mice And
Men and that of Stephen Crane entitled Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, I finally
come to a conclusion that the protagonist’s life in the first novel is controlled by
heredity, fate and the stereotypical thinking; while the latter protagonist’s life is
controlled by fate, chance and the environment she lives in. Here, I would like to
discuss these factors in relation to their life.
The protagonist in John Steinbeck’s novel is a man named Lennie. His
life is controlled by heredity, fate, and the stereotypical thinking at that time. In
my opinion, these aspects control his life. The first aspect, heredity, is the main
aspect that controls his life. He has hereditary features of having a big body as
well as mentally retarded. This features cannot be changed; therefore, Lennie has
to accept these facts even though he does not like it. In addition, he is not able to
choose not to be someone with such imperfection.
Lennie’s hereditary features are having a big body as well as mentally
retarded. The first feature of him makes the society hates him; while the latter
results in the society does not want to accept and recognize his existence. In my
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opinion, it is his fate to be hated by the society besides to be unaccepted and not
recognized by the society he is in.
Lennie is fated to be hated by the society. Personally, the society’s
hatred towards Lennie is caused by Lennie is big. The fact that he has a big body
results in his being hated by the society, in this respect, the people where he
works. Lennie is hated simply because he is big; therefore, perhaps if Lennie is a
small man, the society will love him instead of hating him. Yet, the real condition
is totally different. Because of his having a big body, the society hates him even
though he does not do anything bad. In my opinion,. this is not rational to hate
Lennie just because of his physical features. Lennie is not wrong because he does
not ask to be born with big body. Furthermore, it is not his mistake to be born big.
If he can choose, of course he wants to have a small body rather than a big one so
that he will not be hated by other people. Nevertheless, he has no power to do that,
to change his big body into a small one.
Besides being hated by the society, Lennie is also fated to be
unaccepted in the society he is in. I think this can happen because Lennie is a
mentally retarded person. This fact makes the society does not want to accept him;
furthermore, they do not recognize his existence because the society thinks that
they are normal whereas Lennie is not. Thus, I think it is his fate to be not
appaling to the society. If he can choose, of course he wants to be a ‘normal’
person instead of being a person who is mentally retarded.
The society’s hatred towards Lennie is caused by not only it is
Lennie’s fate but also it comes as a result of the stereotypical thinking which
develops in the society at that time. Lennie’s hereditary feature of having a big
body makes people hate him because they are already stuck to the stereotypical
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thinking at that time which says that ‘a big person is a bad person’. I think this
kind of principle also controls Lennie’s life because if such principle does not
exists, I am sure that he will not hated by the society even though he is big.
However, since they are already believed in that stereotypical thinking, they just
hate him no matter how good and kind Lennie is.
The protagonist in the second novel is a girl named Maggie. Her life is
controlled by the fate, chance and the environment she lives in. Maggie is fated to
be a girl who has a bitter life and to face poverty. Every body wants to have a
good life and to be rich. The same is also happen to Maggie. However, she has no
power to choose her life since it has already determined. Therefore, she has to
accept the reality even though she does not like it.
Maggie is also fated to become a street prostitute because she has no
other choice. In other words, she is given no chance to be a better person. Because
of being born poor, she needs money. She has no other choices but to be a
prostitute since she lives in a needy condition. If she is given a choice to be a
worker with good salary, of course she will not have to become a prostitute.
However, she has no choice and she is also given none.
The environment matters the most in Maggie’s life. I think she is the
product of the environment. She has to become a street prostitute because the
environment she lives in does not help her to be a better person. Maggie lives in a
slum area, thus her surroundings has the role to make her a street prostitute. I think
if she does not live in that area, she will not become a prostitute. However,
Maggie lives in a slum area, not in a good one. Therefore, she becomes a street
prostitute.
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In conclusion, Lennie’s life is controlled by heredity, fate, and the
stereotypical thinking at that time; while Maggie’s life is controlled by fate,
chance and the environment she lives in.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
o Primary Texts:
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice And Men. England: Penguin Books Ltd., 1983.
Crane, Stephen. Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. New York: Penguin Group,
1991.
o Biography of John Steinbeck:
Frenz, Horst. Nobel Lectures, Literature 1901-1967. Amsterdam: Elsevier
Publishing Company, 1969.
o Biography of Stephen Crane:
“Stephen Crane”. 7 December 2007. 8 December 2007.
.
o References:
Perrine, Laurence. Story and Structure. 6th Edition. New York: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich, Inc., 1959
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o Internet Sources:
Blastiose. “Of Mice And Men – Reflection”. 8 July 2005. 29 March 2007.
Campbell, Donna M. “Naturalism in American Literature”. Literary
Movement. 7 November 2007. 7 December 2007.
Richards, Dwayne. “The Laws of Naturalism”. 8 July 2005. 29 March 2007.
Shillinglaw, Susan Dr. “John Steinbeck, American Writer”. The Martha
Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies.
18
January
2004.
5
December
2007.
Sloan, Gary. “Stephen Crane: The Black Badge of Unbelief”. Summer/Fall
2004. 6 December 2007.
Vanouse, Donald. State University of New York at Oswego. “Stephen Crane.”
The Literary Encyclopedia. 16 April 2004. The Literary Dictionary
Company. 6 December 2007.
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