maggie a girl of the streets
...by their lack of opportunity and guidance. New York in the late 1800’s was as rough as the Big Apple is today, perhaps in many ways rougher. The rise in immigration caused an explosion in population which overwhelmed the local government. Police were unable to contain eruptions in violence between opposing gangs. Andrew Vega English 1 - Ms. Fiedler Essay 4 January 26, 2006 Gangs Stephen Crane addresses the issues people face living in the slums in his book “Maggie: A Girl of the Streets”. Among these issues are prostitution, poverty, and gangs. Poverty and desperation often go hand in hand. A law of the wild states there is strength in numbers. Growing up under poor conditions many lower class youths revert back to the tribal mentality of uncivilized culture where the world is seen as “dog eat dog”. These packs of lower-class brats are known as gangs. Forced to work together and scrap a living by any means necessary they have been reduced to animalism by their lack of opportunity and guidance. New York in the late 1800’s was as rough as the Big Apple is today, perhaps in many ways rougher. The rise in immigration caused an explosion in population which overwhelmed the local government. Police were unable to contain eruptions in violence between opposing gangs. Andrew Vega English 1 - Ms. Fiedler Essay 4 January 26, 2006 Gangs Stephen Crane addresses the issues people face living in the slums in his book “Maggie: A Girl of the Streets”. Among these issues are prostitutio...