What is the significance of home and family relationships in these short stories?
Provide a few examples. Answer: Families are a significant potential source of support for Crane characters. In “Maggie,” the lack of strong familial relationships and her destructive family are decisive factors in Maggie’s demise. Though the Swede triumphs in his fight over Scully’s son, Scully enjoys the security of his family; the Swede remains an outsider. In “The Monster,” the Trescott family must band together, as they have been ostracized by their community. The last scene is simply Dr. Trescott comforting his wife as he contemplates their situation. • What aspects of “Maggie” most likely made it undesirable for publication before Crane was famous? Answer: When he completed “Maggie,” Crane was aware that few publishers, if any, would be interested in producing his work. First of all, the subject matter was considered scandalous; life in the slums had never been depicted so vividly and realistically. Furthermore, the characters’ language and subject of prostitution were rather in
