Conclusion of Maggie In the HILARIOUS Hall (really a brothel, whorehouse– woman installed - PowerPoint Presentation

Conclusion of Maggie

In the HILARIOUS Hall (really a brothel, whorehouse– woman installed at every table) Nellie’s “ painted with no apparent paint”(is she painted or not??)– associated with prostitutionShe’s a MADAM (whore mistress– she’s in charge of the “girls” who work here)Pete hopes she’ll be interested in taking Maggie off his hands– she isn’t! Nellie

Pete leaves with NellieMaggie tries to go home but is rejected (by Jimmie, too). Mother tells everyone to “look at her” like she’s a sideshow In Ch. XV, we see a “forlorn woman”– at first we may think it’s Maggie, but Crane always refers to her as “girl.”Maggie & Others

The actions of the “forlorn woman” in Ch. XV foreshadow Maggie’s seeking out Pete in Ch. XVI .What do both this woman and Maggie want from the men? support, marriage, loveMen and Women

Maggie is now one of the “painted cohorts of the street”– she’s a prostitute (streetwalker, whore, lady of the evening, hooker, … etc. ) By the look of her clothing – nice cloak, new shoes– she’s been doing this pretty successfully for “several months” – BUT… AT WHAT COST? Think of what she has to do to get the $$$Chapter XVII

Maggie is the lowest form of prostitute– no “house” to work for, no protection even of a pimp or madam, no roof over her head, no bed! In Maggie’s Place

She’s having a tough night, and she’s no longer “new” in the area She goes from mid-town (Broadway Theatre District) southeast, towards her old neighborhood and then towards the East River. The neighborhoods get worse a worse, and she can’t pick up a customerMaggie’s Bad Night

Finally as she reaches the river, she is followed by the one customer she’s been able to “hook”– “…a huge fat man in torn and greasy garments. …His small, bleared eyes, sparkling from amidst great rolls of red fat…under a gray, grizzled moustache from which beer-drops dripped. His whole body gently quivered and shook like that of a dead jelly fish.”Chuckling and leering, he followed the girl of the crimson legions.Maggie’s End

To Maggie’s immediate east is the river, on her other side Jelly-Fish Man Rather that go with Jelly-Fish Man, Maggie chooses the river and commits suicide:At their feet the river appeared a deathly black hue. …The varied sounds of life, made joyous by distance and seeming unapproachableness, came faintly and died away to silence.Maggie’s End

Probably not premeditated Jelly-Fish Man was just the “last straw,” too much for this moment Her days as the new and pretty girl are over– more and more customers will be disgustingWe know she doesn’t see the future realisticallyMaggie’s Decision

Could she have perhaps gone to a “house” now that she’s been doing well on the street? Before she went with Pete, could she have gotten a higher-paying job at a factory after gaining experience in the sweat-shop? Could she have saved her $$ and shared an apartment with another girl?Maggie’s Decision-Making

Chapter XVIII: Last seen drunk, all his money being taken by Nellie and her girls. Remember, he survives because he’s never had any dreams, hopes or illusions to be smashed. Same with Jimmie. Pete

Chapter XIX begins with Jimmie coming in and announcing that Maggie is dead. Body is likely at the City Morgue Mary ironically says she will forgive Maggie for being such a “disobedient child”-Actually, Maggie was very obedient: Her mother told her to “go to Hell” …and SHE WENT!The Johnsons

The whole final scene is very theatrical (elsewhere in the book, people get this way only over the plays) : People’s words are not their ownMary waits for a “cue” to react (after she’s done eating)Miss Smith is in a costume of sortssunlight like stage lighting the spectators everyone is emoting (overacting) The Johnsons