The Tragic Conflicts In Maggie: A Girl Of The Streets

Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, published in 1893, is set in slums and concerned with a girl of the streets. Most of the studies on the book focus on the theme, characterization, feminism, symbolism and the like. Attempting to find a new angle, this thesis tries to probe into Maggie’s tragedy in the view of the conflicts and their influence between the individual and the environment.First, this paper discusses the background of the late 19 th century America, illustrating the changes in American economic, political and ideological fields at that time. Then it discusses the conflicts between social classes and Maggie’s struggle with the conflicts. Thirdly, the paper elaborates on the ideological conflicts caused by the new ideas in replacement of the old and Maggie’s strive for the survival in the crevice. Finally, this paper attempts to clarify women’s weakness that resulted in Maggie’s tragedy in such a gender inequality environment of the patriarchal society.Based on the above analysis, the last part makes a conclusion: the essence of Maggie’s tragedy is embodied in her despair in pursuit of higher social status, her contradiction between the new and the earlier puritan values, and her weak personality in those various social conflicts. Maggie’s tragedy reflects the status quo of the underclass people of the whole Gilded Age America, and hence the tragedy of the time.