What Is Stephen Crane Essay

2464 Words5 Pages

Alex Spathopoulos
Mr. Harrison
English 11
10 May 2014
Stephen Crane Biography
On November 1st, 1871 a future pioneer of realism, Stephen Crane, was born. Stephen was born the 14th child of Mary Helen Crane and Reverend Doctor Jonathan Crane. Because his father was an elder of the Newark Methodist Church, Stephen was constantly moving between parsonages with his family. As a child Stephen was incredibly smart, teaching himself to read and write before the age of 4. His father died in 1880, and Crane’s mother took him to Asbury Park, New Jersey. There Stephen was exposed early to writing from his mother’s religious papers. Mary Crane had even lectured for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. One of Stephen’s brothers was even a reporter for the New York Tribune.
In 1888 Stephen entered the Claverack College military school. Stephen distinguished himself on the drill and baseball field, but not in academics. Without graduating, Stephen transferred to Lafayette University and later Syracuse. While living in his fraternity, Delta Upsilon, Crane started his first major novel. He would eventually flunk out of college. At the age of 20 Crane moved back to Asbury Park to work as a reporter for the New York Tribune with his brother. Crane’s first experiences with his literary ideals started when he attended Hamlin Garland’s lectures on realism. Crane was deeply influenced by Garland’s guidance and tutelage. In 1891 Crane’s mother died. He then moved to Sullivan County, New York where another brother of his was studying law. Crane’s first magazine appearance was a set of poems called “Sullivan County Sketches,” printed in the Tribune and Cosmopolitan. Crane frequented the slums of New York City, haunting the labyrinth of streets in sear...

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The “Open Boat” and “A Mystery of Heroism” are both fantastic displays of Stephen Crane’s mastery with naturalism. The first depicts the struggles of four men trying to survive the open ocean, the latter a commentary on the obscure requirements of heroism. Both stories shared similar characterization by letting the reader decipher the protagonist through their actions and thoughts. The themes of the two stories differed, one emphasizing the indifference of nature and the other musing the ambiguity of what constitutes a hero. The conflicts also shared a likeness, with the power of repetitive nature of waves connecting to the force and persistence of artillery fire. The values of the stories still hold prevalent to modern society. Wars still rage on, many heroes are lost and forgotten, and nature still holds her unrelenting grasp on human complexion.

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