Crane, Stephen
Crane, Stephen( 1871–1900),born in New Jersey, spent most of his youth in upstate New York; he attended Lafayette College and Syracuse University, each for a year, before moving to New York City to become a struggling author and do intermittent reporting for the Herald and Tribune. His first book, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1893), was too grim to find a regular publisher, and remained unsold even when Crane borrowed from his brother to issue it privately. Early in 1893, with no personal experience of war, deriving his knowledge primarily from reading Tolstoy and Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, he wrote The Red Badge of Courage (1895), his great realistic study of the mind of an inexperienced soldier trapped in the fury and turmoil of battle.
The success of this book led to the reissue of Maggie, and Crane's reputation was established. In quick succession appeared his book of free verse,...
[The entire page is 581 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
