Stephen Crane

“Sometimes, the most profound of awakenings come

wrapped in the quietest of moments.”

Stephen Crane

      

 One of America's most influential realist writers, Stephen Crane, born in New Jersey on November 1, 1871, produced works that have been credited with establishing the foundations of modern American naturalism.

     Crane truly embarked upon a literary career in 1892, when he moved to New York and began freelancing as a writer. Living a Bohemian lifestyle among local artists, Crane gained firsthand familiarity with poverty and street life, focusing his writing efforts on New York's downtrodden tenement districts, particularly the Bowery. A once-thriving area in the southern part of Manhattan, in the post-Civil War era, the Bowery's busy shops and hulking mansions had been replaced by saloons, dance halls and brothels; Crane immersed himself this world. Unfortunately his life was not bohemian till the end of his days. The famine and poverty reduced his life immensely. On top of his mounting financial troubles, Crane's health had been deteriorating for a few years; he had contracted everything from malaria to yellow fever during his Bowery years and time as a war correspondent. In May 1899, Crane, checked into a health spa on the edge of the Black Forest in Germany. One month later, on June 5, 1900, Stephen Crane died of tuberculosis at the age of 28.

     Crane was a wonderful literary stylist who emphasized irony and paradox and made innovative use of imagery and symbolism. Thus, although realistic, his novels are highly individual. Crane also wrote fantastic short stories and poems. “The Open Boat”, “The Monster”, “A Dark Brown Dog”, “The Red Badge of Courage” are considered among the finest stories in English.