How does Alexander von Hoffman’s The Origins of American Housing Reform support the moral ecological perspective expressed in Stephen Crane’s short story Maggie: a Girl of the Streets?

Today, there is a lot of academic discussion about housing problems and population life in general. The subject of the environmental impact on people’s morals is brought up by authors like Stephen Crane in his book Maggie: A Girl of the Streets and Alexander von Hoffman in The Origins of American Housing Reform. Hoffman describes the problems with the housing, its past, and how the environment affects the residents’ morals and sanity. (4). The thesis of the article is that the physical and moral circumstances of residents are influenced by the environmental disorder and deterioration of residential areas.

In the piece under discussion, Hoffman highlights how the slum is currently viewed as a harmful environment. The author defines and describes dangerous environmental situation and challenges of poor people (Hoffman 7). To support this idea Crane describes Maggie as a young girl who is driven to the unfortunate condition by solitude and poverty. It is clear that the author echoes the degradation and filth in the city, points out to immorality and violence that has engulfed the streets.

In addition, Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets explicitly brings out the fact that prostitution for women living in poverty was a usual occupation (11). Overall, the novel deals directly with the environment itself and how it shapes the lives of its population.

In conclusion, the authors advocate for a decent living, eradication and reform of the housing. Hoffman believes that the congestion on the streets and lack of housing in the city has culminated to high levels of immorality and unhealthy behaviors among people, that environmental disorder and the dilapidation of slums influences moral situation of their inhabitants.

Works Cited

Crane, Stephen. Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. Appleton and Company, 1896.

Von Hoffman, Alexander. “The Origins of American Housing Reform.” W98-2, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, 1998.