The Progressive Era and Religion - 818 Words

The Progressive Era gave reformers concerns about the poor of American cities. Many developed the view that poverty was a result of some people’s characters and not their environmental and social condition. This brought up the argument and idea of the deserving poor versus the non-deserving poor. This alluded to the thought that character made a person poor and not that being poor made the character. However, Stephen Crane’s short story Maggie: A Girl of the Streets critiques many of these ideas. His biggest critique was that of religion and the standards and hypocrisy of it. This essay will argue that Crane critiques the hypocrisy of Christianity and Christians through the characterization of a wide range of characters in his novel. The most prominent example of Crane’s critique against religion and it’s hypocrisy is Maggie’s mother Mary. Even her name is a critique for it could reference religious symbol Mary, mother of Jesus. However, Mary Johnson is the complete opposite of the Virgin Mary. She is a hypocrite both personally and with her own religion. Mrs. Johnson is also a voice of the moral norm of her time, despite the fact that she violates it at every point. Mrs. Johnson is an alcoholic who abuses her children and she makes the home unlivable by her drunken rages, yet she condemns her daughter for having sex out of wedlock. She refuses to let Maggie live with her even when Maggie is abandoned by her lover. She uses her religion of Christianity as the excuse yet sheShow MoreRelatedComparison Between Karl Marx And Emile Durkheim1501 Words   |  7 Pagesand past education on these individuals I found they have a lot of the same views in regards to religion. Both Emlie Durkheim and Kar l Marx believe that religion is a projection of mans hopes and desires. They both also agree that religion plays a powerful role in influencing the members of a society. While coming up with these theories they were both more concerned with the human rather than the religion. Both of them did not believe in a god or gods. It’s been said that Marx saw god as idealizationRead MoreThe Conflict Of The American Civil Rights Movement Essay1309 Words   |  6 PagesDemocracy, Justice, and Progress†¦ achievable only by following a straight path.† In other words, by connecting his vision with religion, DuBois can draw Christians to advocate for African-American rights because it is morally right to do so. What is interesting about Lewis account is that he highlighted a key point in the American Civil Rights movement: the connection to religion. By doing so, he contrasted himself from other historians who shied from making that declaration. Lewis was able to reach thatRead MoreA Fair Wage System Did Not Exist Even Before The Industrial Revolution1688 Words   |  7 Pagescitizens closer, including telephones, railroads, cars, trains, and growing cities. It was still believed that humanity could not be diverted from God’s ultimate plan with the anomalies caused by humanities mistakes. Social Gospelers thought that religion needed to become more masculine in order to address the moral problems that ensued after the industrial age. The movement’s motive was to bring in more men to participate in church actively. Women were thought to be too sensitive and clouded by theirRead MoreThe Progressive Era Of American History1346 Words   |  6 PagesThe progressive era is one of the most researched times in American history due to the multiple social and economic movements that took place. When historians argue about progressivism, they are not just debating about events of a century ago, they are struggling to interpret the basic meaning of Am erican democracy. The progressive era is a widely debated topic among many historians. It is known as a time period that consisted of economic, political, social, and moral reforms. In summary the progressiveRead MoreThe Progressive And Traditional Forms Of Society1086 Words   |  5 PagesBoth the Progressive and Traditional forms of society have been pivotal and influential in the development and transition of various societies. Specifically, both ideologies were highly substantial in the overall growth and development in a budding society. However, although both ideologies were critical to the overall growth and development of a society, the ideologies were substantially opposing in numerous ways. From the rate of speed for both social and technological evolution, how power wasRead MoreNative Americans And American History1396 Words   |  6 PagesThe natives even had to defend revered parts of their culture, such as religion, against the white man. Federal authorities attempte d to outlaw the use of the peyote plant in church rituals; in order to force the religion of Christianity on the natives. In response, the Peyote men defended their religious customs by indirectly referring to the first amendment â€Å"I do not think this legislature should interfere with a man’s religion. (7)† Whether the Natives chose to assimilate into American societyRead MoreComparing the Approaches of the Progressive and Populist Movements893 Words   |  4 Pages20th century the progressive movement and populist movement were groups and organizations getting together to resolve social, economic, and political problems occurring in the United States. Both movements had different approaches to what was more important and how to deal with problems. Progressivism was mainly for the betterment of cities while populism is for agrarian section of farmers. First of all there were social failures and successes between the populist and the progressive. During the progressiveRead MoreEssay on Boss713 Words   |  3 Pagesestablish successful colonies? 2. What was the relationship between early Virginia settlers and the Powhatan Indians, and how did Indian policies in the southern colonies eventually laid the basis for forced removal and reservations? 3. How did religion, economic circumstances, and Indian relations shape the founding and the development of the New England colonies? 4. How did the labor system of white indentured servitude work, and why did plantation owners replace it African slavery? ExplainRead MoreThe Progressive Era Essay1133 Words   |  5 Pagesthe attractiveness of the nation. The progressive era was from 1870 to 1916 which entered the period of urbanization in the United States. In the 19th century, a lot of European immigrants came into the States and this aided the speedy industrialization, people moved away from rural era without hesitation. In 1910, progressive era was the political movement of group of people who were ready to turn the social and political life of America around. It is an era where workers were involved in the improvementRead MoreThe Birth Control Movement Essay example1442 Words   |  6 PagesThe Progressive Era was a period of social and political reform beginning in the post Gilded Age 19th century and lasting through WWI. Industrial and urban growth of early 19th century America while representative of o pportunity and future advancement simultaneously posed many difficulties for working class citizens. Prior concerns over the conditions of working class citizens were multiplied and magnified by overpopulated and impoverished urban communities. During this era many new Progressive