Author's Individual Style

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. His Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage (1895) realistically depicts the psychological complexities of battlefield emotion, and has become a classic of American literature. He is also known for authoring Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. Stephen Crane’s fiction is typically categorized as representative of Naturalism, Realism, Impression or a mixture of the three. Stylistically, Crane’s writing is characterized by vivid intensity, distinctive dialect and irony. Common themes involve fear, spiritual crises and social isolation.