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11th American Lit: Maggie: A Girl of the Streets Ch. 1-6 Reading Guide
Chapter 1
1. How are the children behaving at the beginning of the novella? Why?
2. What is Jimmie Johnson’s neighborhood called?
3. How is Jimmie described during his fight with the rival gang?
4. Who is Pete? Describe him. How does he help Jimmie?
5. How is the father described?
6. What does Jimmie’s father say and do to him?
Chapter 2
7. Describe the neighborhood in which Jimmies lives.
8. What is Maggie doing when she is first introduced?
9. What reason does Maggie give for not wanting Jimmie to fight?
10. What is Jimmie’s reply to Maggie? What does he do to Maggie?
11. What is ironic about the father’s scolding, “Stop that, Jim...”
12. How is Mary described?
13. How does the mother treat Jimmie?
14. What does the father tell Mary she’s always doing?
15. Describe Mary’s relationship with her husband.
16. How are the children described as they eat? What does this show?
17. What does the old lady say at the end of Ch. 2?
Chapter 3
18. What errand is Jimmie sent on?
19. Why doesn’t he complete the errand?
20. Why does the father drink?
21. What is ironic about Mary’s remark, “Why deh blazes don’ chere keep Jim from fightin?”
22. How do the Johnsons’ neighbors act about the Johnsons’ behavior?
23. What is the relationship between Maggie and Jimmie like at the end of chapter 3 (what do they do for each other)?
24. What types of colors are used throughout chapters 1-3? How is that significant?
Chapter 4
25. What happens to Tommie? What is significant about the way Crane describes his fate?
26. How has Jimmie become?
27. Describe Jimmie’s experience with religion.
28. Name some of the people that Jimmie hates.
29. What happened to the father? To the mother?
30. How does Jimmie feel about his job as a truck driver?
31. What is the only thing that Jimmie respects?
32. Why is Jimmie able to survive in his environment?
33. What has Jimmie been doing with women?
Chapter 5
34. How has Maggie changed from chapter 3 to chapter 5?
35. How does Maggie differ from the rest of Rum Alley? What do people start to say about her?
36. What advice does her brother give her at the beginning of Chapter 5? What would it mean for her to “go the Hell”?
37. What job does Maggie get?
38. What has happened to Jimmie?
39. What has happened to Mary?
40. What about Pete attracts Maggie?
41. How does Maggie’s perception of her home change while Pete is there?
42. What is the significance of Maggie’s vision at the end of Chapter 5?
Chapter 6
43. What about Maggie attracts Pete?
44. What are Pete’s first words to Maggie?
45. What does Maggie to do impress Pete? Does it work?
46. How does he ask her out?
47. Of what is Maggie afraid?
48. What is the final description in Chapter 6? Contrast this with the final description of Chapter 5.