"Maggie" is the story of a pretty child of the Bowery which is written with the same intensity and vivid scenes of his masterpiece - "The Red Badge of Courage". In her short life, Maggie "blossomed in a mud puddle", was driven to prostitution, and died by her own hand while still a teenager.

Crane, who worked as a free lance reporter, was in many ways addicted to the low life of the cities. He died at the age of 29.