In "An Experiment in Misery," why does Crane refer to the tramp as "the assassin"? Is the name deserved? Is it meant ironically? Does it reflect as much on the one who bestows it as on the one on which it's bestowed?
By calling the tramp "the assassin", I think that Crane is making the point that by giving into feelings such as sympathy, compassion, and a desire for companionship, the young boy is also putting himself in a dangerous position. The assassin's need for financial support may in the end be the cause of the young boy's downfall sooner than need be. The young boy, though, also calls the assassin a friend. I suppose what it really comes down to is what is more important, holding onto the small amount of money he has, or sharing it to keep some level of comradery in a society that turns its back entirely on such individuals. So while the boy may not survive for as long as he would without the presence of the assassin, at least he is able to enjoy the simple pleasures that the friend offers, be it a story or a smile.
I thought that it is most interesting that Stephen Crane first describes the tramp as appearing "like an assasin steeped in crimes awkwardly committed." Then, at the conclusion of the story, the youth "bagan to glance guiltily,wearing the criminal expression that comes with certain convictions." He is recognizing himself as an equal to the assasin. I think that America, being a place where every man is for himself, looks down on the unsuccessful "wretches who may flounder at its feet." In that way, the assasins crimes may not be against himself or the individuals around him, but rather against the American ideal that is flourishing around him.
There are two reasons that I see that Crane would call the Tramp an assassin. The first being that the Tramps lifestyle is what is holding back the ideals of America in Cranes era. Essentially the Tramp is murdering the notion of not looking back to see what the damage of the modern lifestyle is to those who are left behind. Secondly, and more importantly in my opinion, the Tramp murders Cranes ability to overlook what is going on behind the scenes of Americas success. At the end of the article Crane is empathizing with the Tramps lifestyle, which now that Crane understands what is really happening, he can no longer persevere with his old view of life. The Tramp murdered Cranes original outlook on life.
Interesting posts. . . Some say the tramp murders the narrator's innocence. . . Others imply that the narrator comes to identify with the tramp's outlaw or outcast status over the course of the story. . . The story is told in third person, which means the only reality we see is reality as the narrator, or youth, sees it. . . How's that affect the story and the mode of storytelling, the interpretation of the events that are recounted?
I'm really not sure why he calls the tramp "the assassin." It seems to me that the author's perception of the tramp is rather "the assassinated," and the author himself, along with the rest of society as he describes them in the last few paragraphs of the story are, in fact, the assassins...although even given this, "assassin" seems a strange choice word to use.
In the third to last paragraph, the young man notes that the people walking the streets held similar values to him, and seeing them shows him how far away he is from those values in his current situation. A paragraph down, he notes that these people are “ignoring the wretches who may flounder” while they go on supporting themselves and their values. Attaching this negativity to his own normal way of life, his own values, makes him feel guilty, which he describes in the final sentence of the story.
...now after reading other comments, the word assassin makes more sense to me. "Assassin," as opposed to other words like "killer," or "murderer" implies motivation to kill for purposes not only, nor directly associated with ending a person's life, but to effect great change. The assassin in this story, even though probably not knowingly, kills certain perceptions of the narrator regarding his own values, and his own society at all levels of class. This is likely going to create great change in the narrator, and depending on his actual status (mayor? governor?), in society as a whole.
I could see how some would think that the name "the assassin" refers to the tramp's killing of the youth's innocence, but I saw it more as he just killed any hope that the youth had of escaping his current position in life and thus forced him to accept his status. I think at first the youth is greatly bothered by people calling him a "bum" when he's walking through the streets, and I got a feeling that he felt very uncomfortable in the soup kitchen. He couldn't sleep that night because he was busy listening to, and becoming accustomed to, the type of people he was going to be around from then on. By daybreak, he is all of a sudden completely content with the characters he is surrounded by. When the assassin tries to leave the youth in the morning and the youth pursues him, and interesting exchange occurs. The assassin taught him a very important lesson just the night before and now the youth is telling the assassin he will give him breakfast but he wouldn't support him (and basically explains the way things work in the streets). The assassin could have killed the youth's innocence, but I think he just forced the youth to stop being so naive and realize his position. As they are watching well to do people walk through the streets, the youth is reminded of his "infinite distance from all that he valued." In the end, though, he "confessed himself an outcast." Had he not met the assassin, I think he would still have the idea in his head that he could still achieve the middle class lifestyle. Now, however, his ignorance was dead.
Don't forget that the youth is playing a role. He can go back to his middle-class lifestyle as soon as he changes his clothes. Maybe the story is about the loss of social prejudices and assumptions and the development of something else -- understanding? empathy? -- to take its place.
I think the tramp undoes most of what the narrator had previously held to be true about the lower class of his society, and as Sean said, "kills perceptions" the narrator used to have. But there is a difference between a killer and an assassin: an assassin has a planned mission, which is the reason Crane refers to the tramp as an "assassin" at all. When the narrator set out to spend the night as a bum, he set out to change his perspectives. He, whether consciously or subconsciously, gave the tramp the mission of assassinating his previous beliefs when he let himself see the tramp not just as one bum with feelings, but representational of a vast piece of society that was being trampled upon by those holding power. The tramp was given the title of assassin and carried through with his mission without ever knowing it.
I'd agree that Crane uses the term "assassin" to describe the tramp because of the change in perspective that the experience with him has given to the "youth." I'd also say that the use of this particularly exciting name for the tramp was probably chosen because of the fact that the author was posing as one himself, and was then in a position which seemed, to him, like an exciting story. He could have just as easily used some other word to imply that this tramp changed his view, but I think the use of "assassin" really makes for a more interesting story than another word would.
I feel that Crane called the tramp the assassin because he was there to turn the youth into a tramp like him. The youth spent only little time with the tramp but by the end of it the youth already started to become like the assassin himself. I feel that the name is symbolic of the tramp coming out of the blue, the youth being his prey and takes him into his own world, so by the end of it, the youth himself could transition into an assasin as well.
Just a little reminder: This isn't about simply completing an assignment or a task. It's about writing an interesting thought or provocative insight as concisely and clearly as you can.
I found the title "assassin" to be vague within the story. Crane's narrative richly describes another side of America during a time when the middle class was rising. The young boy himself is observing the state he is in, and the assassin is, in a way, swaying him to believe that this state is his only option. So, in that sense, he kills the boy's outlook beyond the status quo. He kills "the American Dream," if you will. However, I also think that the assassin doesn't necessarily have to hold connotations of murder, or killing, but rather it could represent a polar opposite from the broader society. American society is very focused on individuality and success, but not in a collective manner. The assassin does not represent what the society puts forth in terms of views, values, etc. So, the Tramp's title could also be a device used by Crane to comment of comtemporary society of his time.
It would seem to me that the assassin is killing some part of the young man in the narrative. It is perhaps his preconceived notions of the lifestyle or the sense of detachment that he assaults. The assassin puts Crane face to face with the underside of America in that time period. The youth's time with the assassin does seem to chance him a little, causing him to go from begging money for a place to sleep to generously offering money for food for the both of them. Crane is narrating the story and taking on the role of a tramp on the street, but is this his first night out there? Has he already had some exposure or is this the first taste he's had of this life? If it is the first he's had of his life then the name of "the assassin" most likely represents the murdering his innocence about life on the street.
Crane refers to the tramp as "the assassin" in an ironic and condescending way. For Crane, it seems that "the assassin" is a synonym for "a professional" and he pejoratively labels the tramp this to signify the general aloofness and slopiness of his manner in direct opposition to the clean and ordered behavior of a professional.
As the story continues, Crane adds character and feeling to the tramp through his interactions with the young boy and the various story he tells. The assassin label then seems less appropriate for the tramp. In fact, as the story rounds out, it seems that the young boy is indeed the true assassin as he is seen "wearing the criminal expression that comes with certain convinctions."
"The assassin" was an interesting name to give the tramp. At first I was sort of lost on why he did it. I think it is possibly that the assassin is going to do whatever he can to get what he wants. In a way it does seem somewhat ironic though, because in some sense he has already been assassinated from society. Maybe the assassin is just trying to find his way back in?
Crane refers to the tramp as the "assassin" because he's obviously using the tramp's appearance to apply him to a category. The tramp appears as dirty and "sneaky" in which Crane seems to think all criminals look like. The name "assassin" is not deserved because assassins usually have no heart and they position themselves to commit crimes. In the tramp's situation, it doesn't seem like he became homeless purposely. The young boy is the one who can not be trusted. His inquiry has put him in an awkward position and has forced him to lie more than he intended.
16 comments:
By calling the tramp "the assassin", I think that Crane is making the point that by giving into feelings such as sympathy, compassion, and a desire for companionship, the young boy is also putting himself in a dangerous position. The assassin's need for financial support may in the end be the cause of the young boy's downfall sooner than need be. The young boy, though, also calls the assassin a friend. I suppose what it really comes down to is what is more important, holding onto the small amount of money he has, or sharing it to keep some level of comradery in a society that turns its back entirely on such individuals. So while the boy may not survive for as long as he would without the presence of the assassin, at least he is able to enjoy the simple pleasures that the friend offers, be it a story or a smile.
I thought that it is most interesting that Stephen Crane first describes the tramp as appearing "like an assasin steeped in crimes awkwardly committed." Then, at the conclusion of the story, the youth "bagan to glance guiltily,wearing the criminal expression that comes with certain convictions." He is recognizing himself as an equal to the assasin. I think that America, being a place where every man is for himself, looks down on the unsuccessful "wretches who may flounder at its feet." In that way, the assasins crimes may not be against himself or the individuals around him, but rather against the American ideal that is flourishing around him.
There are two reasons that I see that Crane would call the Tramp an assassin. The first being that the Tramps lifestyle is what is holding back the ideals of America in Cranes era. Essentially the Tramp is murdering the notion of not looking back to see what the damage of the modern lifestyle is to those who are left behind. Secondly, and more importantly in my opinion, the Tramp murders Cranes ability to overlook what is going on behind the scenes of Americas success. At the end of the article Crane is empathizing with the Tramps lifestyle, which now that Crane understands what is really happening, he can no longer persevere with his old view of life. The Tramp murdered Cranes original outlook on life.
Interesting posts. . . Some say the tramp murders the narrator's innocence. . . Others imply that the narrator comes to identify with the tramp's outlaw or outcast status over the course of the story. . . The story is told in third person, which means the only reality we see is reality as the narrator, or youth, sees it. . . How's that affect the story and the mode of storytelling, the interpretation of the events that are recounted?
I'm really not sure why he calls the tramp "the assassin." It seems to me that the author's perception of the tramp is rather "the assassinated," and the author himself, along with the rest of society as he describes them in the last few paragraphs of the story are, in fact, the assassins...although even given this, "assassin" seems a strange choice word to use.
In the third to last paragraph, the young man notes that the people walking the streets held similar values to him, and seeing them shows him how far away he is from those values in his current situation. A paragraph down, he notes that these people are “ignoring the wretches who may flounder” while they go on supporting themselves and their values. Attaching this negativity to his own normal way of life, his own values, makes him feel guilty, which he describes in the final sentence of the story.
...now after reading other comments, the word assassin makes more sense to me. "Assassin," as opposed to other words like "killer," or "murderer" implies motivation to kill for purposes not only, nor directly associated with ending a person's life, but to effect great change. The assassin in this story, even though probably not knowingly, kills certain perceptions of the narrator regarding his own values, and his own society at all levels of class. This is likely going to create great change in the narrator, and depending on his actual status (mayor? governor?), in society as a whole.
I could see how some would think that the name "the assassin" refers to the tramp's killing of the youth's innocence, but I saw it more as he just killed any hope that the youth had of escaping his current position in life and thus forced him to accept his status. I think at first the youth is greatly bothered by people calling him a "bum" when he's walking through the streets, and I got a feeling that he felt very uncomfortable in the soup kitchen. He couldn't sleep that night because he was busy listening to, and becoming accustomed to, the type of people he was going to be around from then on. By daybreak, he is all of a sudden completely content with the characters he is surrounded by. When the assassin tries to leave the youth in the morning and the youth pursues him, and interesting exchange occurs. The assassin taught him a very important lesson just the night before and now the youth is telling the assassin he will give him breakfast but he wouldn't support him (and basically explains the way things work in the streets). The assassin could have killed the youth's innocence, but I think he just forced the youth to stop being so naive and realize his position. As they are watching well to do people walk through the streets, the youth is reminded of his "infinite distance from all that he valued." In the end, though, he "confessed himself an outcast." Had he not met the assassin, I think he would still have the idea in his head that he could still achieve the middle class lifestyle. Now, however, his ignorance was dead.
Don't forget that the youth is playing a role. He can go back to his middle-class lifestyle as soon as he changes his clothes. Maybe the story is about the loss of social prejudices and assumptions and the development of something else -- understanding? empathy? -- to take its place.
I think the tramp undoes most of what the narrator had previously held to be true about the lower class of his society, and as Sean said, "kills perceptions" the narrator used to have. But there is a difference between a killer and an assassin: an assassin has a planned mission, which is the reason Crane refers to the tramp as an "assassin" at all. When the narrator set out to spend the night as a bum, he set out to change his perspectives. He, whether consciously or subconsciously, gave the tramp the mission of assassinating his previous beliefs when he let himself see the tramp not just as one bum with feelings, but representational of a vast piece of society that was being trampled upon by those holding power. The tramp was given the title of assassin and carried through with his mission without ever knowing it.
I'd agree that Crane uses the term "assassin" to describe the tramp because of the change in perspective that the experience with him has given to the "youth." I'd also say that the use of this particularly exciting name for the tramp was probably chosen because of the fact that the author was posing as one himself, and was then in a position which seemed, to him, like an exciting story. He could have just as easily used some other word to imply that this tramp changed his view, but I think the use of "assassin" really makes for a more interesting story than another word would.
I feel that Crane called the tramp the assassin because he was there to turn the youth into a tramp like him. The youth spent only little time with the tramp but by the end of it the youth already started to become like the assassin himself. I feel that the name is symbolic of the tramp coming out of the blue, the youth being his prey and takes him into his own world, so by the end of it, the youth himself could transition into an assasin as well.
Just a little reminder: This isn't about simply completing an assignment or a task. It's about writing an interesting thought or provocative insight as concisely and clearly as you can.
I found the title "assassin" to be vague within the story. Crane's narrative richly describes another side of America during a time when the middle class was rising. The young boy himself is observing the state he is in, and the assassin is, in a way, swaying him to believe that this state is his only option. So, in that sense, he kills the boy's outlook beyond the status quo. He kills "the American Dream," if you will.
However, I also think that the assassin doesn't necessarily have to hold connotations of murder, or killing, but rather it could represent a polar opposite from the broader society. American society is very focused on individuality and success, but not in a collective manner. The assassin does not represent what the society puts forth in terms of views, values, etc. So, the Tramp's title could also be a device used by Crane to comment of comtemporary society of his time.
It would seem to me that the assassin is killing some part of the young man in the narrative. It is perhaps his preconceived notions of the lifestyle or the sense of detachment that he assaults. The assassin puts Crane face to face with the underside of America in that time period. The youth's time with the assassin does seem to chance him a little, causing him to go from begging money for a place to sleep to generously offering money for food for the both of them. Crane is narrating the story and taking on the role of a tramp on the street, but is this his first night out there? Has he already had some exposure or is this the first taste he's had of this life? If it is the first he's had of his life then the name of "the assassin" most likely represents the murdering his innocence about life on the street.
Crane refers to the tramp as "the assassin" in an ironic and condescending way. For Crane, it seems that "the assassin" is a synonym for "a professional" and he pejoratively labels the tramp this to signify the general aloofness and slopiness of his manner in direct opposition to the clean and ordered behavior of a professional.
As the story continues, Crane adds character and feeling to the tramp through his interactions with the young boy and the various story he tells. The assassin label then seems less appropriate for the tramp. In fact, as the story rounds out, it seems that the young boy is indeed the true assassin as he is seen "wearing the criminal expression that comes with certain convinctions."
"The assassin" was an interesting name to give the tramp. At first I was sort of lost on why he did it. I think it is possibly that the assassin is going to do whatever he can to get what he wants. In a way it does seem somewhat ironic though, because in some sense he has already been assassinated from society. Maybe the assassin is just trying to find his way back in?
Crane refers to the tramp as the "assassin" because he's obviously using the tramp's appearance to apply him to a category. The tramp appears as dirty and "sneaky" in which Crane seems to think all criminals look like. The name "assassin" is not deserved because assassins usually have no heart and they position themselves to commit crimes. In the tramp's situation, it doesn't seem like he became homeless purposely. The young boy is the one who can not be trusted. His inquiry has put him in an awkward position and has forced him to lie more than he intended.
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