The majority of fictitious novels are written in order to assist the reader in escaping his or her life and experiencing something he or she never had before. However, it can be difficult to depict how a person would truly react when put into foreign situations. This can have a negative effect on the reader’s ability to immerse him or herself in the work and experience it the way it was meant to be experienced. Stephen Crane was one of the first authors in American history to employ the concept of realism into his novels. Realism is the depiction of ordinary society as it actually occurred, without employing any false or romantic ideas. Stephen Crane used his novels and life experiences to reveal the reality of the time, and to introduce realism…show more content… His parents, Reverend Jonathan Townley Crane, who was a Methodist Episcopal minister, and Mary Helen Peck Crane, had fourteen children. Stephen was the last one. Stephen completed Preparatory school and went on to Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania where he completed almost two years of university. After quitting school, Crane and one of his brothers moved to Paterson, New Jersey. While there, they made frequent trips to New York City, where Stephen acquired much of the inspiration for many of his works. In 1892, Crane moved to New York City and used this inspiration to become a self-employed writer. Stephen began living a nonconformist life among the local artists. This gave him firsthand experience with poverty and living on the street. (Bio 1) Crane used the experience he gained from this period of his life to add a realistic aspect to much of his writings. His first work, Maggie, was rejected by several publishers, so Crane published it independently, under a fake name. The publishers thought that the realities of the slums, as depicted by Stephen, would shock readers. His second novel, The Red Badge of Courage, was widely accepted and brought him great fame. Shortly after, Crane published his first poetry collection, called