Final answer:
In Stephen Crane's "His New Mittens," the word 'attitude' in paragraph three represents the character's emotional and psychological stance, highlighting a moment of empowerment and rejection of former limitations.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of Stephen Crane's "His New Mittens" and specifically referring to the third paragraph, the word attitude conveys the character's emotional stance and psychological disposition towards the events happening around him. The paragraph outlines a transformative moment for the character, which Crane uses to demonstrate an evolving sense of empowerment, freedom, and disdain towards past constraints.
The use of the word attitude here is meant to provide insight into the character's inner emotional state, which is set against the wider themes of American Literary Naturalism that was prevalent in Crane's work. This approach sought to explore the sociological ills of the time, alongside the indifferent or hostile forces of nature, leading to a deeper inquiry into the human condition - often underlining the futility of individual effort against overwhelming external forces, in lines with the ideas of Charles Darwin.