wrote Ragged Dick Or, Street Life in New York with the Bootblacks in 1868. Alger recreates the story of a boy and his life as a boot black in the streets of New York City in the 19th century. While telling this story, Alger addresses some of the major issues in society. One was the belief of the middle class society: that anyone and everyone could improve themselves with hard work, good manners and an education. Another of Alger's own beliefs was that the wealthy should help the poor. In the following paper I will address Alger's thoughts on the hardship and prosperity of life in the New York City economy. .
Before Ragged Dick meets Frank and his uncle, he doesn't realize his ignorance; namely his speech, lack of care for his appearance and his acceptance of his station in life. Both characters tell Dick stories of poor boys rising up in the world, making him eager to learn to read and write so he can leave his boot-blacking career. Throughout the novel Dick encounters others who give him the "hard work and education" speech. In this manner Alger shows the notorious Victorian worldview (Boyer). It was mainly a belief of the middle-class society; preaching hard work and education as the only aspects needed to move up in the world. But this in itself is not entirely true. In order for a low class member to get an education they have to have one of two things: money or friends in a higher class. And having money doesn't necessarily guarantee having enough money to survive. So in some ways the Victorian's views are partially skewed. .
Additionally, this view is incorrect in that not every hard working low classmen with some type of education is guaranteed to rise to a higher level in society. Alger gives people a false sense of reality with the characters he portrays in his book. Many of the people Dick meets are more than ready to help him or befriend him, whereas in real life it is very unlikely that a fourteen-year-old bootblack would find so many willing benefactors.
RAGGED DICK Set in the busy city of New York during the 1860's, Horatio Alger JR's novel Ragged Dick is the story of an inspiring young boy who had nothing, and made himself into something great. Ragged Dick, or Richard Hunter, is a fourteen-year-old boy. ... Dick ran to save him. ... Ragged Dick, like so many others, brought himself from nothing to something. ... The story of Ragged Dick gives people hope. ...
s Ragged Dick, a story of a young boy's struggle for respectability, addresses various social issues by appealing to common moral standards. ... Alger also emphasizes the importance of honesty through Ragged Dick. While most boys of Dick's age often steal to make ends meet, Dick refuses to deviate from his moral principles. ... In Ragged Dick, Alger also illustrates the importance of identity. ... Alger's lessons, as communicated through Ragged Dick, appeals to parents in search of a realistic teaching aid for their children. ...
In his Introduction to Ragged Dick, Alan Trachtenberg makes the claim that "at the heart of the story sits the graven mystery of money: how it reproduces itself, remakes identities, transforms Ragged Dick into Richard Hunter" (p. xix). ... It does not seem so much that Ragged Dick's rising status came as a result of his having money, but rather the opposite. ... First and foremost, it is Ragged Dick's extraordinary work ethic that made the biggest impact on his ability to rise up over adversity and make something of himself. ... The next important quality that Ragged Dick possesse...
Both Eric Liu and Ragged Dick face something they must struggle to find or to be. ... Both Eric Liu and Ragged Dick strive to reach their hopes. ... Ragged Dick was also limited to guidance and opportunity. ... Ragged Dick reached his goal by determination and sacrifice. By the end of the story, Ragged Dick asks to be called Richard and not Ragged Dick anymore because he turned into a proper boy. ...
The novel Ragged Dick by Horatio Alger was an explanation of how a poor white native born male can go from Hell's Kitchen to Middle class with individual effort and inner qualities. Alger made the character, Ragged Dick, who was a very honest and hard working poor boy that lived in Hell's Kitchen. Dick would never cheat or steal. ... Dick may have been dirty and ragged, but there was something about him that showed people he would make it, his determination. ... Dick believes someone needs to look after him. ...
Horatio Alger's book Ragged Dick is a very suitable portrait. ... " In the book Ragged Dick, the main character Dick was nothing more than a poor city boy who was trying to earn money on the streets of New York City. ... In Ragged Dick, the narrator informs the reader at the outset of this passage that when Dick and Frank are visiting the Park during its construction, there are "no houses of good appearance near it," (Alger pg#). ... Ragged Dick places great emphasis on a number of core values. ... Examples from American literature, such as Ragged Dick, show that with dreams come cha...
In "Ragged Dick," by Horatio Alger Jr., Dick is a determined and honest young boy who knows a hard days work. ... Dick wasn't one of these kids. ... Luckily, Dick was fortunate to meet Frank and Henry that help inspire Dick to learn to read and write. ... "Dick had gained something more valuable than money. ... The values shown in Alger's "Ragged Dick " are applicable for both era's. ...
In three of the readings from class, Franklin's Autobiography, Alger's Ragged Dick and the Autobiography of Malcolm X are all tales of self-improvement. ... And Alger takes us into his character Dick's world from rags to riches. I"d like to compare Franklin's Autobiography with Alger's Ragged Dick (from class lectures on 10/29 and 10/31). ... We have to keep in mind that this was written in the 18th century, so by the time Alger wrote Ragged Dick in the mid-19th century the U.S. had already become a different society. ... Dick's virtues in Ragged Dick are pred...
In the story by Horatio Alger entitled, "Ragged Dick" (p 299), the boy named Dick was motivated to save the drowning boy, just out of a sense of helping someone else. ... In "Ragged Dick" by Horatio Alger, he says, "Until he should obtain one he determined to devote half the day to black boots, not being willing to break in upon his small capital (p 299). In that story Dick had a desire to get a job, he was motivated to do so, and was determined to set aside a part of his day and to get what he wanted. ...
