Changing Realization and Acknowledgement of Dick's Past

Dick tries to move up along the social ladder and leverage his education to better himself. Dick initially spends lavishly and does not focus on long-term saving. This attitude changes after Dick meets Frank and Frank’s Uncle when Dick learns how to manage his money better and start saving for longer-term goals. Dick encounters Henry Fosdick, a timid young boy who makes his living as a boot-black despite formerly having a well-off lifestyle. Dick decides to leverage the relationship he has with Henry Fosdick to learn, grow, and develop his understanding of the world. His hard work and effort begin paying off, and Fosdick notes that Dick is “’learning fast’”, to which Dick responds happily that he wants “’to grow up ‘spectable’” (Alger). Although Dick is happy to get closer to his goal of educating himself and surpassing his current lifestyle, he often feels pressured by the fact that he is a boot-black and that people do not regard him as a genteel member of society.  his, but is often pressured by the fact that he is from a boot-black background. Even though Fosdick is successfully able to secure the room against Roswell Crawford, Dick asks Fosdick if he is “’willin’ to room with a boot-black’” (Alger). This moment in the novel is surprising to me. Alger stresses the importance of hard work and education in allowing people to better themselves no matter where they start. The instantaneous changes and effects that Dick experiences from working to his new goal of educating himself would make it seem that Dick does not care so much for his past and background. As a result, this point in the novel reveals a sense of humanity outside of the fairy tale-esque mood because Dick ruminates over his boot-blacking background. Going forward, Dick’s interactions with Micky Maguire are the testament to his growth and decision to leave the past behind. When Micky Maguire steals Dick’s Washington coat and Napoleon pants, Dick is startled at first but then quickly realizes this is a moment of relief for him. Dick feels the weight leave off his shoulders and remarks that “it seem[s] to cut him off from the old vagabond life which he [hopes] never to resume” (Alger). Dick realizes that he is a man because he works hard to his goal of securing an education rather than ruminating over his past as a boot-black and the clothes he wears.

Parallels Between The World of Ragged Dick and Our World Today

For this blog assignment, I will focus on what I feel like I learned from reading Ragged Dick. I think this story offers a lot to be learned about not only how expectations for young boys have changed over time, but also how they have stayed the same. There is a very obvious expectation in Dick’s world to grow up and be respectable. But, the novel asks the questions “What does it mean to be respectable?” and “Is what was considered respectability in the past the same as what defines respectability now?” In 19th century New York City, being an educated boy gained you a great deal of respect. However, there were many boys, especially ones in Dick’s profession, who could not read or write. It was not uncommon for there to be uneducated children. In present day America, I feel as though it is expected that everyone receives an education. Even if they come from a less fortunate circumstance, such as a single parent home, I believe that there is still the expectation that they will gain some sort of rudimentary education, because it’s so necessary to American life now. One aspect of 19th century New York City that I find to be consistent with today is the praise of the business man. A majority of the well-off characters in “Ragged Dick” are American businessmen, such as Mr. Greyson, who serves as a reference for Fosdick and secures him a job due to “Mr. Greyson’s high character and position (80).” Especially at a university with a business school as impressive as IU’s, the idolization of the businessman is still very present in American society, and I think young boys are still expected to look up to business professionals with the same adoration that Dick and his companions did. Another expectation that I believe has stayed constant over time is the emphasis on the importance of honesty. Multiple times in the book, the narrator asserts Dick’s honesty. When Mr. Greyson asks Dick who taught him to be honest, Dick replies “Nobody. But it’s mean to cheat and steal. I’ve always knowed that (61).” I think honesty is a value that generations have cherished for all of time, and will continue to cherish.

From Gabrielle Bradley

Ragged Dick is a classic “American dream” or “rags to riches” story where the protagonist comes from nothing and miraculously works his way up the social ladder and there finds happiness. In the story it turns out to be very easy for Dick to turn his life around. All he has to do is open a bank account, rent a place to stay, and run into three different rich men that have the ability to turn his life around. A lot of Dick’s success is because he was in the right place at the right time, which I think carries the most importance for people trying to become rich and powerful. In our class discussion we talked about how Ragged Dick is the perfect example of the idea that “If you work hard, you can get anywhere in life” that people in the baby boomer generation love to tell young kids, but if you look closer at the story this is not even true for Dick. Regardless of what generation you are in, the possibility of you becoming successful comes down to either hard work and/or knowing the right people. I think in 2020 it is the latter that plays the most important role in how your life unfolds. If you know the right people it is either because you already come from money (and someone in your family’s history must have done the hard work) that therefore gives you connections to other rich and powerful people that can hire you for the job of your dreams, or you have just plain dumb luck and met the right people at the right time. Dick’s dream job is just an office job, which he could probably have achieved just through hard work, but he has such incredible luck in the story that I really do not think that you can say it was his hard work as a boot black that got him where he ends up at the close of the book. If Dick had not miraculously ran into Frank he would not have had his new suit. If he had not shined Mr. Grayson’s shoes he would not have gone to Sunday School and received that education. If he had not been on the ferry when James Rockwell’s son fell overboard he would not have gotten the clerk job. Sure, Dick learned how to read and write with the help of his friend Fosdick, which is a believable connection for him to have, but the job offer from Rockwell because Dick saved his son’s life is what really changes Dick’s life. I am sure that there are people in history who have earned their success through just hard work, but this makes me question if the American Dream that is told to us in books and movies was ever really something that could happen in real life through hard work, or if the crazy rags to riches stories can always be traced back to just pure luck?

Alger's Rewards for Generosity

In Ragged Dick, Horatio Alger, Jr. rewards Ragged Dick constantly for his morals. Despite never learning about morality from his parents, church or school in his youth, Alger gives us a glimpse into how Ragged Dick began to understand that stealing was wrong and about how being generous would be profitable. In fact, not once did Ragged Dick get screwed over for his generosity.

Firstly, Ragged Dick escorted Frank Whitney around town, showing him the sights of New York City. In addition to a tour of all of the buildings, Ragged Dick periodically saves people from being swindled, including Frank. As a result, Frank recognizes his good nature, and in addition to the suit that he gave Ragged Dick at the outset of their journey, he motivates him to become "'spectable" and gives him five dollars. From this course of action, Ragged Dick moves from being simply extravagant with his money to opening a bank account to host his savings.

Next, Ragged Dick treats a Henry Fosdick to dinner. Henry although he was twelve, "knew as much as many boys of fourteen." Dick enlists him as a tutor and trades room and board for tutoring. Through his generosity, Dick earns a solid friend and an education. 

Through this process, Dick remembers to return some extra change to a gentleman, Mr. Greyson, who had enlisted Dick to shine his shoes. By proving that he is honest and learning to read, Dick secures an invitation to church and continues his learning in Sunday School.

Finally, Dick jumps into the water to save a drowning child. To reward his selflessness, the child's father, James Rockwell, gives him "the best [suit] he had ever worn" and a clerkship, which pays more than he was currently making and "three times as much as he had expected to obtain at first."

Simultaneously, Alger constantly introduces characters who have been to the Island for stealing. Alger characterizes these other boys as being unnecessarily cruel, and Dick constantly expresses his frustration with these characters. Mickey Maguire would not "[tackle] boys whose strength was equal or superior to his own" and preferred to "get hold of small boys." Through this injustice, Dick promises Henry to "give [Maguire] a thrashing," if he ever bothered Henry. Additionally, when Jim Travis was arrested for stealing Dick's bank book, Dick only felt upset for him, even though he was distraught just the previous night because he thought all of his savings were gone.

Because Alger constantly rewards Dick for being generous and punishes other characters for being cruel, Dick grows up to be unselfish and have a strong set of morals.

The Juxtaposition of Character and Coincidence in Ragged Dick

By emphasizing the importance of the self in Ragged Dick and Struggling Upward, Horatio Alger combines the classic capitalistic idea of the American Dream and adds his own twist on it by emphasizing the importance of not just ingenuity, but character as well in rising through the ranks on the social ladder. For that purpose, Alger establishes the virtues of Dick's character in the narrative. He makes these moments stand out by breaking the fourth wall: "If some of my boy readers, who have been studying for years, and got no farther than this, should think it incredible that Dick, in less than a year, and studying evenings only, should have accomplished it, they must remember that our hero was very much earnest in his desire to improve" (98). While the use of the fourth wall serves to distinguish Dick's earnesty and hard work from the other young boys in the novel, it also highlights the differences between him and the readers. Ultimately the story of Ragged Dick serves as an inspirational narrative of how a young boy can find success through hard work, further emphasized through the relatability of Dick by stressing his modest roots. Alger's fourth wall contradicts the intention of the novel, however, because the narrative compares the "boy readers" with "our hero" (98). Even the framing of the respective roles stresses a fundamental difference in how each boy is perceived by the author, the difference being a common, unclaimed "boy" contrasted with the use of the possessive "our hero." The fourth wall, while added with the intention of reminding the readers that success only comes to the hard workers, only serves to alienate the readers who believe themselves to be capable of success such as Ragged Dick. 

Additionally, the events in the narrative further create distance from the readers through its reliance on not causality, ingenuity, and networking--the fundamental tenets of the American Dream--but rather coincidence and good timing. Much of the character interactions that end up helping Ragged Dick relies on the latter two concepts instead of the former. For example, when Alger sets up the situation in which Dick rescues the drowning boy, he narrates, "But about this time something occurred which considerably improved his chances of preferment" (126). The vagueness in his framing and the use of Dick as the object of the sentence rather than the subject implies to the readers that this situation occurred without Dick cultivating it himself. While showing this scene accentuates the randomness of success and the importance of good timing, Alger also subtracts the significance of good character and hard work in finding success, since the situation ultimately occurred without Dick's intervention. It was due to his good character that ended up saving the boy, but there would have never been any chance to demonstrate such good character in the first place without sheer luck.

The Rise of Ragged Dick

Ragged Dick by Horatio Alger is a story about Ragged Dick’s rise to become a respectable man and the moral way he went about doing it. Ragged Dick has grown up on the street making money by working as a boot-blacker. Through a series of fortunate events he has met people who provide him the opportunity to continue to develop as a person, such as Frank Whitney and Henry Fosdick. Along the way, seemingly with each new achievement, Ragged Dick encounters someone who contrasts his character and further emphasizes Ragged Dick’s compassion and honesty. These character foils show that to become respectable and grow in society, more than money, a strong moral code will go a long way. 

One boy that lives on the street that tries to give Ragged Dick a hard time is Micky Maguire. He has a temper and “was proud of his strength, and of the position of leader which it had secured him”(64). While Micky is strong, Ragged Dick smartly knew how to defend himself and even “might readily have taken advantage of his unsteadiness and knocked him down; but he was not vindictive” allowing him to eventually exit the conflict unharmed when the policeman intervened. Micky has the toughness to be a leader on the streets, however, since he does not seem to possess Ragged Dick’s street smarts or ambition to move up in the world, he must resent those who dress well because it’s something he will never have. 

Another character that is introduced is James (Jim) Travis, another tenant on Mott Street. Travis needs money to go out West and steals Ragged Dick’s bankbook after overhearing him say how much he has saved. He is caught at the bank and sent to jail. His dishonesty didn’t stand a chance against Ragged Dick who had been working and saving up his earnings. Ragged Dick just wanted to catch the thief and secure his money, therefore securing part of his way to becoming a respectable man. He even “could not help feeling sorry that he had been instrumental in causing his arrest” (115). Even at a time when someone wronged him, Ragged Dick had a sense of what he thought was fair punishment, not much more or less. 

While Ragged Dick isn’t perfect and does receive the aid of others, what allows him to transform into Richard Hunter, Esq. and separates him from Micky Maguire and Jim Travis are his ambition, honesty and compassion. The other two characters show that nothing good happens from not having those qualities. There are other factors that contributed to Ragged Dick’s socioeconomic rise but the character foils Alger introduces emphasize the importance of morality. 

What Makes a Morally Bad Behavior Permissable or Not in Ragged Dick?

As was brought up in class, it seems like the intended audience of Ragged Dick is for young, middle-class boys that will never experience the poverty which Dick faces in the novel, and so my interpretation of the intent of this novel is to use the impoverished position of Dick to inspire the readers to rise through the ranks of society and hold on to their moral foundations. Like all novels aimed at an audience of young adults or children it seems like there is a strong moral message that pervades this reading, although an interesting distinction is made in the course of the novel between actions which are intrinsically bad and behaviors which are abandoned by Dick in his climb up the socioeconomic ladder. In the readers introduction to Dick there is a clear list of unfavorable behaviors which the narrator indicates are faults in his character but are separated from the innate immoral behaviors which Dick never engages.

On Dick’s road to respectability, Dick abandons his previous behaviors of smoking, gambling, and generally being careless with his earnings, but at the moral baseline of not stealing, cheating, or imposing himself on younger boys the narrator still describes his nature as “a noble one” (Alger 7). Throughout the novel we see instances of Dick overcoming these bad habits, for example, Dick opens a bank account which demonstrates a commitment to be responsible with his money. While Dick shakes off his old bad behaviors, he also pursues an education and a stable job, and so it begs the question of why it was necessary for Dick to begin his journey with such bad behaviors and what makes them more acceptable for Dick to have than lying or cheating. Would it have not sufficed to simply show Dick progressing from a boot black to a counting room clerk.

              It is evident in characteristics like Dicks innate generosity, which is at first painted as the vice of extravagance, that some qualities moral value is dependent on the control which is exercised over them. In the readers introduction to Dick, his extravagance is painted as a vice when he “invite[s] some of his friends in somewhere to have an oyster stew” (Alger 6), but later in the book when he buys Fosdick breakfast (Alger 73) it is an example of Dick’s moral generosity. Likewise, Dick’s smoking with other children can be seen rather as a case of poorly placed generosity as “he was generally ready to treat his companions” (Alger 6) to cigars. Perhaps the seemingly bad behaviors of Dick at the beginning of the book were a demonstration of Dick’s innate kindness and generosity.

Conversely, it seems that the defined moral evils of stealing, cheating, and leveraging one’s own position over others are unredeemable because, rather than displaying a deeper, admirable quality, they demonstrate an utter disregard for other people. It might also be interesting to interpret the moral nature of each of these behaviors in regards to their potential for improving or harming Dick’s socioeconomic status, and in this case the morally untouchable behaviors are those which have the potential for raising Dick’s socioeconomic status at the detriment of others.

A Good Christian Guidebook from a Not so Great Man

Despite not having a known foundation for his belief system, Ragged Dick was an individual who sought to do no harm (Ch XV).  Many of his companions were willing to do countless wrong deeds, whether fighting with those smaller than himself or Jim Travis taking Dick’s bank-book (Ch XIV, Ch XXII). However, the young boot black sought to improve himself in such a way that led the author to refer to him as “our hero” time and time again (Ch XXV).

At the beginning of the story, the frank-looking yet hardworking lad had no prospects for a future. After meeting a man who saw Dick’s potential, the boy gave up his frivolous lifestyle, frequenting Barnum’s and the Old Bowery, in order to become ‘spectable (Ch V). Through attending Mr. Greyson’s Sunday school, Fosdick was able to secure a proper job in a hat store (Ch XIX). This employment led Dick and his friend being on the ferry when James Rockwell’s son fell into the water (Ch XXVI). Dick, dressed in his nicest clothes, immediately put the boy’s life above his own when he jumped into the water. Despite personal success, Dick continued to look out for others and in that instance, it led him to indebting Mr. Rockwell in a way he felt he could never repay (Ch XXVI).

Time and time again, it was seen how strong Christian attitudes and actions led the young bootblack from rags to riches. This story was not about how a young boy climbed the New York ladder of success. Instead, it was a clear portrayal of the benefits obtained by personifying the Christian lifestyle.

For that reason, it was difficult for me to take the book seriously. I cannot help but dwell on the irony of Horatio Alger’s writings instructing young boys of the time on how to grow into respectable Christian men. If the benefits of this lifestyle were so certain, then it seems strange that the author did not choose them for himself. Instead, there have been allegations of pedophilia made against Alger. Although his writings often served as a guide for boys to become men, I wonder if undertones within the story revealed this secret life of his.

As discussed in class, there were some unusual aspects to the relationships between males in Ragged Dick. A few notable occurrences included Fosdick and Dick becoming inseparably close while sharing the same room, there was never a dating or marrying relationship, and the continuous benefaction from older men to the rising bootblacks (Ch XVIII). Throughout the story, men from Mr. Whitney to a bank teller to Mr. Rockwell and many others contributed aid towards the boys looking to rise in society.

I believe that the story largely reflected the Horatio Alger’s feelings towards the young boys he himself had gotten off the street. All of Dick’s success was rooted in the benefaction he received from older men. Part of me is unsure if Dick constantly came across extreme luck or if his aid from men was a display of the author’s perspective outside of the story.

*It is not my intent to offend anybody with this conclusion. I believe it is likely that the book was primarily aimed at how certain Christian characterizations led to boys becoming respectable young men. That being said, sources have noted pedophilia in Horatio Alger’s personal life that largely may have influenced the story. In many ways, I hope that these observations are exaggerated and rather show typical relationships between males at that time. However, I cannot help but wonder if there were some parallels between the allegations and Alger’s writings. *

Lucky Dick

While I found Ragged Dick to be an entertaining story, I also found its plot devices to be somewhat annoying. This is most clearly illustrated in how Dick manages to ascend in his social and economic environment. Although much of the novel preaches the values of hard work and perseverance, Dick's achievements always feel more like the outcome of luck rather than his own doing. These circumstances undercut the novel's central message, and the story struggles to be plausible as a result.

This issue is present from the earliest parts of the story, such as when Dick meets Frank and his uncle in a chance encounter. Prior to meeting them, Dick was content to spend his money as soon as he made it at bars and theaters, sleeping in whatever place he could afford or find. While he doesn't express a lack of desire for improvement, he certainly doesn't show much unhappiness regarding his situation. The only reason Dick feels the need to begin saving his money and working toward a better life is because Frank and his uncle tell him he should, not through any internal motivation. This makes it difficult to identify with Dick's desires as his motivations boil down to "just because" rather than anything more relatable like becoming tired of being poor.

Dick's blind luck continues until the end of the story as well. Toward the end of the novel, Dick is looking for a better job than being a shoe shiner. As he is taking a ferry with Henry to accompany him on an errand, a young boy falls overboard. Because the boy's father is unable to swim, Dick takes it upon himself to try to rescue the boy. With the help of some boaters passing by, Dick manages to save the child from drowning, and the child's father is so grateful that he offers Dick a high-paying job at his counting-room. Rather than reward Dick for scouting the city for the best job available, Dick just happens to find himself in a situation where his good nature endears him to someone nearby who can give him what he is looking for at the time.

Throughout Ragged Dick, the titular protagonist ends up being the recipient of blind luck rather than a beneficiary of the values preached in the novel. This is not to say that there are not instances of Dick benefiting from working hard (such as his studying to become more educated or saving money from his job as a boot-black), but rather to say that the results of these actions are rarely as impactful as the lucky outcomes Dick experiences as well. Because of these flaws in the story, Ragged Dick does not succeed in practicing what it preaches.

The Road from Rags to Riches

Horatio Alger's most popular novel, Ragged Dick, not only brings young readers a rather literal "rags to riches" tale, but also introduces the concept of the best road to success. Throughout the novel, Dick is constantly reminded that hard work and budgeting are the keys to achievement. Even Mr. Whitney points this out before his departure from New York, telling Dick, "Remember that your future position depends mainly upon yourself, and that it will be high or low as you choose to make it" (Alger 57). His words make the idea of success seem simple and easily achievable, but how much of this is actually the reality? How much of his success would have been possible without the help of others, guiding advice, or just pure luck?

            From the reader’s first introduction to Dick, it is clear that he has mainly worked alone up until this point. When he compares himself to other shoe shiners on the street, such as Johnny Nolan, Dick sees himself as a hard worker who knows how to bring in regular customers. He learns how to bring in double the customers and often shares his earnings from the day with others. However, it isn’t until he starts working with others that luck really starts to change for Dick. The greatest example of this is his relationship with Henry Fosdick. Although Dick is able to find boarding and opens up a savings account on his own, he knows he won’t be able to rise up in the world without an education. After their tutoring has finished and Henry has taught Dick all that he knows, Dick thanks him and earnestly says, “You’ve made me what I am” (Alger 99). This is only one out of many times that Dick has advanced on his journey to success through the help of others.

            In terms of luck, Dick also has a lot of that throughout the novel. He is constantly getting into wacky situations that end up working out in his favor, especially when it comes to helping out those that are more fortunate than he is. The best example of this has to be at the end of the story, when Dick jumps off of a ship to save the drowning son of James Rockwell. Although this was definitely a brave thing to do, no amount of hard work or budgeting could make up for the pure luck of saving a rich man’s son for a reward of $10,000 (Alger 126). As our story concludes, it seems that Dick’s success will continue to climb as a result of this heroic act. While Mr. Whitney’s words do have value, it’s important to remember that no man can ever reach success entirely on his own, and Dick certainly had a lot of help along the way.

Compassion: The Key to Success

Despite the importance placed on morals and ambition, Ragged Dick, by Horatio Alger, Jr., is unrealistic because of the main character’s reliance on luck in order to succeed. Compassion plays a larger role in Dick’s good fortune than his dedication to good morals.         From the beginning of the novel, Alger’s expectations are clear to the reader. Alger describes that, although Ragged Dick isn’t the perfect person, “he [is] above doing anything mean or dishonorable,” including vices such as stealing and cheating (8). Alger expects any deserving and successful person to hold themselves to the same standards as Dick. In addition, while spending the day with Dick, Frank suggests that Dick should learn how to read and write if he wishes to improve his standing in life (36). Later in the novel, Alger reaffirms this by saying that “there was something more than money needed to win a respectable position in the world” (93). According to Alger, having good morals, following one’s faith, and being ambitious are the necessary elements for improving one’s station in life.
         On the other hand, I feel that Alger undermines his emphasis on good morals though Dick’s reliance on good luck for his success. For example, Mr. Greyson shows unexpected kindness to Dick after he returns his change (95). Late, when Henry Fosdick is looking for a job, Mr. Greyson happens to walk into the store at the time of Fosdick’s interview and provides a reference for the young boot-black aspiring upward (127). This stroke of luck is the main reason Fosdick gets the job over any of the other young applicants. In addition to this, Dick secures a job by saving the son of a rich man from drowning (171). According to these examples, luck is the way in which one can get a job. 
         Although Alger’s emphasis on morals as a means of self-improvement are overshadowed by the power of good fortune, Alger sends an overarching message of compassion and empathy, which reinforces his theme of morality. Even though the characters are too lucky for the story to be realistic, most of their luck stems from good deeds and actions. Therefore, one can conclude that compassion is the key to improving one’s station in life. However inaccurate this may be in today’s world, compassion is a skill rarely taught and in short-supply. Although the luck results in unlikely success for Dick and Henry, the lessons taught in the novel are still relevant.

A Journey to Respectability: From Ragged Dick to Richard Hunter

The thing that I found most intriguing in the story was the character’s personal development. When Ragged Dick is introduced, he is described as a boy in ragged clothes and covered in dirt. However, the unique thing about Dick compared to the other boys was that he had an honest face. This was further emphasized by Dick’s morals. Dick was a confident boy with a strong work ethic even if he was simply working as a boot black. In addition to his strong work ethic, he had strong virtues of honesty. Dick vowed that he would never lie or steal because he thought that it was rude. He did not want things that he felt he didn’t earn. These morals are central to his development throughout the book.

The development of the character is focused on his Dick’s goal of wanting to grow up to be respectable. Dick has proven that he has the morals and drive of a respectable man. However, he lacked an education. Frank and his uncle Mr. Whitney helped Ragged Dick acknowledge this missing piece. They taught that to achieve his goal of being respectable he needed to stop giving into his vices (ie. drinking, gambling) and instead focus on saving his money for the future. Additionally, they reminded Dick of the importance of obtaining. It was remarkable to see how quickly Ragged Dick took this advice into account and began making positive changes in his life. Soon after, he acquired a bed on Mott Street, found himself a private tutor, and opened his own bank account.

What I found fascinating was the way Dick recognized his own progress and development. When he first began his lessons with the Henry Fosdick, Dick was very hard on himself. He often made use of self-deprecating jokes to lighten the mood because his inability to read and write made him feel vulnerable. However, it was this vulnerability that encouraged him to work hard every single day. Dick would wake up early every morning and go to work, then at night he would go home and study for two hours every evening. Months later, Henry told Dick that he was as smart as he was and had taught him as much as he could. Dick was happy to hear his mentor’s praise; however, he was skeptical.

It wasn’t until his bank book was stolen that Dick recognized how far he had come. After nearly losing everything, Dick realizes how much he really has. He decides to go out and try and get a place of his own in a store or in a countroom. Getting a new job would complete his transition from his previous life as a boot black and into a respectable young man in society. When he got this job in the conclusion of the book, Dick personally acknowledged his personal development. He was no longer known as Ragged Dick but rather Richard Hunter a respectable young man.

The American Dream

Hard work and perseverance being two central themes of the "American Dream" is very evident throughout the novel "Ragged Dick". The author expresses clearly throughout the novel, that he believes that through one's hard work an individual can lift himself or herself out of any class of society. The idea that if one simply works hard enough that they will succeed has always been a central theme to the American public. Hard work and perseverance are stressed heavily through Ragged Dick's conversations with not only Mr. Whitney, but also with Fosdick. Mr. Whitney says, "I entered a printing-office as an apprentice... After a while I was lucky enough to invent a machine, which has brought me in a great deal of money." (Chapter 11). This statement from Mr. Whitney is the first time Ragged Dick hears from someone else that through hard work and perseverance, one can climb the social ladder. He is inspired by this and realizes that changes in his life are necessary.

This particular conversation, as well as the one that took place between Ragged Dick and Frank, causes Ragged Dick to have a changed sense of self. Ragged Dick now realizes that if he continues living in the way that he had been, he will never achieve his dream of becoming "spectable". This sets Ragged Dick on a new path and is the catalyst for the set of events that will allow Ragged Dick to achieve some semblance of the American Dream.

Ragged Dick's displays his newfound fervor for hard work when he stumbles across Fosdick. Ragged Dick told Fosdick, "If you teach me readin' and writin' every evenin's, you shall sleep in my room every night" (Chapter 15). Ragged Dick shows that he understands he cannot receive an education on his own and needs the help of someone else. He found someone who was knowledgeable and in need of something, a place to sleep, and he smartly offered that to pay his rent he could tutor Ragged Dick. Ragged Dick knows very little, which is evident when he says, " Yes; I went two days" in reference to attending school (Chapter 16). On page 77 the author comments that Ragged Dick "was ignorant...moreover he had perseverance." Through his perseverance he will continue to develop himself into a respectable individual, begin attending church with Mr. Greyson, and finally saving Mr. Rockwell's son which will allow him to climb out of living in squalor on the streets to moving off Mott Street at the end of the novel.

I find it quite interesting that over the last 150 years since Ragged Dick was written, the central theme of the American Dream has not changed. Even in 1867, if one had the ability to work hard and persevere, then they will find success in America. I believe those two themes still hold central to the American Dream, albeit if luck is more involved in each person's individual story today.

A Ragged Happily Ever After

     Horatio Alger is known for his inspirational writings for young men of the mid to late 1800s. Ragged Dick, being one of Alger’s most popular book, focuses entirely on a young boy trying to move his way up through the social class. The story of Ragged Dick is in its own way a fairy tale geared towards young. By implementing the most essential parts of a fairy tale such as a hero, magic, and a moral, Ragged Dick inspires young men to be upstanding citizens. 

     The first, and arguably most important aspect of a fairy tale, is the hero/protagonist. The protagonist must be someone the reader can love but shouldn’t be perfect. Many great heroes in literature have a flaw that holds them back from accomplishing goals. In this story, the hero is Ragged Dick, a young boot-black who lives on the streets of New York. Despite his ragged appearance and lack of formal education, Dick is lovable and trustworthy. Dick has two character traits that hold him back in the novel. The first is that he is “careless with his earnings”, and the second is his lack of education (Alger, 6). Both character flaws improve throughout the course of the story, making Dick a well-rounded hero. 

     A second important part of a fairy tale is magic. Though Ragged Dick does not implement an obvious use of magic, there are underlying ways in which everyday magic is present. Unlike most people, Dick is given unlikely opportunities throughout the novel. One opportunity, in particular, makes Dick’s success possible. By meeting Mr. Whitney and Frank outside of a shop, Dick’s journey towards the American Dream can properly begin. Dick’s unique street smarts act as a magical gift for him. He learns how to read people in his everyday life, and his quick thinking allows him to make influential friends and avoid getting scammed.

     The final aspect that is present in all fairy tales is an over-arching moral of the story. Although Dick was not afraid to bend a few rules on the streets to get by, he never steals. As stated by many characters throughout the novel, “there are a great many boys who begin low-down… that have grown up respectable and honored. But they had to work pretty hard for it” (Alger, 40). The moral of hard work paying off is constant throughout the story and reminds both the reader and Dick to continue to work hard. Luckily for Dick, his dedication does pay off, as he is in a much better place financially at the end of the story.

      Although Ragged Dick was not advertised as a fairy tale, it was written to inspire young men, just as many fairy tales were aimed towards young women. Through the uses of very popular motifs of fairy tales, Ragged Dick became and a motivational story for many.