Sunday, January 26, 2020
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.
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I agree with most of your assessment of how aspects of Ragged Dick can be seen in our world today. However, I think there’s more to be considered regarding how education impacts a person’s ability to advance in the world. Although basic education, as you said, is available to most children in America, higher education is still a barrier to success for many. Dick struggling to find a way to become educated, and only having the opportunity to get a better job once he was, is similar to the challenge many Americans face today. Although the level of education serving as a barrier has changed, the lack of availability to those from less fortunate backgrounds still prevents many from reaching the career and lifestyle they desire. Also similar to Dick’s circumstances is the fact that it’s not simply work ethic or ability that prevents people from receiving education. Dick was shown to be a hard worker throughout the entire novel, and once he started to learn he was “quick, and had an excellent capacity.” (77) However, if it hadn’t been for chance and good luck, he would have no way to become educated despite being capable of learning. Today, it’s also common that the barriers to education are not ability, but financial or social status.
ReplyDeleteCaroline, I believe your blog response accurately reflects how many aspects of American life, especially for men, have remained unchanged over the past generations. As you mentioned, certain elements of the story are antiquated, such as Dick’s former occupation, in which he shined shoes for a living. However, the idea of societal “respectability” has largely remained constant. Your comparison of the adoration of Mr. Greyson by Dick and the modern-day idolization of American businessmen, especially within college campuses such as Indiana University, served to strengthen my own opinion on the matter. This analogy of the hierarchical structure of college majors, particularly at our own university, resonated with me on a newfound level and successfully evidenced your claim about the stagnation of standards of respectability for men in America.
ReplyDeleteAdding to your argument, I also believe that these standards of respectability for modern men reflect the materialistic nature of our society. People often look up to wealthy members of society as role models and symbols of success, which reflects the value our society places on wealth and prestige. This element of American life has not changed in the slightest over time. For example, the novel describing Dick as a “hero” after accumulating elements of wealth demonstrates this same materialistic ideology that our society possess today (Alger 76).