It is easy to read the read the book Ragged Dick by Horatio Alger and make the connection to the ever-present idea of the American Dream in books of the time. It tells the story of how the titular character, Ragged Dick, goes from being a homeless boot-black in New York to a “respectable” young man with stability and connections. Through this social progression, Dick becomes Alger’s idealistic embodiment of the American Dream. However, it may be difficult to point to which one of Dick’s positive characteristics is his most useful. To understand how Alger perceives the American Dream, it is important to understand why Dick’s moral code is his most important positive quality, as opposed to his work ethic.
After listing many of Dick’s “faults and defects” (7) in the first chapter, the first positive quality that Alger specifically mentions is that “He was above doing anything mean or dishonorable… His nature was a noble one” (7). The reader immediately gets the chance to see the noble side of Dick in the next chapter, where he treats young Johnny Nolan to a meal and gives him advice, however harshly, stating that the reason Johnny doesn't make the money that Dick does is because “[Johnny is] lazy, that’s what’s the matter” (9). Alger rarely specifically points out Dick’s positive qualities in the narration besides this one. The others are inferred by the reader or commented on by the people Dick interacts with, such as learning about Dick’s humor through his conversations with Mr. Greyson and his commentary throughout his time with Frank. This is because having a strong moral code is the quality that Alger believes is the most essential to achieving the American Dream. When Mr. Whitney chooses to take Dick in to bathe him and give him a new suit, he commented on his actions saying “‘I may be rash in trusting a boy of whom I know nothing, but I like your looks, and I think you will prove a proper guide for my nephew’” (17). The reader can infer from their previous conversations that “I like your looks” refers to Dick’s honesty and dependability rather than his work ethic. Alger shows that Dick’s hard work often would result in very little growth as he would spend his money on extravagant items and events and seldom “commenced the day with a penny” (6). His hard work certainly comes to his benefit when he saves up $117 to continue paying the rent, but without the connections his moral code had provided this would have been for nothing. For these reasons, Alger’s idea of the American Dream places far more emphasis on having a strong moral code than having a strong work ethic, but still stresses the importance of both.
The American Dream has been the underlying theme of many novels in the past till present and you are right, Ragged Dick doesn't stray far from the bunch.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your blog post, I realized that your point about Mr. Whitney saying " I may be rash in trusting a boy of whom I know nothing, but I like your looks, and I think you will prove as a proper guide for my nephew"(Alger 17) really strengthen your point about Ragged Dick and his strong morals and attitudes. I initially thought after reading this quote that Mr. Whitney was referring to the way Ragged Dick looked after being cleaned, which is the outside meaning. But in reality and according to your point, Mr. Whitney is looking beyond the looks and into the soul of Ragged Dick to make sure that he truly is the perfect guide for his nephew. Because after all, Frank isn't his real son but is obligated to take care of him in place of his parents. Mr. Whitney wouldn't just hand Frank off to a random kid on the streets if he didn't trust him or have faith in him to prove him right. Also, the readers trust Mr. Whitney because he is a successful, rich and more elder character. Mr. Whitney's trust in Ragged Dick helps persuade the readers trust in him too to give a tour to Frank.
I agree that hard work and a very strong moral compass certainly helped Ragged Dick achieve the respectability he sought after. These two motifs were emphasized time after time by Alger throughout the novel, as Alger attempted to emphasize to his readers the importance of holding moral values high. However, I believe the circumstances Dick found himself in by chance and also the charity work done by others were other significant factors in his success.
ReplyDeleteWithout the tutoring from Fosdick, the advice and influence of Frank and Mr. Whitney, the teachings of Mr. Greyson, and the incredible job given to him by Mr. Rockwell; Dick likely would have found himself stuck on the streets shining shoes years down the road. Dick happened to be at the right place at the right time in order to meet these generous people; and with the help of his work ethic and moral values; Dick was able to rise out of poverty. Alger compares Johnny Nolan's situation to that of Dick's, stating Johnny, "was a good-natured boy, large of his age, with nothing particularly bad about him, but utterly lacking in that energy, ambition, and natural sharpness, for which Dick was distinguished." (Alger 125) Alger is reiterating the importance of a strong desire to succeed in this quote, but later goes on to say, "It was easy to see that Johnny, unless very much favored by circumstances, would never rise above his present level" (Alger 125). Here Alger is telling us that luck played a large role in the development of Dick's character, as a large amount of luck was the only chance Johnny had at rising up from poverty. Dick needed fate and chance to be on his side, so that he could meet the charitable people that would change his life and make him a respectable person.