Introduction:

Ragged Dick, a children’s story by author Horatio Alger, follows Dick Hunter as he rises through the social and economic ladder in order to provide a prosperous and educated life for himself. Alger’s novel falls into the genre of Bildungsroman, a genre that essentially follows the ‘moral and psychological growth of the main character’ (Merriam Webster). Stories in which follow the development of young men into prosperous individuals proved a success for Alger, and throughout his life he continued to produce many stories of the same genre. Furthermore, bildungsroman has proven to be a successful genre (or plot device) in itself, and many other novels (for example, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’) and films (for example ‘Goodfellas’ or ‘Wolf of Wall Street’) have made use of the genre.

(Compare and Contrast ‘Ragged Dick’ with the trailer for Goodfellas, with particular focus on the characterisation of Henry Hill)

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo5jJpHtI1Y)

Ragged Dick: From Child’s story to Political Doctrine

Stories in which have followed the ‘moral and psychological growth’ of the main character, as aforementioned, have been very influential within the movie and novel business. Although these stories have also been important within American Politics. Politicians such as Abraham Lincoln and Barak Obama have continuously reinforced the importance of hard work and being a ‘rugged individualist’ and have referenced their own stories as well as others to influence this ideology. Because of the political and artistic influences, stories like Ragged Dick have influenced many academics to deconstruct the main themes of these novels.

Ragged Dick: An Academic Discussion:

To exemplify some of the discussions surrounding Ragged Dick, three texts in which explore the themes featured in Ragged Dick will be discussed.

1. Gorman Beauchamp, 'Ragged Dick and the Fate of Respectability': Beauchamp in his article aims to historically contextualise the success surrounding Alger’s ragged dick. Beauchamp discusses the figures surrounding the economic success of Ragged Dick, while also referencing other individuals whom have been influenced by the work of Alger, which include F. Scott Fitzgerald. Within his article Beauchamp states that Alger repeated the tale of ‘a poor but honest lad who, through grit, industry, and some well-deserved luck, pulls himself up from poverty and into middle class respectability’ over ‘a hundred times’. This comment is extremely important as it encapsulates not only the plot of Ragged Dick and other stories, but yet also begins to highlight the importance of the repetitive language used in other media, and by politicians which have influenced key American ideologies.

2. Cara Erdheim, 'Why Speak of American Stories as Dreams': Erdheim, in her insightful academic discussion provides readers with a summary of literary criticism on the American Dream from the mid-20^th century to the present day. Erdheim notes these different periods as ‘waves’ of discussion surrounding the American Dream an academic response to it. In Erdheim’s third wave, she discusses the present day discussion surrounding literary response to the American Dream, and in doing so refrences critic Pitofsky, who states ‘that Ragged Dick is less about selfish individualism and more about assimilation into an upwardly mobile community’. Pitofsky’s comment further supports the idea of Ragged Dick developing throughout the novel in a moral and psychological way, as he begins to culturally appropriate those of the upper/middle classes. This is shown through not only his change in clothing in which evidently symbolises his development, but also through his relationship with Fosdick, in which his education enables him to assimilate into the upper classes.

3. John Swansburg, 'The Self-Made Man': Swansburg’s journalistic article chronicles the stories of different ‘self-made men’ and discusses the myths that surround ‘historical heroes’ such as Benjamin Franklin. Furthermore Swansburg discusses Horatio Alger and Ragged Dick, and begins to comment on Ragged Dick as a prime example of a narrative of a self-made man. Within his article, Swansburg discusses Dick’s new suit as a metaphorical example of his assimilation into the upper classes. He States that the ‘new suit (is)—a rite of passage into respectability that occurs in every story’. This comment not only confirms the significance of Dick’s suit in his rise to the middle class, but also reinforces the previous claim that, within the genre of bildungsroman, similar plot devices are used, which occur ‘in every story’ (Goodfellas trailer). Although Swansburg approaches Ragged Dick critically, stating that ‘There’s more narrative tension in an episode of Scooby-Doo than an Alger novel’. This claim, although highlight differing views on the novel, fails to comment on the tension created in scenes such as when Frank and Dick are accused of stealing the Lady’s wallet in the street car.

The American Reality: Rising Through the Ranks

The Clip below highlights the reality of rising through America’s class system. The Clip shows the harsh realities to the economic ‘American Dream’, although it is important for teachers and others who with influence over the socialisation of young children, to encourage individualism and hard work whilst politicians should recognise the reality of those at the bottom of society.