Ragged Dick Chapters 12-27

The conclusion of Dick’s story is a happy one. He rises up in society and is offered a better job. He refers to himself formally and professionally as “Dick Hunter” instead of “Ragged Dick” – a change in names that reminds me of the circulation of Cathy’s names in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Anyway, I could not help but feel disappointed over that course that the story took. I enjoyed the book overall, but I felt as if too much of Dick’s journey was due to luck instead of his motivation and ambition.

Dick’s clothing did the talking instead of his character. However, the New York of this time really was this shallow, based everything on people’s appearances, and looked no further. Mr. Whitney from the first half of the novel is the exception.

Dick does have his head on straight, knows right from wrong, and sets a goal for himself to become more respectable in the eyes of society. He knows that “it’s mean to cheat and steal” (63), as opposed to his counterpart Micky Maguire, a degrading portrayal of the Irish immigrants of the time, recalling what we learned from out study of the New York draft riots and from watching Gangs of New York. This feeling of superiority to the Irish was a common thought of the time.

I loved the addition of the character of Fosdick. It was nice to see someone with book smarts to contrast to Dick’s street smarts. He became like a brother to Dick. Instead of Dick having to just look out for himself, he learns the importance of friendship. This is an excellent test of his character.

What bothered me most was Dick’s determination to help every single person that he met. I thought he would give his fortune away by the end of the novel. I was impressed by his generosity, but it soon became suffocating.

There were some specific lines that I quite enjoyed, such as; “Dick had gained something more valuable that money” (86), showing his growth as a person, and “the bitterness of a reverse of circumstances” (92), which was beautifully stated. Overall, how realistic was this Cinderella “rags-to-riches” talk? Is it a lesson to young boys of the time, or just a fantasy?

Ragged Dick Chapter 1-11

Horatio Alger’s novel Ragged Dick tells the story of the life of a young man named “Ragged” Dick growing up in New York in the 1860s. The adjective “ragged” in front of his name refers to the appearance of his clothing. He makes his living as a bootblack. However, I was surprised and pleased to hear that his character was worthy of greater things.

Alger begins his book by letting the reader know of Dick’s flaws. “He swore sometimes, and now and then he played tricks upon unsophisticated boys from the country or gave a wrong direction to honest old gentlemen unused to the city” (5). Dick was also extravagant with his money, and often went to the theatre, and took pleasure in smoking. I appreciated the fact that Alger made a point of Dick not being perfect – a great lesson for his intended audience of young men.

The reader soon learns that Dick is trustworthy, honest, caring, and dependable. Although luck brought him upon the wealthy and higher class Frank and Mr. Whitney, Dick’s ambition gained him his new appearance and respect from the world around him. Will his store follow the pattern of a tragedy? Will Dick’s ambition and newfound pride lead him to downfall? How will Dick and Frank’s new friendship affect them both?

One thing I cannot get out of my mind is what the introduction to the novel said about Alger’s life. His career as a priest was ended as he showed too much affection towards young boys. Is he an author to be trusted? Is he biased in writing a novel about a young boy? How realistic is his story going to be?