Ragged Dick By Horatio Alger: Analysis

Din Kale
DISC 1313
Ms. Lange
27 February 2015
The Expression of The American Dream
Benjamin Franklin was one of the most important and skillful men in American history. He was a man of care, pluck, and integrity. Franklin was a printer, though his business experiences were very varied. Benjamin Franklin wrote The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin over a period of eighteen years, making three separate attempts to complete it. Unhappily, Franklin died before the completion of the autobiography. Ragged Dick, by Horatio Alger, is a book projected for young boys. The author, a late nineteenth century writer, is worried with social values and directing boys into a nourishing and good life. His book tells the classic rags to riches story of the
poor boy who studies and works hard, lives a clean life and becomes very successful. The message to boys is not to drink or smoke or waste their time and money on entertainment but apply themselves to their studies and work, and they will be able to improve their life and have a great job. Those two books are perfect books to have a great understanding of what the American Dream is. There are lots of elements describing the American Dream in these two books, but friendship, virtue and hard work are the ones focused on.
One of the strongest messages presented by Benjamin Franklin in his autobiography is the importance of friendship or more for him social networking. It begins in his youth with young Ben 's desire to read and learn a lot so he already has a variety of topics to discuss with other people. His first influence of social networking begins with his own childhood friends, especially Collins. The two were devoted readers and practiced their public and debating skills, working their way into a class of intellectuals. Collins and Franklin developed a club of readers to join them in intelligent social conversation frequently. As Ben matured, he made friendly acquaintances with everyone near him, and getting contacts that may be really beneficial for a later purpose. He had lots of friends like governors, businessmen, preachers, apprentices, politicians, and a whole variety of influential personalities. We can see how all these contacts contributed toward Benjamin Franklin 's innumerable achievements and he already knew that they could be really useful "He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself have obliged" (Franklin). He rarely cut contact with then, except when his friends fell into a bad social light, such as his friend Collins, who became a stubborn, unemployed alcoholic, or his friend, Ralph, who plagiarized Ben 's name and dishonored his girlfriend, Ben did not like that "He that would thrive must ask his wife” (Franklin). Without Benjamin Franklin 's relentless attempts to become acquainted with all persons of influence and all persons of potential, he would not have been so easily successful in all things. Friendship is a major theme of Ragged Dick as well. Most of the characters, no matter how poor they are, are all concerned for others and willing to share and help, "I wish I knowed as much as Frank. He 's a tip-top feller. Nobody ever cared enough for me before to give me good advice." (Alger 119). Whenever Dick has money, he buys meals for other boys who can 't afford to pay for a meal. This is how he becomes roommates with Henry Fosdick who really likes Dick " 'I couldn 't room with a better friend, Dick, ' said Fosdick, affectionately, throwing his arm round our hero. 'When we part, it 'll be because you wish it. '" (Alger 163). They all know what it means to be hungry and not having enough money to eat. Dick never hesitates to help a bootblack in need. When Tom Wilkins ' mother breaks her arm and can 't pay the rent, Dick gives Tom the money and tells him to come to him if he needs more help. This makes Dick feel better than anything else he has ever done. When Dick and Henry have good jobs, they don 't forget what it was like when they lived on the streets. All of them look out for one another and are always willing to help each other.
Franklin dedicates large portions of his memoir to the practice of virtue. He does not mix virtue with religion, however. Early in his adult life, Ben decides that organized religions are more self-serving than helpful so he abandons specific religions and holds himself to his own beliefs but he still believes in God, as he says “And now I speak of thanking God, I desire with all Humility to acknowledge, that I owe the mention 'd Happiness of my past Life to his kind Providence, which led me to the Means I us 'd and gave them Success” (Franklin). He believes that all men should be honest, hard working, self-reliant, and good to each other and is always happy to help: "As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by an invention of ours, and this we should do freely and generously" (Franklin). He writes a number of papers and pamphlets, encouraging people to do all in their power to become good human beings. Ben 's beliefs do pay off in the long run. He is a positive influence on his community, and he earns their trust in a variety of important matters. He is known to be a hard, responsible worker, which awards him with respectable employment and political positions. When Benjamin Franklin talks, people listen. He has not given them any reason to doubt or suspect him or his motives. This kind of rock-solid integrity is a very admirable characteristic and really difficult to fulfill.
Another major theme of the book is the expression of virtue promoted by the author, Horatio Alger.
Alger had been well known for his promotion of social values during the era in which he wrote. His books had promoted the rags to riches story by showing young boys how to lead the correct life. Ethics, honesty and clean living are central to Alger and his theme of social values. Boys should not drink, smoke or steal. They shouldn 't waste their time and money on these and other forms of entertainment like the theater and clubs. This isn 't the way to get ahead in life, the way to get ahead in life is to study, work hard and think big, Dick is aware of that and even declares “I’d like to be an office boy and learn business, and grow up ‘spectable,” (Alger 40). Both Dick and Henry spend their evenings studying, reading and engaging in activities that result in self-improvement because “If you ever expect to do something in the world, you must know something of books” (Alger 77). Henry teaches Dick to read and write in exchange for lodging. They are both willing to help others. Dick obtains more satisfaction from helping Tom Wilkins and his mother pay their rent than he has from anything else he does. Making the changes that they make in their lives gets them out of the rags they had been wearing and into respectable clothing and job positions. They live according to the author 's proscribed set of social values and go from rags to
riches.
Hard work was Benjamin Franklin 's greatest strength, the characteristic that helped him change the world. Franklin persevered in everything he set out to do, never relenting until he reached his goals. He did not limit himself to trade or finance. When Franklin had an idea, he pursued it, and finished it: “I endeavor 'd to make [Poor Richard 's Almanac] both entertaining and useful, and it accordingly came to be in such Demand that I reap 'd considerable Profit from it, vending annually near ten Thousand” (Franklin). In fact, Franklin makes it look very simple for any average human being to get whatever it is he or she desires. Franklin 's perseverance began at a very young age, when he first learned to read. His goal then became, not only to read every book he laid his hands on, but to learn from every book as well. He set out to teach himself a wealth of skills and academic knowledge and did not stop until he was proficient. When Benjamin Franklin wanted a public library, he lobbied for one and received the needed prescriptions. When Ben wanted a police department, and later a defense force, he accomplished those as well. The lessons he has taught through perseverance are great. He shows the reader (and the world) that when people want things, they should go after them. Benjamin Franklin never sat back and waited for someone else to invent something or someone else to improve what needed improvement. He took it upon himself to change those things he wanted changed. All it required was will, action, and the ability to learn and now he is able to retire “When I disengag 'd myself as above-mentioned from private Business, I flatter 'd myself that, by the sufficient tho ' moderate Fortune I had acquir 'd, I had secur 'd Leisure during the rest of my Life, for Philosophical Studies and Amusements” (Franklin).
Hard work is another really important theme of Ragged Dick.
Dick and Henry are successful because they want to be successful: “There were two reasons why Dick would like to have seen Frank. One was, the natural pleasure he would have in meeting a friend; but he felt also that he would like to have Frank witness the improvement he had made in his studies and mode of life." (Alger 199). They are willing to make the necessary sacrifices and spend their time working on self-improvement because this is what their goal is. Because they have the same goals, they are able to work with each other and help one another. Instead of spending their evenings at the theater or club, they spend their evenings studying. This is a big change for Dick who used to spend everything he earned, even if it meant sleeping outside. He has a goal of wanting to be respectable just as Henry does. They know that they have to be better educated and better dressed in order to get out of the bootblack business and secure the kinds of jobs that they want. Dick follows the advice he is given by the Whitneys and Henry follows the advice he is given by Dick. Their determination to succeed means helping each other even if it means a sacrifice on one of their parts and it was not an easy task: "It was indeed a bright prospect for a boy who, only a year before, could neither read nor write, and depended for a night 's lodging upon the chance hospitality of an alley-way or old wagon. Dick 's great ambition to 'grow
up 'spectable ' seemed likely to be accomplished after all" (Alger 215).
Horatio Alger’s Ragged Dick is a classic rags-to-riches but with a slight twist. Alger’s characters do not actually gain riches, but rather they gain respect from their peers. Ragged Dick is a really good book helping to improve yourself. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is believed by many to be the first literary rendering of the American Dream. Franklin 's life is a rags-to-riches story just as Ragged Dick, a chronicle of one man 's rise from pennilessness to power. Many readers saw his autobiography as a testament to the success that can come from hard work and high hopes. The Autobiography emphasizes Franklin 's younger years and the early shaping of his character, which is a really important process as in Ragged Dick. Even in the second half of the memoirs, Franklin continues to convey a feeling of progress when he describes his activities. Moving from one area to another with ease-from Philadelphia politics to the postal service to war on the frontier to diplomacy in England-Franklin is constantly challenging himself and continually learning.

Works Cited
Alger, Horatio. Ragged Dick, or, Street life in New York with the bootblacks. New York: Signet Classics, 2005. Print.
Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New Haven: Yale UP, 1964. Print.