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Ragged Dick: A Self-Made Man?

When the thought of America came to mind during the late 1800’s, it was understood to be a land of opportunity. The idea of the “self-made man,” motivated many immigrants and poor citizens to strive for success. The novel of Ragged Dick by Horatio Alger illustrates the life of a poor boy, Dick Hunter, who worked his way from being a bootblack to clerk of a counting room. His demonstration of the Protestant work ethic, a view of life that promotes hard work and self-discipline as a means to material prosperity or a sign of God’s grace, was not Dick’s only contribution towards success. Pure luck was vital in making him the man that he became. In many ways, Dick illustrated the criteria of a self-made man, even though his case was not typical. The merit of a successful man with difficulties and disadvantages, similar to Dick, must be judged by the success that he has achieved, by the use that he makes of it, and by his character in life. His success must also be clean and wholesome, he must use it to make his acquaintances better and happier, and he must faithfully respond to all the obligations of a liberal, public spirited, and useful citizen. Although the reality of the “self-made man” is uncommon, it is not

a myth; yet, a lucky fortune enhanced by hard work and chance.

Through all of these events, Dick had the opportunity to become a successful person. What is important, is not that he succeeded through the help of others, but in the way that he used others to become the successful boy that he became. Without his hard work and luck, Dick would still be on the streets dedicating his time to being a bootblack; which is why Dick is a great example of a “self-made man.”

Manifestly, among the tools to be used in the construction of a self made man, education is vitally important. The intelligence of Dick was very minute, but he was still an ambitious character. “He had perseverance and was not easily discouraged. He had made up his mind he must know more, and was not disposed to complain of the difficulty of the task.” (RD, 139) Dick was once again lucky to run into Fosdick, another one of his street boy acquaintances, who had the ability to read and write. He offered Fosdick a place to live, as long as he would tutor him. Dick realized that this was going to be a difficult obstacle to overcome, but he knew having an education would increase his chances of being a successful boy. After many nights of teaching, Fosdick was pleased to say that Dick had come along nicely. Having these abilities helped Dick do things that he thought he could never do, and utterly led to his success. He was able to return a letter to Frank, write money orders for his checking account, and most importantly, write his full name, Richard Hunter, when he was offered his counting room job.

Some topics in this essay:
Dick Hunter, Uncle Whitney, York Uncle, James Rockwell, Johnny Nolan, , Charity Kindness, South Ferry, Horatio Alger, Richard Hunter, “self-made man”, poor bootblack, five dollars, successful boy,