(M.H. Abrams)

This definition is basically indicating that all myths have origins based on what someone once believed to be the reality of their cultural and social surrounding. Although, Myths tend to revolutionize after many years of either cultural change or intellectual change I find the stories of Horatio Alger's tale of Ragged Dick, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, and Harriet Jacob’s self narrative Incidents In The Life of Slave Girl to be very popular stories that have helped to establish what the American culture deems to be the rationale for how we function in today’s society. For this reason I see how these stories could be considered “myths” of how to achieve the American Dream. Through the writer’s didactic goals these “myths” have allowed readers to take into consideration the social and cultural messages that a

Many of the socially valued characteristics that Dick possesses can also be found in the memoirs of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Franklin who was a “self-made” man and highly educated he began writing his autobiography during the mid 1700’s with many worthy principles in mind to pass onto to his reader. In fact, in more recent years many people have viewed his autobiography as a “self-help” or “how-to book”. Like Alger’s Ragged Dick, Franklin’s story is also a ‘rags to riches’ tale of a man determine to succeed. Though this book is an autobiography there are visible signs of how he might have exaggerated the truth in order to make it more symbolic in a sense creating a “myth” of how he became Benjamin Franklin.

In looking over Franklin’s description of his first arrival into Philadelphia in search for a new beginning it is seen that he values principals similar to our hero Ragged Dick. Franklin overstate that he makes his entry into that City unlike the man who he is often thought of, he is dirty, very hungry, and knowing not a soul. Although he is in a sense alone and his appearance a bit shabby from a long journey he does not let this affect his goal to better his position in life. He maintains his self-dignity and self-integrity as much as he can. He does not forget to let his audience know that his “best clothes will be coming round by sea” (45 Franklin) and this is only a temporary situation. In a way I feel that he is saying that no matter how dirty and ridiculous a persons appearance may be there is no reason why they cannot clean up enough to stand tall, walk with the rest and not give in to the social pressures of class suppression that is sometimes burdened on to those who are less fortunate. It is also evident in his journey to Philadelphia that he sees the chance to set an example of selflessness to others. He arrives with only one Dutch dollar and about a shilling in copper however, this does not stop him from paying his own transporting expense although he has worked hard at rowing to get himself there. He also makes it clear to his reader that after filling his self with enough to eat he sees no reason not to give what he does not desperately need to others. He could of got out of paying his fair for his hard work and could of saved his bread for another day however, he insists that he should be generous with what he has or he will be thought to have but little which, is often times looked at negatively in our society.

Alger’s tale Ragged Dick is the story of a young boy growing up in the late 1800’s struggling to reach the top, acquiring riches through values such as hard work, determination, and his selflessness to other. It is seen in this novel that Ragged Dick is indeed a myth for a few reasons one being Dick would need a lot of luck in reality to go from ‘rags to riches’ as he does in this story and secondly because during this era it is not likely that a boy

Some topics in this essay:
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