... After reading the novel, though, the reader is left to wonder whether or not Trachtenberg's assertion is correct or not. While it is certainly true that Ragged Dick is a story of a young man who overcomes incredible odds to make something of himself, it is not necessarily evident that money is solely responsible for his unlikely ... did not believe that he had it in him to be in any better a situation than the one that he found himself in. It was not until Dick met up with Mr. Whitney and his nephew, Frank, that he realized that he wanted to have a more respectable life than the one he w...

• Word Count: 1585
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... moral standard to be different from the rest of the boys. He says, "No, and I Wouldn't. Lots of boys does it, but I wouldn't." "(pg.1)Dick understands that honesty, integrity and perseverance are the keys to success in life. He wanted to better himself in his community. Also, people such as Mr. Whitney understood ... what a honest working hard individual looked like. He says this to Dick, "All labor is respectable, my lad, and you have no cause to be ashamed of any honest business; yet when you can get something to ... to improve. He knew that, in order to grow up respectable, he must b...

• Word Count: 1930
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... and freedom has evolved into a continuing struggle to achieve a big house, a nice car, and a life of ease. Horatio Alger's book Ragged Dick is a very suitable portrait. Alger tells the reader that anyone and everyone could improve themselves with hard work, a positive attitude, and an education, and ... completed, culminating in a respectable and elegant final product. The fact that Alger utilizes the word "undoubtedly" informs the reader that for both Dick and Central Park, self-improvement will assuredly be achieved through demanding effort, and this is designed to provide incentives a...

• Word Count: 1288
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... save his money for some useful purpose, -- to aid his advancement in the world. So he could not afford the theatre" (Alger 131). Ragged Dick is so determined to become rich that he saves money that he would normally have spent on the theater (or other forms of entertainment) and better meals ... . He works hard and trustfully as a shoe shiner. Dick ultimately succeeds in becoming a successful and admired young boy and he does so because of his determination. Eric Liu is not as determined to maintain his ... English language and had adapted to the culture so much that he was unable to ab...

• Word Count: 1276
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... best detective in town and wins the girl - but only in his dream. In three of the readings from class, Franklin's Autobiography, Alger's Ragged Dick and the Autobiography of Malcolm X are all tales of self-improvement. Malcolm X develops his own terminology to make himself feel good. Benjamin Franklin embodies ideas ... positive image for society. We have to keep in mind that this was written in the 18th century, so by the time Alger wrote Ragged Dick in the mid-19th century the U.S. had already become a different society. During the mid-19th century society was dealing with poverty. Al...

• Word Count: 1730
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School