Download Description
The hero of 'Ragged Dick' is a veritable 'diamond in the rough'-as innately virtuous as he is streetwise and cocky. Immediately popular with young readers, the novel also appealed to parents, who responded to its colorful espousal of the Protestant ethic. 'Struggling Upward' published nearly thirty years later, followed the same time-tested formulas, and despite critical indifference it, too, had mass appeal.
Customer Reviews:
Ragged Dick - "rags to riches".......2005-12-15
During 1850s, common stories about "poor city youths, newsboys and bootblacks" who became rich and famous which were popular. (Introduction, p. X) In "Ragged Dick" we have a young boy who is our "hero" or a main character which book concentrates upon. Alger opened up Dick's identity, inspirations, dreams, plans and hopes. Dick was a sarcastic youngster, generous towards friends, gambler and smoker. At the same time, he never steals, neither cheats nor hurt younger boys and this makes him a "noble" young gentleman. "[Dick's] pants were torn in several places, and had apparently belonged in the first instance to a boy two sizes larger than himself. He wore a vest, all the buttons of which were gone except two, out of which peeped a shirt which looked as if it had been worn a month. To complete his costume he wore a coat too long for him, dating back, if one might judge from its general appearance, to a remote tranquility." (p. 4) Throughout the book Alger draws us to see the transfer of a boy who once was Ragged Dick into a respectable young gentleman Richard Hunter. "When Dick was dressed in his new attire, with his face and hands clean, and his hair brushed, it was difficult to image that he was the same boy" Dick changes from being uneducated, dirty and wearing ragged clothes that are too big for him into a "quite handsome...young gentleman, except that his hands were red and grimy". (p. 24) Alger could have made Dick a good looking, rich and educated young gentleman but he chose completely the opposite. This way of writing only made it more realistic since not everyone becomes rich; we work hard to get there.
Throughout the book, Alger opens the identities of all the characters, draws images of the New York City streets, transportation and structures. We learn about the games, cheats, crooks and tricks happening on the streets. (Introduction, p. xi) Alger draws our attention to the juvenile boys' desires for simple things such as: "a steady job, a decent place to sleep, a suit of clothing, respect from others" as well as planning for future. (Introduction, p. xii) There are a lot of details used to make our minds actually see the real pictures of the situations. Some of the details include about the greatest pleasure that Dick is experiencing with his saving's account that keeps on growing very slowly with every week and the first experience of washing his face because "[washing] the face and hands is usually considered proper in commencing the day, but Dick was above such refinement" (p. 4) Dick was unable to wash his hands and face since he was living on the street.
The reason why I think Ragged Dick was a success is because this story was easy to read as well as inspiring. I had been left with a feeling that just as Dick kept telling his friends they can become smart and rich, I could too. I also find it interesting how this uneducated, dirty, sarcastic, young boy over the period of approximately one year turn into this young noble gentleman. Just as Dick wasn't successful in everything he did, we tend to somehow compare ourselves to him. His life is quiet realistic and can be compared to some of our own lives. Although I do believe that Dick was a bit too optimistic then some of us, which is why not all of us will have the same ending.
Two Great Stories, One Little Book.......2005-10-10
I read this book for my U.S History II class and enjoyed it thoroughly. Although the characters "struggle", both stories were very entertaining and humorous. The story is very sincere and leaves the reader feeling inspired.
Banana's in Pajamas.......2004-02-27
Ragged Dick I feel is a good book because it talks about life without money, and just the hardships that Dick faced everyday. Like how he was going to earn his money to pay for his meals. If he was lucky maybe a place to sleep. He had a friend Johnny Nolan who was in the same situation as Dick but he would not work as hard or did not have the drive to work to make the money he needed to, to survive. Dick would shine every business mans shoes as much as they wanted him to and run and change bills for them. This all gains trust with Dick and his clients. That he would have trusting customers that would now look for him and not someone that they do not. He would slowly start to have a somewhat stable business.
Dick and his friend Johnny did many things together which made them close friends. But when Dick was going to go make a buck or what ever he could do to make his customers happy with his work, Johnny would go and mess around instead of worrying about his next step in life. He was just floating along doing the least amount of work possible to survive. When mealtime came around Dick being the nice and sharing boy, he would pay for him as well. Not even expecting Johnny to ever pay him back, knowing that Johnny wasn't good for it.
This story grabbed a hold of me from the start and didn't let go of me until the end which was great to have a book that I could read and not worry about falling asleep while reading, an old book.
An entertaining read promoting self-reliance and hard work.......2003-07-18
If you like underdog rags-to-riches stories and want to believe in an America where hard work and integrity still hold the key to success, then this book is for you. This is a fun book and Alger is a gifted writer. His Ragged Dick character is witty and charismatic, rising up from homeless street urchin to respected bookkeeper by dint of hard work, frugality and focused study. In an age of corporate greed and scandals (this year: Enron, Martha Stuart insider trading, etc.) it is refreshing to read stories where ordinary people transcend their circumstances with honesty, hard work, integrity, and compassion.
Horatio Algier Jr. - Honesty and Hard Work Will Always Pay.......2003-07-17
I had heard so much about Horatio Algier Jr., but never took to the time to read any of his stories. Ragged Dick and Struggling Upward are two novelettes that teach Algier's recurring theme that honesty and hard work will always pay. Yes, the stories are overly simplistic, but they are refreshing and make for a good wholesome read. It was fascinating to read these stories that were written in the mid 19th century. When Algier writes about a stagecoach ride in Struggling Updward, he is not doing so from an historical perspective, but likely from personal experience. Don't miss the introduction by Carl Bode. There are some interesting facets of Algier's life that hardly live up to the standards that he set for his heroes. Nonetheless, the author offers light reading with very positive and hopeful messages that are still relevant today.
Customer Reviews:
Mark the Match Boy.......2004-02-26
Mark the Match Boy is the tale of a young, poverty stricken boy who makes it through life with his good morals and honesty. Mark, the main character, lives with a gaurdian who puts him on the streets to sell matches and make profit for the both of them. When Mark finally works up the courage to run away from his temporary home, a string of good fortune suddenly comes upon him. Mark is taken in by a very nice young man by the name of Richard Hunter, the main character from author Horatio Algers previous novel. The two characters seem to go hand in hand with eachother, and are very easy to relate to. Everything seems to go Mark's way, especially the surprise ending which contains a very good twist.
I would, without hesitation, reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys to read. I would also reccomend this book to anyone who has had some bad luck recently. Mark the Match Boy comes with the life lesson, work hard, mind your business, and treat people with respect, and you shall recieve the same. Possibly a little good fortune to go with it.
Mark the match boy.......2004-02-23
Elizabeth Anastasi
Mark The Match Boy by Horatio Alger is about a young, poor, orphaned boy forced to make it on his own on the streets. He gets through many obstacles and troubles that come his way with integrity and honesty. Mark shows honesty and integrity throughout the novel. When his friend Ben, who he met on the streets, told him to lie to his customers about the price of his matches to make more money, Mark wouldn't do it. Even if it meant he would go hungry that night,he said he would never accept money if he didn't earn it; that is why he doesn't like begging. Maybe it was fate or pure luck, but Mark catches a break when he learns he has very wealthy extended relatives searching for him. This story will broaden your idea of what is important in life. At the end of the book, you are left with the question; is he just lucky, or is there such thing as fate?
A reason why I liked this book so much was because it was very easy to understand. No matter if you are rich or poor you can appreciate the struggles of being less fortunate or the desire to be wealthy. The characters are realistic and the actions they do are as well. Everything that happens in the book is something that could happen in real life.
Another reason why I liked Mark the Match Boy so much was because it was an easy read. There was no embellishment added to the reading. Because of this, it seemed as though each chapter was its own story. The author speaks to the reader to help them understand and follow the story. Even if you haven't read Ragged Dick, the story that preceded Mark the Match Boy, like I didn't, the author relates back to it so you can understand the entire story better.
I recommend Mark the Match Boy because, Young or old people can be thankful for what they have. This book will open your eyes to what you really need in life and what is really important. After reading this book you will value morality, integrity, and honesty.
Review on Ragged Dick and Mark The Match Boy.......2001-12-15
Reviewer: Dan Gross from New Jersey
Reviews on: Ragged Dick and Mark The Match Boy
Ragged Dick is a story about a boy going from "rags to riches". This story focuses on the life of Richard Hunter, a poor bootblack from New York City. It is a classic story about a young boy without parents who works hard and is honest. The honesty and hard work pays off for him when he does deeds for people in high places.
In Ragged Dick Richard Hunter's honesty brings out the best of people. The wealthy people give him extra attention for his deeds and notice his honesty. For example, he receives money for a shoe and cannot get change so within a few days of the business interaction, he goes to the work place of the man and gives him the change. It also represents respect for his elders.
Story number two of the series is Mark The Match Boy. This too has good morals starting from the youth. This story displays the innocence of a boy coming into the real world. Mark is a boy who is deprived of love. He has no living mother and no family. The purity, which he displays to Richard Hunter, is charming. In this story thievery motivates the conflict. The story display Mark as a by who is similar to The Catcher in The Rye as where Holden Caulfield does not let his sister be corrupted by the real world, Richard is doing this to Mark.
These two stories should be read by not only the youth, but by everyone. They focus on universal morals such as honesty and trust. I can say nothing negative about this book because it is well written, to the point, and very appealing. Not only is it motivating, but also it brings out the best in people and it could change your view on the less fortunate population.
Unlike any history novel.......2001-06-28
I enjoyed reading this book for several reasons, the first being that it was easy reading. I was a junior in college and all the books that I was used to reading were in some sort of foreign language that I could not understand. Ragged Dick was a very simplistic, yet interesting book that I could not put down. The second reason that I enjoyed it was because it talked about real issues during that point in history. Ragged Dick had to struggle in order to get the things that he needed to survive, but in the end it was his manners and his personality that enabled him to prosper as much as he did. I read the book twice and it was still good to me. There are some people that believe that Alger writes about the same things over and over again (depression, poverty) but there are so many other authors that do and still get rave reviews.
ragged dick.......2001-02-02
i think everyone should read at least one horatio alger book, since he so helped shape american morals at the turn of the last century. his very name is a constant catch-all for the american rags-to-riches machine. i inherited my grandfather's set, and, even though one can call these books formulaic, moralistic rot, they capture a spirit and a time in simplistic, bold language that is readable, entertaining, and a fresh peek at cultural history through a primary source. Add to this that i am a teacher who is having my 8th grade boys read it (yes, in part for a laugh), but they are digging it. More than i could have anticipated. Read one paired with Nathaneal West's "A Cool Million," which parodies alger, for a real bully debate about americanism.
Book Description
A novel, subtitled 'street life in New York with the boot-blacks' from a popular figure in the history of American social ideals
Download Description
"Ragged Dick" was contributed as a serial story to the pages of the Schoolmate, a well-known juvenile magazine, during the year 1867. While in course of publication, it was received with so many evidences of favor that it has been rewritten and considerably enlarged, and is now presented to the public as the first volume of a series intended to illustrate the life and experiences of the friendless and vagrant children who are now numbered by thousands in New York and other cities. Several characters in the story are sketched from life. The necessary information has been gathered mainly from personal observation and conversations with the boys themselves. The author is indebted also to the excellent Superintendent of the Newsboys' Lodging House, in Fulton Street, for some facts of which he has been able to make use. Some anachronisms may be noted. Wherever they occur, they have been admitted, as aiding in the development of the story, and will probably be considered as of little importance in an unpretending volume, which does not aspire to strict historical accuracy.
Customer Reviews:
Child's Book?.......2007-03-09
This is a realistic book about a young boy doing "good" and in turn he has many lucky breaks. It is supposed to be a child's book, but I don't know how many children would voluntarily read this. I read it for my Children's Literature class and I loved it! It deals with a less severe form of didactism, which is a nice change. It is a fast read also.
Timeless lessons.......2007-01-12
This book is a book about timeless virtues and friendship. It is book about rising to find one's place in society. With newer books today attempting to push political special interests, this is a personal message. The story shows how one can rise with a simple positive character and persistence. These stories should be brought to the forefront in today's education. A simple warm and inspirational story for young and old alike. I wish I had the power and will to bring these to all middle schools and other young people.
Rags To Riches: The Classic Horatio Alger Myth.......2006-04-01
Published in 1867, RAGGED DICK was both Horatio Alger Jr.'s first and most popular work. Like all Alger's novels, it is extremely diadactic and exists to promote specific values: hard work, thrift, honesty, integrity, and bravery. Given this, one would expect it to be a dry read, but Alger takes pains to paint his story in bright colors: the novel swirls with shops, crowds, and a range of characters, and while it could not be called exciting in any modern sense it nonetheless remains unexpectedly readable to this day.
The title character is Richard Hunter, better known as Ragged Dick, an orphan living on the streets of New York and scraping a living as a shoe shine boy. Although he is quick witted and has a basic morality, he lacks direction--but when he is employed to act as a guide to the city to Frank Whitney, a boy of his own age, he is impressed with Frank's manners and education and determines to better himself. Dick later meets Henry Fosdick, an educated youth who has fallen on hard times through no fault of his own, and Fosdick agrees to tutor Dick. They take a room together and, with the aid of kindly Mr. Greyson and a sudden twist of fate, are soon on the road to financial security and social respectability.
Throughout Alger's career critics frequently complained that the ultimate success of his heroes actually depended more on pure luck than upon any of the values Alger so carefully preached. This is certainly true of RAGGED DICK; although he faces considerable adversity, at his worst moments he is always fortunate enough to find a sympathetic older man who is willing to reward him--and some times spectacularly so. This may arise from the fact that Alger himself tended to be fortunate in precisely this way throughout his life, and when success came to him, he made an effort to help boys in exactly the way that his many novels describe.
This may not have been entirely altruistic. While his defenders dismiss it as so much gossip, various records pertaining to Alger's brief work as a Unitarian minister indicate that he was removed from the ministry due to questionable relationships with teenage boys, and other documents include comments by Alger which seem to support this. Interestingly, however, once fame placed him in the public eye no further scandal arose, and it may be that he was able to subliminate his sexual interests into artistic ones. Still, it would be very easy to turn a Freudian eye upon his novels, which inevitably involve a young boy being rewarded in some form or fashion by an older man.
Whatever the case, RAGGED DICK--and indeed all the Alger novels--are perfectly harmless so far as young readers are concerned, and the quality of writing is very good indeed. Teenagers brought up on what passes for youth-fiction these days will likely to find it tough going, but most adult readers will find it a mildly amusing return to innocence.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Appealing!.......2005-12-19
Great writing and an excellent read. Truly a delight. I highly recommend it.
Ragged Dick.......2005-03-17
i have read Ragged Dick in paperback recently and found it to be a very well written book that is fast paced and easy to relate to as wellas understand.i highly recommend Ragged Dick;to all school children,as well as adults.
Book Description
A plucky street boy who smokes, gambles, and speaks ungrammatically, Dick is also honest and hardworking. A quintessential novel of adventure, romance, and coming-of-age, it is also an exhilarating tale of one boy's metamorphosis from dirty street urchin to gentleman.
Customer Reviews:
Ragged Dick .......2006-01-09
Ragged Dick, by Horatio Alger is a book telling about the story of a young man who ultimately reaches the American Dream of living a respectable . Alger's main purpose in the text was to illustrate that a person of little class can make achieve a life of happiness with honesty. The text was very appealing because it seemed that Alger was very passionate about helping orphans , he story was so realistic that it made you think he went through all of Dick`s experiences. Alger`s character`s were very realistic, which makes a almost fairy tale like book better. Alger's words although simple were full of emotion.
Alger effectively demonstrated through the actions of the characters that it is possible to climb the social ladder and end up with a wonderful life. This was done by showing the steps the main character Dick took to reach greatness. It is apparent that Alger wants you to feel what Dick is feeling. Alger using a lot of foreshadowing and symbolizes which makes the book much more thought provoking.
I found the book to be a valuable tool in helping me see things through the eyes of someone who has to work for what he wants. It gave me insight into the obstacles of life in the 1800`s. The book aided in my preparation for learning about the all history , not just a specific time period; the story is timeless . It gave me a reference to think about when I am presented with a story of a politician or other person who rose in position.
The text was very simple , almost too simple at places. It was a short read that went extremely quickly. Alger accomplished hid purpose. After reading one has to see how someone can rise up in society.
INTERESTING READING.......2005-09-16
I can honestly say that at first I thought this book would be boring and I would have to force myself to read it. I was wrong!! This book was so interesting, funny and heart felt, it made me laugh and teary-eyed all at the same time. I have recommended this book to people that don't even have to read it as a class assignment. At night before I went to bed I would read it and on my lunch break I would go into my car and read it, I couldn't put it down until I read the whole story. If I had to sum it up in one word it would be EXCELLENT!!!!
Ragged Dick a timeless piece.......2004-02-26
"I aint been knookin around these city streets for all my life for nothin," exclaims Ragged Dick, the hero of the novel Ragged Dick, by Horatio Alger Jr. This timeless classic brings the reader into the life of a young boy growing up on the harsh city streets of New York City in the late 1800's. Ragged Dick became an orphan at the age of four and was forced to take care of himself soon after at the age of seven. Dick becomes a boot black so he can earn enough money to take care of himself and this is where the reader begins the story. Ragged Dick turns into a fast paced adventurous novel which will constantly leave the reader asking "what next?" Join the many who have become enthralled by this book and follow the adventures of Ragged Dick and his friends you meet along the way. Learn how Dick, the lovable boot black, turns out. Does he live up to his goal of "livin a s'pectable life" like he always hoped to? Find out, by reading this timeless classic.
Ragged Dick... (Our Hero).......2004-02-26
"Ragged Dick," a story about a young, poor, boot-black boy from New York City, is a Classic American novel. Written by Horatio Alger, in the late 1800's, hit upon the most important topic in America at the time; the "American Dream." The "American Dream," being the idea that everyone, from all walks of life, can come to America and be successful, in any way in which they want to, so long as they have hard work and determination to do so. Ragged Dick for filled this "Dream" by making his way up in society, and eventually making a wealthy man of himself.
I enjoyed reading "Ragged Dick." The story, though it was short, covered some very important topics of life back in the 1800's. The first was that fact that noone should give up. Through all of the hardships Dick was put through, including the loss of his parents, the mis-fortune of receiving no education, and the fact that he lived on his own for most of his life. Another important topic that was covered, was that hard work pays off. In Dick's case, he worked hard at a boot-black, treated people with respect, and finally caught a break for his hard work, by receiving a high paying job.
The kind of people that would enjoy this story would be people of all ages. No matter what age, or what level of education one may be, this story teaches lessons that anyone can benefit from. It doesn't matter if a twelve year old boy, or a fifty year old woman picked up "Ragged Dick," because they will both benefit from what the story speaks about.
Good values and good history.......2003-10-28
RAGGED DICK is a wonderful example of the late 19th century optimism in between the major depressions that plagued America during those years. I agree that this is an inspirational story for children and early adolescents. The values it imparts--loyalty, work, cooperation, persistence--are certainly ones that we would want our youth exposed to. But it holds something for adults too: and that is a first-hand glimpse of post-Civil War New York City. The struggle of the orphans, the advantages of the privileged class, the thieves, the confidence men, the unforgiving hardness of poverty in the pre-Jacob Riis days are all there. And that's what makes this book a double winner: it has something for the young and something for the older.
Average customer rating:
|
Ragged Dicks: Masculinity, Steel, and the Rhetoric of the Self-Made Man
James V Catano
Manufacturer: Southern Illinois University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| History & Criticism
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
General
| Gender Studies
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Men
| Gender Studies
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Rhetoric
| Words & Language
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0809323958 |
Book Description
Portraits of self-made men are rife in Western culture, as James V. Catano observes. Positive and negative, admittedly fictional and ostensibly factual, these portraits endure because the general rhetorical practice embodied in the myth of the self-made man enacts both the need and the very means for making oneself masculine: verbal power and prowess. The myth of the self-made man, in short, is part of ongoing rhetorical practices that constitute society, culture, and subjects.
To explain those practices and their effectiveness, Catano argues that the basic narrative achieves much of its effectiveness by engaging and enacting the traditional psychological dynamics of the family romance: preoedipal separation, oedipal conflict, and “proper” postoedipal self-definition and socialization.
To focus on the combined social, psychological, and rhetorical dynamics that constitute the ongoing activity he calls masculine self-making, Catano emphasizes a particular strand: masculinity and steelmaking. Pursuing that strand, he argues that these representations of masculine self-making are rhetorical enactments of cultural needs and desires, and that they are ongoing and formative arguments about what society and its individuals either are or should be.
Product Description
This is one of the most loved Alger stories and one that brought him initial fame. The street urchin Richard Hunter, known as Ragged Dick, lives and sleeps in the streets of New York City. He meets all kinds of people, from kind and helpful to swindlers and thieves. The nineteenth century descriptions of the city are great.
![Mark, the match boy; or, Richard Hunter's ward: By Horatio Alger, Jr (Added t.-p.: Ragged Dick series. [v. 3])](http://www.germanelectronics88.com/noimage.gif)
Average customer rating:
|
Mark, the match boy; or, Richard Hunter's ward: By Horatio Alger, Jr (Added t.-p.: Ragged Dick series. [v. 3])
Horatio Alger
Manufacturer: Loring
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
| Baby-3
| Ages 4-8
| Ages 9-12
| Animals
| Arts & Music
| Books on Cassette
| Books on CD
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Computers
| Educational
| History & Historical Fiction
| Issues
| Literature
| Obsessions
| People & Places
| Popular Characters
| Reference & Nonfiction
| Religions
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Series
| Sports & Activities
ASIN: B00087JFG0 |
Average customer rating:
|
Ragged Dick
Horatio Jr. Alger
Manufacturer: The Heritage Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQ9Y1M |
Books:
- Revelations of the New Lemuria (TELOS, Vol. 1)
- Richard Wright : Early Works : Lawd Today! / Uncle Tom's Children / Native Son (Library of America)
- Schlepping Through the Alps: My Search for Austria's Jewish Past with Its Last Wandering Shepherd
- Short Trip to the Edge: Where Earth Meets Heaven--A Pilgrimage
- Small & Decentralized Wastewater Management Systems
- Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream
- Tales of Mystery and Imagination
- Tales of the City (Tales of the City Series, V. 1)
- Tales of the Slayer, Volume 2 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
- Tender Is the Night
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Hamster Revolution: How to Manage Your Email Before It Manages You
- Paula Pryke's Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design
- New Queer Cinema: A Critical Reader
- How to Get Into the Top Law Schools
- Making Polymer Clay Beads: Step-by-Step Techniques for Creating Beautiful Ornamental Beads
- The Art of Being a Woman: A Simple Guide to Everyday Love and Laughter
- Mendelian Inheritance in Cattle
- Valuation of Physician Practices and Clinics
- Fundamental Financial Accounting Concepts: Mark's Racquets, a Financial Accounting Practice Problem
- Hoover's Texas 500: A Guide to the Top Texas Companies
The Rise of Silas Lapham (Barnes & Noble Classics)
RAGGED DICK AND MARK, THE MATCH BOY: Two Novels by Horatio Alger
Sister Carrie (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (Barnes & Noble Classics)
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (Dover Thrift Editions)
Daisy Miller (Penguin Classics)
