Throughout Ragged Dick Alger seems to argue that
with a modest amount of effort and restraint anyone should be able to lift
themselves out of poverty given some time.
This seems to imply that he believes it is the fault of the poor that
they have not yet done so.
Alger does
acknowledge that it is possible to fall into poverty through no fault of one’s
own. For example, Fosdick grew up with
money, claiming, “When my father was alive I had every comfort (p. 73).” The tragic death of his father left him with
“no relations in the city, and no money, I was obliged to go to work as quick
as I could (p. 73).” Dick was also
orphaned at a young age and left to fend for himself, and Alger does not imply
that this was his or anyone else’s fault.
However, he
seems to find Dick responsible for not raising himself earlier, as he is able
to do so with very little help. Indeed,
it seems mostly what he needed was advice.
In the beginning Dick wakes in an alley without a penny to his name, although
the narrator acknowledges that “he earned enough to have supported him
comfortable and respectably (p. 6),“ but he wasted his money on entertainment
and vice. It didn’t even occur to him to
find a regular room to let until the wealthy Frank suggested he do so. However, it is revealed that Dick makes
enough money to pay rent for a small room and even has enough to pay extra for
Fosdick to live there. In addition he is
able to put money in the bank every week, all while maintaining his current
employment. It is hard not to interpret
this as an indictment on Dick that it did not occur to him earlier to follow
these steps. It is therefore not a leap
of the imagination to conclude that Alger felt most if not all poor individuals
were capable of lifting themselves out of poverty with some effort and
self-denial.
Frank seems to verbalize this
belief system when he says, “There’ve been a great many boys begin as low down
as you, Dick, that have grown up respectable and honored. But they had to work pretty hard for it (p.
40).” He didn’t say they needed luck or
outside assistance, although Dick is greatly helped at the end of the book by
the man who gave Dick his “situation” at such a large starting salary, but this
seemed to be more of a plot device to more quickly bring the result that would
have happened anyway if Dick kept working for it. Based on the text Alger seems to have pity for
the poor, but he also sees them as ultimately responsible for their continued
state of affairs.
It seems that Alger not only finds the poor as responsible for rising from their situation, but that they are all the better for experiencing their poverty. For example, Frank, a wealthy boy, has little to no street smarts in every encounter he and Dick share in the middle of the novel, whereas Dick is clever, witty, and controlled in his confrontations with others. Also, whenever Dick is given an example of someone that worked their way up the ladder, such as the policeman describing the bookstore owner across the street, that person is given a respectable air for his achievement in surpassing poverty.
ReplyDeleteThis form of writing gives a sense of normalcy to the middle-class and presents the middle-class as far superior to poverty and akin to upper-class. I think that Alger wrote with these concepts behind his story of Ragged Dick to increase the size of the audience that would buy his books and be interested to continue buying from him. By emphasizing the apparent lack of willpower in the lower-class, the reading gives a sense of pride for the middle-class in their view of their own status, and in doing so gives a sense of validity behind the works of Alger.
I agree with your response to an extent because Alger implies that people have control over their own lives throughout the novel. For example, Dick builds a respectable life through hard work and dedication. On the other hand, Johnny Nolan was “lacking in that energy, ambition, and natural sharpness,” indicating that he “was not adapted to succeed” (Alger, 168). Although the two boys started in the same place, only Dick became successful due to his efforts. Thus, Alger demonstrates the control people can have over their advancements in society, regardless of starting point. However, it is necessary to consider the assistance given to Dick on his journey. While Alger suggests people have some control over their future, he also expresses the importance of other people’s help. Whether it’s advice or money, Dick had a level of dependence on other people while building his new reputation. It’s unknown how Dick’s level of success would differ if he were not given this assistance. Similarly, Alger suggests that wealthy people should help those in need as a way to give back to society. For example, Dick gives money to Tom once he builds up his own wealth. Overall, while Alger encourages the poor to change their situation, he also suggests that the wealthy must assist those in need in order to help other people advance their status in a similar way.
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