8.18.2005
Ragged Dick
by Horatio Alger
Read it free online @ Page-by-Page Books
Overall Grade: C
What was the point of this story? I really don't know. I think it was some sort of social justice piece. But since I'm nearly a century removed from it, it didn't really have the appropriate affect. As a plain work of fiction it sucked. Ragged Dick is an orphaned bootblack who spends all his money extravagantly. Until one day he sees a money opportunity in showing a visiting lad the city-sights while his uncle attends to business. Being inspired by the confidence this book has in him Dick ammends his ways. He finds a real room to rent, opens a bank account to save his money and starts being tutored in reading & stuff. Other events conspire so that he eventually can leave his bootblacking and get a job for more money. Maybe this is a good example of socal Darwinism.
Read it free online @ Page-by-Page Books
Overall Grade: C
What was the point of this story? I really don't know. I think it was some sort of social justice piece. But since I'm nearly a century removed from it, it didn't really have the appropriate affect. As a plain work of fiction it sucked. Ragged Dick is an orphaned bootblack who spends all his money extravagantly. Until one day he sees a money opportunity in showing a visiting lad the city-sights while his uncle attends to business. Being inspired by the confidence this book has in him Dick ammends his ways. He finds a real room to rent, opens a bank account to save his money and starts being tutored in reading & stuff. Other events conspire so that he eventually can leave his bootblacking and get a job for more money. Maybe this is a good example of socal Darwinism.
Labels: genre: fiction, media: book
