Ragged Dick is a fictional story written by Horatio Alger. I initially read it in chapter 3, The Myth of Individual Opportunity, of Rereading America where it’s only a 6-page excerpt from the full book, which was published in 1868, during a turbulent time in American history and very different than our country today. There was a massive industrial boom and the classic capitalistic promises for opportunity bloomed. While some benefited, there were aspects of life that were very rough for others and Alger wanted Ragged Dick to serve as enjoyment and as a symbol of possibility for people that were low in society and had dreams of rising up. However, he wanted to get this message across without promoting greed. Through the usage of pathos and logos Alger’s makes the reader question what defines us as a person. Do our material possessions or our character on the inside?
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Dick lives in New York city and is searching for a job at a store or counting-room and is willing to put in a lot of hard work to obtain such job, while also paying his current bills. One afternoon, he joins his friend Henry Fosdick on an errand run. While on a ferry headed for Brooklyn, an 8-year old boy falls off the edge into the water to which the boy’s father yells out to the other passengers “My child! Who will save my child? A thousand—ten thousand dollars to anyone who will save him!” This went unheard to Dick, but being a terrific swimmer, Dick jumps off the ferry after the boy and brings him to shore and returns him safely to his father, who turns out to be the wealthy owner of a counting room, James Rockwell. Considering the fact Dick just saved Mr. Rockwell’s son from certain death. Mr. Rockwell offers Dick a place of employment at his business, the very place he was aspiring to work
Dick lives in New York city and is searching for a job at a store or counting-room and is willing to put in a lot of hard work to obtain such job, while also paying his current bills. One afternoon, he joins his friend Henry Fosdick on an errand run. While on a ferry headed for Brooklyn, an 8-year old boy falls off the edge into the water to which the boy’s father yells out to the other passengers “My child! Who will save my child? A thousand—ten thousand dollars to anyone who will save him!” This went unheard to Dick, but being a terrific swimmer, Dick jumps off the ferry after the boy and brings him to shore and returns him safely to his father, who turns out to be the wealthy owner of a counting room, James Rockwell. Considering the fact Dick just saved Mr. Rockwell’s son from certain death. Mr. Rockwell offers Dick a place of employment at his business, the very place he was aspiring to work