Ragged Dick
Ragged Dick is a fourteen-year-old bootblack in 19th century New York City. Anxious to turn over a new leaf, and grow up “respectable,” he works hard and won’t steal under any circumstances.
Several gentlemen — impressed with this virtue (and his determination to succeed) — offer their aid. This timeless tale follows “Ragged Dick” as he strives to rise to middle class respectability through sharpness, industry, and honesty.
The original publication, released as a six volume series, came to depict a time of post-war struggle through the eyes of its young victims, vagabond children. Originally written as young-adult moral tales using the classic rags-to-riches theme, Ragged Dick is a snapshot into an all but forgotten period in American history, and the ever relevant struggle for economic and social status.
- About the author: Horatio Alger Jr. was an American author who wrote young adult novels. His writings embody the “rags-to-riches” narrative, which had a formative effect on the United States during the Gilded Age.