Ragged Dick Or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks

Ragged Dick: Or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks Ragged Dick: Or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks tells the story of a young teenage boy trying to survive as a boot black on the streets of New York during the period of industrialization. Ragged Dick: Or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks overall is very accurate in its portrayal of the era. Several examples throughout this work can be used to justify this such as Dick’s occupations, his enjoyment of theatre, his rags to riches story, the adversities some individuals struggle through, the emphasis on the suite making a professional, and the hard economic times. However, throughout this book, although not abundant in my opinion, there are also†¦show more content†¦Another theme I found helped portray the era Dick is living in is his love for the theatre. Author Horatio Alger Jr. states, â€Å"He (Dick) was fond of going to the Old Bowery Theatre.†# According to Robert W. Rydel l and Rob Kroes in Buffulo Bill in Bologna, â€Å"With it’s legion of famous performances and a host of Burlesque entertainers, vaudeville, by the turn of the century, had become a staple in the lives of millions of Americans.†# â€Å"According to one study, roughly 15 percent of America’s urban population attended at least one vaudeville show a week, enabling theatres to gross around $20.000 per week.†# With theatres becoming very popular in American Culture during this era it only makes sense that Dick also had a love for the theatre and would often spend much of his income earned throughout the day shining boots at the theatre. Dick states that by going to the theatre he could, â€Å"see the bearded lady, the eight-foot giant, the two-foot dwarf, and other curiosities, too numerous to mention.†# Another aspect of this book that I found to be accurate in select individuals lives throughout this era was the rags to riches aspect of the book. As we learned from several of the characters throughout this book such as Mr. Whitney and even Dick himself at the end of the novel, hard work, ambition, and character throughout this era led to some tremendous success stories. Mr. Whitney states, â€Å"I hope, my lad, you will prosper and ride in the world. YouShow MoreRelatedRagged Dick By Horatio Alger1307 Words   |  6 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ragged Dick by Horatio Alger. This story follows a young boy, who through hard work, determination, self-reliance, honesty and good character went from a homeless black-boot to a respectable, high paying job.   This story is filled with examples of what life was like in New York City, telling the us what he would find and experience in it. In Ragged Dick, This was a time of progress, change and falsehood in American History. 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