Ragged Dick and Risen from the Ranks Contributor(s): Alger, Horatio, Jr. (Author), Scharnhorst, Gary (Editor) |
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ISBN: 1554812364 ISBN-13: 9781554812363 Publisher: Broadview Press Inc OUR PRICE: $18.95 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: May 2017 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Fiction | Classics |
Dewey: 813.4 |
LCCN: 2017295153 |
Physical Information: 400 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: In Ragged Dick, Horatio Alger's most successful book, Alger codified the basic formula he would follow in nearly a hundred subsequent novels for boys: a young hero, inexperienced in the temptations of the city but morally armed to resist them, is unexpectedly forced to earn a livelihood. The hero's exemplary struggle--to retain his virtue, to clear his name of accusations, and to gain economic independence--was the basis of the Alger plot. Hugely popular at the turn of the twentieth century, Alger's works have at different times been framed as a model for the "American dream" and as dangerously exciting sensationalism for young readers; Gary Scharnhorst's new introduction separates the myth of Alger as "success ideologue" from the more complex messages conveyed in his work. Ragged Dick is paired in this edition with Risen from the Ranks, another coming-of-age story of a young man achieving respectability. Historical appendices include extensive contemporary reviews, material on the "success myth" associated with Alger, and parodies of Alger's work. |