To begin class today (3/31), please consider these three quotations from the second half of Ragged Dick:
“But he [Fosdick] found it no easy thing to obtain a place. Swarms of boys seemed to be out of employment, and it was not unusual to find from fifty to a hundred applicants for a single place” (Alger 91);
“After fifty applications and as many failures, Fosdick began to get discouraged. There seemed to be now way out of his present business, for which he felt unfitted” (Alger 91); and
“I’ve got the place,” said Fosdick, in accents of satisfaction; ‘but it was only because Mr. Greyson spoke up for me” (Alger 95).
Take a few minutes and reflect on their significance. Then, keeping them in mind, try and generate a thesis, or an interpretive claim, about the novel. What do these passages say about the social/economic world in Alger’s fiction? How do they explain the process through which poor young men rise up the social ladder in mid-19th century America?
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The economic world in Alger’s fiction was extremely competitive especially for young boys trying to rise about being a boot black and climb the social ladder. Obtaining a place was a more respectable and promising job than being a boot black and it is not always easy to get in the door when “swarms of boys seemed to be out of employment. Economically, it was a struggling time period for people to find work and make a decent living for themselves. Fosdick felt trapped in the line of work he was in which did not suit him and this was prevalent in the time frame because there were not many other opportunities for work. Socially, these passages describe the importance of knowing the right people and having the right credentials. Although Fosdick was right for the place he was selected for, he got the position because Mr. Greyson spoke for her character. The process through which poor young men rise up the social ladder in the mid 19th century is portrayed as to knowing the right people. What really helped Fosdick was being able to build a relationship with Mr. Greyson, who was on top of the social ladder, and being able to use him as a reference. Persistence and determination are also key factors in continuing success up the social ladder. Fosdick could have given up the minute he felt discourage after failing numerous times and accepted the fact that although being a boot black did not suit him, it was the best he could do. But he did not, which is also what made his work transition more respectable because it was not an easy change. He was not handed a new position after submitting his first application, or even after submitting fifty showing that the process of change is not always easy but well worth it in the end.
These quotations from Ragged Dick are significant as they exemplify the view and status of the poor at the time. They also show the high demand for jobs, and the difficulty in obtaining one. If I was in in Fosdick's position, I would also become discouraged because there are so many people just like him competing for the same position. However, the fact that there are places that poor men can go to and even have a chance at obtaining a job provides them with some hope. Though most of them will not receive the jobs, some of them will, which gives the men more motivation to work even harder. In order to rise to the top, they have to begin somewhere, and this puts their foot in the door. The older, wealthier men that Ragged Dick looks up to in the novel had also been in a position much like Dick's, which shows that it is possible to move from "rags to riches" if you put in the hard work and stay positive.
Based on this, I would claim that by analyzing Alger's book, Ragged Dick, the demand for jobs in the mid-19th century America was so high that the poor had to start at the bottom of the pole and work their way up the ladder to become successful. This would mean that they would have to work ten times as hard as their competitors, which would aid them in their quests to become successful.
Personally, as I read these quotes I cannot help but relate them to my present situation. Although this might be 19th century America, some of the same philosophies and strategies about rising up in the workforce still apply today. I'm learning more and more that as I apply for internships and summer jobs it is not only about your application or qualifications but it is all about who you know: particularly who you know in a position of power and influence in society.
Connections are everything in todays world and having those people to connect you to the workforce are key in rising up in society. Dick, by his character and outgoing personality, is a connector for Fosdick to Mr. Greyson. Even though it was Mr. Greyson that ultimately helped Fosdick attain the position, his relationship with Dick was the key to meeting Mr. Greyson and having a decent wardrobe to present himself in. So I could challenge that even though higher-up connections are important in "rising-up the societal ladder", just as equally important are the friendships you make that help connect you to those people and personally care about your advancement like Dick cares for Fosdick.
Collectively these quotes signify the importance of work, more specifically the importance of appearance in finding work. Fosdick understands the importance of earning a living but he also knows that he is “unfit” for the work he is doing as a boot black. It is ironic then, that even when Fosdick applies for jobs for which he is fully qualified, he is not able to get them because of his grimy appearance. When Fosdick finally does receive a job offer, it is, “only because Mr. Greyson spoke up” meaning that Fosdick needed a well dressed “gentlemen” to help him obtain a position.
The world Alger has portrayed for his readers is caught within a vicious feedback loop. The Fosdick and Dick want to sustain a job so they can live decently, yet the boys are unable to find a position because of their outward appearance, however they cannot improve their appearance if they do not have job. Ultimately, Alger’s statement within the book is a commentary on the importance of appearance in mid- 19th century America.
The world that Fosdick and Dick live in is one of constant struggle for basic survival. Still, Dick infuses the idea of moving up the social ladder and working to improve one’s living situation into Fosdick, encouraging him to distinguish himself and find a job that is well-suited for him. When a job posting goes up, many boys in this same situation flock to the interview in hopes of being the lucky child to get a job out of the streets. On Fosdick’s fifty-first attempt, he brings Dick along for support. After having been turned down so many times, Fosdick has little confidence in himself, and in the end of the interview, he mainly gets the job because of Mr. Greyson’s recommendation. Fosdick shows an example to why these young boys struggle in life. Without the higher social status, it is difficult for employers to trust and depend on them. It is a connection he has in addition to his own attributes that sets Fosdick apart from the other boys. Through his honest lifestyle and growing respectability, Fosdick has someone of higher social status who can vouch for his character, unlike most other boys living on the streets. Through Fosdick’s conscious focus on improving his life, he is able to eventually get a new job that moves him further up the social ladder.
The significance of these quotes is apparent in that they are reflective of the difficulties young boys faced in rising up the social ladder, starting from the very bottom. It seems that in the 19th century it was very hard for boys who lived in the streets working as boot-blacks or newsboys or the like, to acquire a better job in a shop without either being the son of a gentleman or having a gentleman to speak for his character. Thus, Fosdick attributes his getting a job in a hat shop to Mr. Greyson vouching for his character. In addition, these quotes express that the social/economic was very much based on knowing people and having relationships with people in a higher standing than yourself. In order to rise up the social ladder it was important to know important people, because otherwise you would find yourself lost in a sea of hundreds of other boys looking for employment, so you had to find a way to stand out. Also, it can be said that the social/economic world in Alger’s fiction is very much a dog-eat-dog type of world, where you have to somewhat fight and claw your way to the top, this is the only way to succeed. It sounds like a very hard world to live, and in Ragged Dick it is apparent that not everyone is able to succeed, for example Johnny Nolan, whose lazy disposition keeps him from earning more money as a boot-black. Overall it can be said that these quotes are essential to understanding what type of a world Dick and Fosdick were attempting to succeed in and the difficulties that stood in their way.
These three quotes touch on some of the main difficulties of moving up the socioeconomic ladder. The first quote points out that there are so many people out of employment, that when a job opens there are too many people applying. If a place only needs two workers and fifty apply, then it would be very difficult to achieve a job. The second quote explains that you can apply to places over and over, but ultimately remain jobless. This is one of the reasons why some unemployed people lose hope. The third quote suggests that a little helping hand from somebody higher up on the ladder could really speed up the job finding process.
Considering these three quotes, I can generate a thesis on the difficulty of moving up the socioeconomic ladder and trying to become employed.
In the novel, Ragged Dick, Horatio Alger paints a world of homelessness that allows for people with a little bit of luck, personality, and hard work to move up the socioeconomic ladder.
I think it’s important to note that Dick and Fosdick are not the only two trying to rise above their circumstances and better themselves in society. Not all the other boys are content as Johnny Nolan to remain simply boot-blacks. But so many boys, despite trying to better themselves, have “no way out of [their] present business” as Fosdick felt.
When Fosdick finally is able to secure a position, he even says the only reason is because Mr. Greyson spoke for him. While the other 49 boys may be just as hard working and willing for the job, they may not have a Mr. Greyson in their lives to speak up for them.
Also, despite his rude behavior and haughty remarks, I feel sorry for Roswell Crawford. With his father dead and only his mother to care for him, Roswell is left to be the ‘man of the house’, yet he is clearly not ready for it and very childishly responds to his first responsibilities; “the man wanted me to get to the office at eight o’clock, and make the fire. I’m a gentleman’s son, and am not used to such dirty work”. While he feels that he’s good enough to be choosey about the types of jobs he takes, he clearly still needs a position if he’s out in the job market again. I think there could be a story behind Roswell Crawford, too.
In Alger's Ragged Dick and Struggling Upward, Alger shows the struggle that young men go through during the 19th century by using Fosdick’s own struggle to find a job and to climb the social ladder. Through the given passages, you learn that there are so many young people on the streets who are unemployed and are looking for a job. “I’ve got the place,” said Fosdick, in accents of satisfaction; ‘but it was only because Mr. Greyson spoke up for me” (Alger 95). Like our world now, sometimes it’s all about connections. Fosdick seems to think that if it hadn’t been for Mr. Greyson’s help, he wouldn’t have gotten the job. Mr. Greyson, who was clearly a very high-class man, decided to use that to help those who might need it. It can be rather difficult if you don’t know anyone who might be able to help you in the line of business that you want to go into. You need to make connections with people so that they will put a good word out for you in many areas that might be your profession. Alger also shows that the social and economic world that the young boys live in is very competitive. “But he [Fosdick] found it no easy thing to obtain a place. Swarms of boys seemed to be out of employment, and it was not unusual to find from fifty to a hundred applicants for a single place” (Alger 91). These quotations show the significance on how hard it was for the young people that lived in the 19th century. Because of how hard it was to find jobs, being on the bottom of the social ladder, Dick and Forsdick had an even harder time to begin their climb up and find respectable jobs to support themselves.
These quotations help put Dick and Fosdick's struggles into context. The reader realizes, especially from the first two selections, that the protagonist and his friend are just two of many boys trying to make something of themselves in he big city. They also highlight a the necessity of perseverance in a rags-to-respectability tale. Had Fosdick given up his search after 30 or even 40 applications, he never would have gotten lucky. As someone who has filled out dozens upon dozens of job applications, I can relate to how disheartening unemployment can be--it is very easy to lose motivation.
The final quote also mimics the cliché that it’s not what but who you know. This idea is almost at discord with the Alger’s other messages, which all seem to encourage pulling oneself up by his bootstraps. By introducing the character of Mr. Greyson--and giving him credit for Fosdick’s newly acquired position--Alger almost suggest that we cannot succeed entirely independently.
Alger creates a world in which competition is high--even for menial jobs. While personal strengths such as perseverance and hard work are rewarded, one cannot succeed based entirely off of his own merit. In the economic world of Ragged Dick’s day, much like modern times, it takes help from above to improve one’s position.
These quotes bring to life the difficulty in obtaining more “’spectable” work during this time period. They emphasize the trouble that it takes to move up the socio-economic ladder and how hard it is for any disadvantaged person to get a job without the recommendation of a more respectable person. These quotes really reflect the greater significance of the story of rags to riches by demonstrating the difficulty and the work ethic that it takes to advance socio-economic classes according to the Alger theory. Throughout the story, our hero’s prosperity only increases when he receives help from a more well off character and works diligently, thus allowing him to become more respectable. Fosdick experiences the same process when trying to get a shop job instead of remaining a bootblack. He has worked hard, but he is much less “respectable” than some of the other gentleman’s sons that are applying for the same job. It is then only because Mr. Greyson happens to walk in and speak highly on Fosdick’s behalf that he receives the job. This series of quotes creates one more example of Alger’s rags to riches theory.
This leads me to the interpretation that according to Horatio Alger’s book, Ragged Dick, poor American boys in the mid-19th century needed not only a diligent work ethic, but also the recommendation of a more respectable person in order to make any significant advances on the socio-economic ladder.
After looking at these three quotes, they are very significant because they describe how life was during the 19th century in America. Many people were very worried about whether or not they were able to find work and had to fight to survive. There was only a limited amount of spots open with so many applicants so desperate to make a living. Although ones character and experience is vital to making it through the working world, connections also play a big role and can be the only way some people make it through this world even today. This idea of job searching still exists today because there has always been this type of socioeconomic background of various working classes in America.
During this time, these young men move their way up in the world by constantly working hard and being determined about their long-term goal by not giving up. By having this type of attitude it creates a competitiveness and ambition within our overall society.
What seems strange to me about this chapter in the book and indeed the entire focus of obtaining ‘spectable employment is the focus that Algers places on the ‘who you know’ aspect of obtaining a job. Society also encourages employment of these children. Exploitation? If there are a hundred 12-14 year olds applying for a job, there is no chance of a respectable older individual getting the job. Lets face it, these kids work for 3 to five bucks a week. A child can hardly afford to take care of themselves, let alone attempt to sustain a family, but i digress.
The two boy’s primary concern was money. The concern for a family was not given as much weight. Children paying rent, working a 9 to 5er and opening savings accounts? I have an older brother who won’t leave the basement, and he’s 35. This story reinforces my belief that social skills and morality plays a large part in rising up the social ladder, both in 19th century America and today.
These three quotes seem to clearly and vividly describe what the novel is all about. The struggle of young men in the 19th century to get a job in the midst of poverty and lack of opportunities for those coming out of the lower class in society. Alger seems to imply that in those times in order for a young man to get a job he had to know somebody in a position of power and that was the only way. I believe that today that is not the only way of getting a job but it certainly helps to know somebody. I am certainly faced with some of these situations as I apply for internships and jobs specially being an international student. It can sometimes be discouraging and sometimes I feel that there are not just a hundred more people applying but a lot more. The thing that keeps me going is hope and knowing that I can get anything that I set my heart on.
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