Ragged Dick, Chapters 1-11:
What struck me the most in reading the few chapters that we have was the bluntness of Horatio Alger's message in the case of Dick. He is so explicitly direct that he might as well not be writing a novel but rather just giving a telethon sermon on the injustices of American society (metaphorically of course). No only does he blatantly tell the reader in his preface that he wishes to "have the effect of enlisting the sympathies of his readers in behalf of the unfortunate children [...]" but nearly every chapter contains some sort of reference, either to Dick's good nature or Frank's kindness towards Dick.
Dick is described along the same lines and possessing the same characteristics of any other "model hero" protagonist from the era. The greatest of his flaws being that he "swore sometimes, and now and then he played tricks upon unsophisticated boys from the country [...]" (5). Otherwise he is a rather amicable, and easy to love and/or associate with kid. He's witty, "decidedly good looking", motivated, clever, and compassionate (4). As such he seems almost like a flat character in that his flaws are few and minor.
Frank on the other hand, comes from an entirely different background, much the same as the boy who would probably be reading this novella. He is educated and polite if naive and perhaps even boring. Like Dick he seems a flat character that exists only to further Alger's own message, without any attempt of disguise of literary development. He "insisted on paying" (21), "his voice [was] full of sympathy" (29), and was "blessed with a good home and indulgent parents, [and] could not help pitying the friendless boy who had found life such up-hill work" (42). Frank embodies all which Alger wants his audience to become. Respectful and helpful and full of sympathy for the poor.
So why exactly does Alger use such blunt means to express his message? A more complex set of characters could be used and still convey the same message, perhaps even better than those with two dimensions. Does the simplicity of Alger's work add or detract from his meaning?
وداعا
Jon
