During 1850's, common stories about "poor city youths, newsboys and bootblacks" who became rich and famous which were popular. "Ragged Dick" features such a young boy as its hero. Alger opened up Dick's identity, inspirations, dreams, plans and hopes. Dick was a sarcastic youngster, generous towards friends, a gambler and smoker. At the same time, he never steals, neither cheats nor hurt younger boys and this makes him a "noble" young gentleman. His "pants were torn in several places, and had apparently belonged in the ...
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During 1850's, common stories about "poor city youths, newsboys and bootblacks" who became rich and famous which were popular. "Ragged Dick" features such a young boy as its hero. Alger opened up Dick's identity, inspirations, dreams, plans and hopes. Dick was a sarcastic youngster, generous towards friends, a gambler and smoker. At the same time, he never steals, neither cheats nor hurt younger boys and this makes him a "noble" young gentleman. His "pants were torn in several places, and had apparently belonged in the first instance to a boy two sizes larger than himself. He wore a vest, all the buttons of which were gone except two, out of which peeped a shirt which looked as if it had been worn a month. To complete his costume he wore a coat too long for him, dating back, if one might judge from its general appearance, to a remote tranquility." Throughout the book Alger draws us to see the transfer of a boy who once was Ragged Dick into a respectable young gentleman Richard Hunter. "When Dick was dressed in his new attire, with his face and hands clean, and his hair brushed, it was difficult to image that he was the same boy" Dick changes from being uneducated, dirty and wearing ragged clothes that are too big for him into a "quite handsome...young gentleman, except that his hands were red and grimy". Alger could have made Dick a good looking, rich and educated young gentleman but he chose completely the opposite. This way of writing only made it more realistic since not everyone becomes rich; it takes hard work to get there. Throughout the book, Alger draws images of the New York City streets, transportation and structures, tells about the games, cheats, crooks and tricks happening on the streets, and draws attention to the juvenile boys' desires for simple things such as: "a steady job, a decent place to sleep, a suit of clothing, respect from others" as well as planning for future. There are a lot of details used to make our minds actually see the real pictures of the situations. Some of the details include about the greatest pleasure that Dick is experiencing with his saving's account that grows slowly every week and the first experience of washing his face. One of the reasons 'Ragged Dick' was a success was that the story was easy to read as well as inspiring. Alger leaves his readers with the feeling that, like Dick, they can become smart and rich too. In approximately one year, the hero of Alger's story turns from an uneducated, dirty, sarcastic, young boy into a noble young gentleman. Like us, Dick wasn't successful in everything he did. But his life is quiet realistic and his progress in the face of struggles can inspire us all.
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Add this copy of Ragged Dick and Struggling Upward (Penguin Classics) to cart. $1.02, good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 1985 by Penguin Adult Hc/Tr.
Add this copy of Ragged Dick and Struggling Upwar to cart. $1.20, good condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 1985 by Penguin Publishing Group.
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The cover has visible markings and wear. The pages are in Good condition but show signs of gentle use! Codes or product keys that accompany this product may not be valid. Fast Shipping in a Standard Poly Mailer!
Add this copy of Ragged Dick and Struggling Upward (Penguin American to cart. $1.39, good condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1985 by Penguin Classics.
Add this copy of Ragged Dick and Struggling Upward (Penguin American to cart. $1.39, good condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1985 by Penguin Classics.
Add this copy of Ragged Dick and Struggling Upward to cart. $1.64, very good condition, Sold by PlumCircle rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from West Mifflin, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by CreateSpace Independent Publishi.
Add this copy of Ragged Dick and Struggling Upward to cart. $2.19, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 1985 by Penguin Adult Hc/Tr.
Add this copy of Ragged Dick and Struggling Upward to cart. $2.19, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1985 by Penguin Adult Hc/Tr.
Add this copy of Ragged Dick and Struggling Upward to cart. $2.19, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1985 by Penguin Adult Hc/Tr.
Add this copy of Ragged Dick and Struggling Upward to cart. $2.19, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1985 by Penguin Adult Hc/Tr.
Add this copy of Ragged Dick and Struggling Upward (Penguin Classics) to cart. $2.20, fair condition, Sold by Blue Vase Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Interlochen, MI, UNITED STATES, published 1985 by Penguin Publishing Group.
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Fair. The item is very worn but is perfectly usable. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches dents worn and creased covers folded page corners and minor liquid stains. All pages and the cover are intact but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include moderate to heavy amount of notes and highlighting but the text is not obscured or unreadable. Page edges may have foxing age related spots and browning. May NOT include discs access code or other supplemental materials.
