The Horatio Alger myth.

The Horatio Alger myth consists of people not believing in the American dream and the rags to riches story seen in Ragged Dick. In Fight back news - news an views from the people's struggle, they suggest that although dick does work hard and does achieve success in the end of the book this is more to do pure luck and help from wealthy individuals. They also suggest that even after WW2 people were able to succeed in life through buying houses and sending their children to college, however again like dick this was not necessarily achieved from hard work but rather from the strength of the unions who forces businesses to pay a sustainable wage to live.

Although today the story of Ragged dick is seen as a myth and of pure facts and figures that go against what the story tries to represent. As today the gap between the rich and poor is steadily widening and opportunities also seem to be dramatically descending, its estimated that only 10% of young boys with less educated poor fathers will succeed in life, but this means that a staggering 90% of young boys will stay in the 'lower class' citizens and will never achieve the American dream.

I then looked at a blog 'Discipline disciple-husband-son-brother-friend-teacher' this argued whether or not Horatio Alger's Ragged dick is a myth or reality. He also used many facts and figures to show how this isn't always true with many people still considered 'poor' in America. He uses this quote from the Treasury report in November 2007 that suggest that the rich are actually losing out on money and poor and gaining a 91% increase in their incomes. This goes against ragged dick as the 'rich' may have worked hard through out life to receive a well paid job however they are now losing out on the dream.

Overall i believe that for some people luck enables them to have the American dream and a successful life whether by chance or by them working hard, although there will always be a gap between the rich and poor which means some people will never succeed in life and will always be ragged dick Rather than Richard hunter.