Reviews for Ragged Dick
Review - Ragged Dick
Richard Hunter was a poor but honest and kind boot-black who spent what little money he made on the theater and gambling and slept in a box in an alley. One day he meat a young boy visiting New York and offered to show him around the town. He took him all over, and while the traveled, this boy, Frank, encouraged dick to work hard and make something of himself. During their tour, Dick managed to foil a couple of people who were engaged in scams of one type or another on innocent people, cracking jokes the entire time he did it. Dick and Frank became good friends and when the day was over, Frank’s uncle gave Dick $5.
Dick decided to change his ways. He rented a small room for $1 a month and put the rest of the gift in a savings account. He soon after met another boot black, younger than he was, who was suffering. This lad, Fosdick, had been educated but left a destitute orphan. Dick agreed to pay his board in exchange for teaching him to read. They both spend their days working hard and their nights learning. Soon Dick accumulates $100 and the boys decide to rent a nicer room and try for real jobs. Fosdick tries for a place as a messenger for $3 a week because he can read and write. He needs a reference. Just then Mr. Greyson walks by. This man is a Sunday school teacher who befriended the boys when Dick sought him out to give him .15 change for a shoe shine. Mr. Greyson invites the boys to Sunday school and they attend regularly. Dicks’ bank book is stolen by another boarder in their house, but Dick manages to track the guy down and recover his money. He follows Fosdick one day on a trip to Brooklyn and on the ferry sees a young boy fall overboard. He leaps to the rescue, and the boy’s father, seeing his inherent worth, hires him at $10 a week. The book ends at this point, with Dick moving to a better room and excited about his start in business.
The book was silly and poorly written but somehow endearing. Dick’s humor is goofy, but clever. The story is implausible but cute. Dicks’ honesty and goodness in his circumstances is unlikely, but I can see how books like this could have been popular. They represent the opportunities anyone had to achieve the American dream, and in some cases reality did mirror fiction.
Dick decided to change his ways. He rented a small room for $1 a month and put the rest of the gift in a savings account. He soon after met another boot black, younger than he was, who was suffering. This lad, Fosdick, had been educated but left a destitute orphan. Dick agreed to pay his board in exchange for teaching him to read. They both spend their days working hard and their nights learning. Soon Dick accumulates $100 and the boys decide to rent a nicer room and try for real jobs. Fosdick tries for a place as a messenger for $3 a week because he can read and write. He needs a reference. Just then Mr. Greyson walks by. This man is a Sunday school teacher who befriended the boys when Dick sought him out to give him .15 change for a shoe shine. Mr. Greyson invites the boys to Sunday school and they attend regularly. Dicks’ bank book is stolen by another boarder in their house, but Dick manages to track the guy down and recover his money. He follows Fosdick one day on a trip to Brooklyn and on the ferry sees a young boy fall overboard. He leaps to the rescue, and the boy’s father, seeing his inherent worth, hires him at $10 a week. The book ends at this point, with Dick moving to a better room and excited about his start in business.
The book was silly and poorly written but somehow endearing. Dick’s humor is goofy, but clever. The story is implausible but cute. Dicks’ honesty and goodness in his circumstances is unlikely, but I can see how books like this could have been popular. They represent the opportunities anyone had to achieve the American dream, and in some cases reality did mirror fiction.
Reviewed by Roger on 2003-07-19 16:26:38