Horatio Alger

Horatio Alger is an author of more than 100 stories showing how poor boys can move up in the world from 'rags to respectability' through hard work and education which will lead them to success. Alger's message to his readers is that no matter where you come from you can succeed because the land in which you live is the land of opportunity. Horatio Alger shows hard work pays off through his book Ragged Dick as he shows he is given opportunities by showing his honesty and reliability and by becoming educated by having a friend tutor him and attending Sunday school.

There is a Horatio Alger Association which is a non-profit educational organization, established in 1947 to restore faith in America's youth that the American dream can still be achieved. The association is dedicated to the belief that hard work, honesty an determination can conquer all obstacles. The program has a scholarship program encouraging students to pursue their own version of the American Dream. There is also a Horatio Alger award which is given to people who are “dedicated community leaders who demonstrate individual initiative and a commitment to excellence as exemplified by remarkable achievements accomplished through honesty, hard work, self reliance and perseverance over adversity.” The association also has a annual international award for a individual who will receive it if they “have overcome humble beginnings and/or adversity to achieve success.”

A post I found on Yahoo, Sara Bilodeau argues that the myth of Horatio Alger is still alive and well in American culture and can be achieved by anyone who is willing to work had enough although it is easier for upper-class individuals to achieve their American Dream as they already have financial support behind them, they just need to maintain that wealth. I think that the dream of the characters in Horatio Alger's stories are not to be rich and extremely successful but to only have success so that your life would be less worry free for example, having a house or place to live and being able to pay rent or a mortgage, buying food and being able to eat three times a day. In the book Ragged Dick, Dick wants to grow up to be respectable, by societies rules he will only achieve that by the work he does and the house in which he lives, Horatio Alger shows he can achieve his dream and the key is hard work, education and determination to better yourself.

http://www.horatioalger.com/
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4997/
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1899396/the_horatio_alger_myth_is_alive_and.html