Bryan Terschan's "Ragged Dick" and "Horatio Alger" post

Much like Sydney I had never read anything like "Ragged Dick" before. However, I was also intrigued by the story and the concept behind it. I had read stories about the American Dream before, but I had never seen one quite like this one. Although the story had the old "cliche" plot line of a man in poverty striving to success, "Ragged Dick" really showed how life and the American Dream of rags to riches can be about luck rather than perseverance. Yes Dick did jump into the water and tread water through the waves all while holding a little boy. However, what if the little boy had never been on the same boat as him in the first place? What if Dick had gotten on the next ferry boat? Then the story would never have happened in the first place. Dick did have to struggle through some things to get to success though. He had to stick out his low paying job and live with half of his pay going toward his rent and other necessary payments. Therefore, even though he did have luck and was in the right place at the right time, he did stay true to the concept of the American Dream being about drive and perseverance.

However, the author of "Horatio Alger" believes that the American Dream is a false accusation. Dalton writes that there is three problems with the Horatio Alger myth. The first problem that he has with the myth is that Horatio is suggesting that success has nothing to do with race, class background, gender, etc. However, I think what he is saying is somewhat false because there have been several blacks, Asians, Indians and people born into poverty that have been successful. For example, we now have a black president which I believe is a great accomplishment for our nation. What Dalton writes is also somewhat true. Although I would like to think every race could coexist equally, unfortunately some people still do not feel the same way. The second problem that Dalton has with Horatio's myth is that it suggest that we all have an equal opportunity. I believe this is true to an extent. Some people are just born into success and don't have to work for it, but that isn't to say that people that were born into poverty have not been successful as well. Therefore, I think some of it does involve luck and inheritance, but everyone does have an equal opportunity to reach there highest potential, which I believe can get you far in life. Overall, Dalton says that the American dream is false, but only because it does not take into account some key factors. What do you guys think about the American Dream and how true it is?