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Soliloquy
Chapter 1: Ragged Dick Is Introduced to the Reader
Explanation and Analysis:
In Ragged Dick, Horatio Alger's style is straightforward, authoritative, and sometimes simplistic. This method of writing allowed the author to appeal to a broad audience of different ages and educational levels, who originally read the novel in serial form.
Throughout the book, Alger focuses single-mindedly on the linear plot of Dick's moral and educational development, at the expense of elegant language or lyrical prose. He rarely provides any details that don't immediately advance the plot or the moral lesson he's trying to convey. On the sentence level, the novel contains few instances of simile, metaphor, or imagery. Instead of developing the novel's themes implicitly through such literary devices, he discusses these ideas explicitly as Dick incorporates them into his own life. This style makes sense for an author who was writing for children with the express purpose of encouraging them to adopt values and behaviors he considered virtuous.
One notable stylistic feature in Ragged Dick is the novel's strong authorial voice. The author frequently inserts himself into the text as a narrator, commenting on Dick's behavior, the moral fiber (or lack thereof) of other characters, or the virtues of American society. For example, after enumerating Dick's many faults at the beginning of the novel, Alger adds:
His nature was a noble one, and had saved him from all mean faults. I hope my young readers will like him as I do, without being blind to his faults.
Speaking in the first person here, Alger tells his young readers exactly what they should think of Dick, performing the character analysis that other novels might expect readers to do on their own. This kind of authorial intervention makes clear that the novel is not trying to create a realistic portrayal of an impoverished boy, and it reflects Alger's desire to express his arguments as clearly as possible.
Related Themes:
