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Dick’s suit symbolizes who he wants to be in life. It’s said that the clothes make the man (or woman), and nowhere is that more true than in Ragged Dick. Dick literally changes over night when he’s presented with a new suit, thanks to Frank and Mr. Whitney. Prior to this, Dick had been a bit of a vagabond, wasting his money on luxuries like cigars and gambling. With just the addition of the suit, however, Dick begins his rise to respectability. This is because the suit is more than just a collection of tailored fabric—it represents Dick’s ideal image of himself. Thus, when Dick (and later, Fosdick) improves this outer image, he has no choice but to improve his life choices to match it, propelling himself closer and closer to his ideal self.
The Suit Quotes in Ragged Dick: Or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks
The Ragged Dick: Or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Suit. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 3
Quotes
“I’m afraid you haven’t washed your face this morning,” said Mr. Whitney […]
“They didn’t have no wash-bowls at the hotel where I stopped,” said Dick.
“What hotel did you stop at?”
“The Box Hotel.”
“The Box Hotel?”
“Yes, sir, I slept in a box on Spruce Street.”
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Chapter 4
Quotes
When Dick was dressed in his new attire, with his face and hands clean, and his hair brushed, it was difficult to imagine that he was the same boy.
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Chapter 5
Quotes
Dick succeeded in getting quite a neat-looking cap, which corresponded much better with his appearance than the one he had on. The last, not being considered worth keeping, Dick dropped on the sidewalk, from which, on looking back, he saw it picked up by a brother boot-black who appeared to consider it better than his own.
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Turning towards our hero, he said, “May I inquire, young man, whether you are largely invested in the Erie Railroad?”
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Chapter 11
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Save your money, my lad, buy books, and determine to be somebody, and you may yet fill an honorable position.
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Chapter 19
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Mr. Henderson, this is a member of my Sunday school class, for whose good qualities and good abilities I can speak confidently.
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Get the entire Ragged Dick LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Suit Symbol Timeline in Ragged Dick: Or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Suit appears in Ragged Dick: Or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4: Dick’s New Suit
Once at the hotel, Dick is presented with a suit by Mr. Whitney. Though it was Frank’s previously, it’s still in quite good shape, and...
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Frank is suitably impressed by Dick’s change in appearance, and the two agree that all that’s needed to...
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Chapter 11: Dick as Detective
...hotel, they find Mr. Whitney, who remarks that he barely recognizes Dick in his new suit. Whitney tells Dick his life story, noting that he used to be as poor as...
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Chapter 12: Dick Hires a Room on Mott Street
...a new leaf. He also worries that if he continues to sleep outside, his new suit will be quickly ruined.
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Chapter 13: Mickey Maguire
...or not to wear his old clothes to work or to risk staining his new suit. He finds that he’s ashamed of his old clothes and can’t wear them. Instead, he...
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Dick finds that his new suit enables him to get customers more quickly, and he earns a substantial amount of money...
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Chapter 14: A Battle and a Victory
...Whitney and so starts the account with five dollars. The teller assumes, based on Dick’s suit, that he can write; Dick must then write out his name to open the account,...
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Chapter 26: An Exciting Adventure
...Fosdick brought to his house, along with his son. He supplies Dick with a new suit to replace his ruined one and instructs Dick to meet him at his counting room...
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