Alger's Ragged Dick

The dust bowl was a tragic time in America for so many families and John Steinbeck does a great job at getting up-close and personal with one family to show these tragedies. In the novel, “The Grapes of Wrath”, John Steinbeck employed a variety of rhetorical devices, such as asyndeton, personification and simile, in order to persuade his readers to enact positive change from the turmoil of the Great Depression. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck tells the fictional narrative of Tom Joad and his family, while exploring social issues and the hardships of families who had to endure the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Steinbeck’s purpose was to challenge readers to look at

In the book, of Mice and Men John Steinbeck writes about the rough lives of ranch workers in the great depression. Throughout this book the characters are mean people. This isn't just for fiction books.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by the pseudonym Mark Twain, has been central to American literature for over a century. His seemingly effortless diction accurately exemplified America’s southern culture. From his early experiences in journalism to his most famous fictional works, Twain has remained relevant to American writing as well as pop culture. His iconic works are timeless and have given inspiration the youth of America for decades. He distanced himself from formal writing and became one of the most celebrated humorists. Mark Twain’s use of the common vernacular set him apart from authors of his era giving his readers a sense of familiarity and emotional connection to his characters and himself.

Steinbeck’s Depression-era saga was published in 1945. Exactly 20 years later, a 15-year-old Monterey High student named Peter Partch made the same eastbound turn onto Carmel Valley Road. Sitting quietly alongside his father in the cab of their truck, Partch hoped luck would blossom for him, too.

Ragged Dick by Horatio Alger. This story follows a young boy, who through hard work, determination, self-reliance, honesty and good character went from a homeless black-boot to a respectable, high paying job.  This story is filled with examples of what life was like in New York City, telling the us what he would find and experience in it. In Ragged Dick, This was a time of progress, change and falsehood in American History. This is when people really started to chase the illusive American dream, and Alger is trying to capture this rags-to-riches vision. The fact that the book takes place in New York is not enough to understand the full extent of this book. At this time many Americans were going through one of the hardest times in

In John Steinbeck 's The Grapes of Wrath, Tom Joad and his family are forced from their home during the 1930’s Oklahoma Dust Bowl and set out for California along with thousands of others in search of jobs, land, and hope for a brighter future. The Grapes of Wrath is Steinbeck’s way to expound about the injustice and hardship of real migrants during the Depression-era. He utilizes accurate factual information, somber imagery, and creates pathos, allowing readers connections to the Joad’s plight

A family torn apart by poverty and desperation in the Great Depression leave their home in the dust bowl in hopes of finding a new life on the green pastures of California. This was the foundation of an award winning novel, “The Grapes of Wrath,” written by John Steinbeck. Steinbeck achieved great success as an author after writing “The Grapes of Wrath” as it sold over 10,000 copies a week for months after its debut. To illustrate life in the dust bowl, the author uses literary elements or formal components such as a sophisticated tone, natural dialect in the form of slang, and figurative language.

the depression and the Vietnam conflict changed the way of thinking of the American people.

The 1930's were a decade of great change politically, economically, and socially. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl wore raw the nerves of the people, and our true strength was shown. From it arose John Steinbeck, a storyteller of the Okies and their hardships. His books, especially The Grapes of Wrath, are reflections of what really went on in the 1930's. John Steinbeck did not write about what he had previously read, he instead wrote what he experienced through his travels with the migrant workers. "His method was not to present himself notebook in hand and interview people. Instead he worked and traveled with the migrants as one of them, living as they did and arousing no suspicion from employers militantly alert against

The United States in the 1900's was a very tough place for an orphan. Children were left homeless and had no hope to survive. They had to dream in boxes on the street in Hell's live. They dreamt of a warm bed and a nice meal waiting on the table. They dreamed of having money that would give them power to enjoy everything else in life. The children at least wanted to get out of Hell's live to live on Mott Street. Hell's live is beneath the poor and Mott Street is the next best thing. Most children all had intuitive to start a little job from boot blacking to selling newspapers. Some were also thieves. They all had to find some way to fulfill their stomachs. There were children who had dreams of something more. Some wanted to

Honestly, after reading Ragged Dick i started to asked myself what part of my personality made me successful in life. I truly believe my success in life wasn't a part of my personality, more of a fake who accepted handouts. i never had to work for anything, cheated my way through school and basically life which may sounds a little unbelievable but it happen. Dick also was a bit generous , given clothes away , helping a young man get his 50 bucks back and offering to cover rent from Toms Wilkins mother. I'm not so generous , i like to receive blessings having someone pay my rent or helping me get my stolen my back.

That novel was followed by what most people believe is Steinbeck’s best book, “Grapes Of Wrath”, which was based on articles he had written in San Francisco, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1940. His talks of the poor conditions eventually caught the attention of Eleanor Roosevelt, who raised the standards, telling Congress to fix the bad parts of the labor laws and camp conditions. In all 17 of his works became movies or screenplays.

A few years later, Steinbeck returned to California to write “Grapes of Wrath” and to further research the flawed California labor. “He was not, however, merely researching materials for his next book, but passionately involved in the suffering and injustice” (Lisca 16). His fervor for the migrant cause almost lead him to abandon his recent writing and revise “Of Mice and Men” and sell it so he could donate to money to the migrant workers.

The use of symbolism has always been a prevalent way for writers to communicate important issues to the public. It is not uncommon to read a simple children’s story and discover underlying political or moral messages, for example, Horatio Alger’s novel Ragged Dick. This story was written after the Civil War, when America experienced a period of huge industrial growth. The capitalistic work ethic had become a universal idea in the North, and in response the Government agreed to stay out of business affairs, following the industrial policy of "laissez-faire." This widened the gap between the rich and the poor, making it difficult for a less fortunate individual to work his way up in society. Many Americans, however, believed that it was definitely

Modern America focuses on the ideas of rebuilding lives, finding a new reality, a self-awareness in ones society and the acceptance of a new Modern. William Faulkner showcases his understanding of America through the influence of those living in the broken South, post Civil War. Faulkner’s novel Absalom, Absalom! is set in the late 1800’s early 1900’s but reflects stories told in the past, present and future by individual characters. In Jefferson County down in Mississippi after the Civil War, the south had been defeated and was on it’s way to rebuilding it’s foundation the people and the land. Faulkner tackles the problems of race, social class, slavery, self empowerment and the open secrets of the south through both white and black perspectives.