Ragged Dick Analysis

In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck has positioned the characters to help drive the plot, aid or hinder the protagonists, and deliver messages to readers. On the surface, Steinbeck’s novel seems to project a theme of loneliness, and man’s need for companionship. However, often the difference between the lonely and independent characters is obvious, and the contrast between the two groups is extreme. Most characters are completely alone, but how they manage their given circumstances can push the plot, reveal previously hidden traits that may benefit the overall story, and help the reader explore the novel itself more in depth.

He knew Dick would be too weak-minded to fulfill his ‘promise’. Perry’s mind is immediately taken over with shame and self-loathing for what he has done. He reflects on the indignity of the failed robbery, which leads him to see the indignity of his life as a criminal. His tone is desperate and panic-ridden, displaying his immediate regret. Perry can be characterized as an impulsive man; making rash decisions, then panicking when consequences become apparent.

Frank’s need for stimulation could clearly be seen as an adolescent when he, after running away and surviving on cashing fraudulent checks, desired to partake in even more daring crimes as a result of the mere exposure effect in which the thrill of committing these crimes without any repercussion led to his increasing preference for them. In a way, the deceptive fraudulent checks that Frank created were directly representative of his deceptive nature since they could not easily be validated and had to travel weeks across the country. Frank’s desire to partake in increasing risky crimes during his merge led to the furthering development of his antisocial personality disorder as he took on greater impulsive acts of social deviance such as impersonating a Pan Am pilot and forging Pan Am payroll checks for over two million dollars. Utilizing his superficial charm, pathological lying, and lack of empathy Frank impressed and exploited people to feed his id-driven desire to commit more impulsive, daring crimes. The thrill of living on the edge of getting caught by the FBI, reached a turning point when Frank confidently impersonated the alias of a secret service agent and lied to avoid getting caught by Carl Hanratty, the lead investigator for his case. Realizing, he had just walked past the chief FBI

John Steinbeck’s landmark novel Of Mice and Men is perhaps best known for its revolutionary telling of two characters that are very different, but have come to rely on each other to survive during the Great Depression. The two characters are men named George and Lenny. George is somewhat of an average fellow who has no real special skills or attributes. Lenny is large and abnormally strong, but unfortunately has the mind of a child. Lennie looks up to George as if he were a role model. This statement is best supported in the book; “Lennie, who had been watching, imitated George exactly. He pushed himself back, drew up his knees, embraced them, looked over to George to see whether he had it just right. He pulled his hat down a little more over his eyes, the way George's hat was” (Steinbeck). Both characters help each other find work and save the money they earn to purchase a farm together. Their plans keep getting delayed due to Lenny’s habit of getting into serious trouble. George and Lenny are forced to flee the towns that Lenny has gotten in trouble in and continually move to other cities to find jobs. Of Mice and Men has been praised by readers everywhere and is hailed as a modern classic. Of Mice and Men’s success is usually said to be a result of the complex and emotional bond between the two main characters. Many readers forget about the supporting characters that help or hurt George and Lenny during their story. The minor characters in the story each have their own

Picking up the book “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck holds a different feel then putting it down. Leaving the reader pondering the true theme of the story. A tale among two friends is the mindset most would assume before reading the book but digging deeper you start to realize the dark truth. The story starts with both Lenny who’s large and unaware of his own true strength and George who’s skinny and quick witted. The tale takes both characters and presents them with challenges. Lennie has a mild mental disability which often leads both of them into a lot of trouble. While George must take care of Lennie and always get him out of trouble. Two characters who travel together would be envisioned to be best pals but what awaits them is a rude awakening, George says “Lennie just come along with me out workin '. Got kinda used to each other after a little while” (Steinbeck 3.12).

One day Dick made a friend named Frank. Frank is different than Dick, he is not poor he was born into a life of comfort. Franks Uncle Mr. Whitley, who Dick looks up to because he represents Dick’s aspirations in both money and status. Mr. Whiteley gave Dick one of his nephew’s suits and that completely changed Dick’s socioeconomic rank. From the moment Dick get the grey suit from Mr. Whitley and gets cleaned up not only does he receive better treatment, but in a scene where he and Frank are accused of stealing something on a train, they are acquitted because they did not look like the type of kids that would need to steal. Dick implies that clothes really do make the man, who is largely determined by what one wears, that although appearances matter in Alger 's world, it 's ultimately inner virtues like honesty, generosity, and courage that defines one’s self and its potential. Looks can be deceiving. When Dick has his suit on he is not known as Ragged Dick anymore. The bank officer ends up calling him richard hunter. He said that Dick did not look ragged. Now that he is dressing nice it is bringing him more attention in a positive way. In the poor parts of the streets he is known as Ragged Dick, but when he is around people of a higher social class. He calls himself  Richard Hunter. For example after church he was talking to miss Ida  "What is your name? asked Ida, pleasantly. Our hero was about to answer Ragged Dick, when it occurred to him that in the present

In the detailed story of an impoverished family during the late 1900’s, Jeannette Walls describes her experience from the young age of 3, up until adulthood. The family of 6, with Rex Walls as the father, Rose Mary as the mother, and her three siblings, Lori, Brian and Maureen, were constantly moving throughout the country with little to no food or cash. The memoir shows how dysfunctional the family was, but never seemed to force the reader to condemn the parents. In a life of poverty, the have to move for own to town, and often lived in various mining towns. Although they each found something they learned to love (like Jeannette’s rock collection) in the desert, they had to leave them behind once Rex’s alcoholism only worsened, and they ran

Since Frank spent part of his childhood in America, he learned how the society and working class functioned. Frank looks at America as a classless society where his goals will be realized and his talents would be rewarded, despite his lower-class upbringing. Frank’s first experience with this is presented when Angela goes to the market with no money and the clerk states “… you always pay your bill sooner or later and you can have anything you like in the store” (McCourt 28). I believe that this instance opened Frank’s eyes to how many more opportunities he would have in America than in Ireland. Frank understands at an early age that he will never be able to return to America unless he saves money and escapes the slums because only “rich” people are able to save money. This is proven when Frank says “I'd like to be a Jesuit some day but there's no hope of that when you grow up in a lane. Jesuits are very particular. They don't like poor people. They like people with motor cars who stick out their little fingers when they pick up their teacups” (McCourt 245). Even though Frank is a strong believer that sinning sends you to Hell, he is willing to write life-threatening letters for Mrs. Finucane to her customers who owe her money. Frank is so determined to escape Ireland and to escape the bottomless pit of Ireland’s society class that he would even go against everything he believes

He opened a savings account for himself and deposited all of the money he had, except for the correct amount to pay change to Mr. Greyson, whom he owed from a shine the prior day. In paying his debt to Mr. Greyson, he earned his trust and bought himself an invitation to Sunday school and eventually lunch with the gentleman and his family. This was the start to Dick’s better life of saving his money, renting his own room, and meeting Fosdick, his new friend and private tutor. One day he ran an errand with Fosdick for his employer and the two rode the ferry when they witnessed a young boy, the age of 6, fall of the edge of the boat and into the water. Dick, not hearing the father’s offer of a reward for anyone who would save his son, dove in to save the boy anyhow. Once the boy had been returned safely to his father, the father was so grateful to Dick that he took him to have his wet suit dried and provided him with a suit nicer than his original suit from Frank. Dick then went in to speak with the man, as per his request, and was offered a position in his counting room with a wage of ten dollars per week, considerably higher than his wage would be at any other store or counting room. Dick gleefully accepted his offer and lived content knowing how hard he had worked for this day.

Gay is a gifted mechanic who can make any vehicle run. Steinbeck allows for most of his characters to posses a double-sided appeal. All of the boys lead relatively normal lives by Cannery standards, but can be seen in two different lights. On one hand they are do-gooders, holy-men, martyrs, the type one would always want on their side. On the other hand, with their refined manipulative abilities, they can be perceived as bullies, bottom-feeders, and lowlifes. They are the instigators and problem-solvers; the straight-men and the comic reliefs; the villains and the heroes. With any role they play, they proceed to play the opposite.

Written by Horatio Alger, in the late 1800's, hit upon the most important topic in America at the time; the "American Dream." The "American Dream," being the idea that everyone, from all walks of life, can come to America and be successful, in any way in which they want to, so long as they have hard work and determination to do so. Ragged Dick for filling this "Dream" by making his way up in society, and eventually making a wealthy man of himself. The first was that fact that no one should give up. Through all of the hardships Dick was put through, including the loss of his parents, the misfortune of receiving no education, and the fact that he lived on his own for most of his life. Another important topic that was covered, was that hard work pays off. In Dick's case, he worked hard at a boot-black, treated people with respect, and finally caught a break from his hard work, by receiving a high paying job. The kind of people that would enjoy this story would be people of all ages. No matter what age, or what level of education one may be, this story teaches lessons that anyone can benefit from. It doesn't matter if a twelve year old boy, or a fifty year old woman picked up "Ragged Dick," because they will both benefit from what the story speaks about. I think it is a heroic act to set up dream and tend to achieve it, because there is a fine line between a dreamer and a successful person. A dreamer is a person that day dreams without the aim of act towards it. But a heroic person like what we have in the novel of Ragged Dick is that he worked so hard and started from a very simple job a shoe shiner to finding a job to earning more money helping himself to become a successful

In “Townie: A Memoir” by Andre Dubus III, the unfortunate trials and tribulations of a violent and poverty-stricken childhood is described. With the strain of divorced parents and frequent moves, Dubus vividly describes his experiences of exposure to various environments of drugs, bullies, and sex. Like his father, Dubus embraces a passion for creative writing as a form of therapy. The gravity of Dubus’s childhood was vital to his growth because of its often fight-afflicted and fatherless times.

Becoming "respectable," according to Ragged Dick, entails dressing the part. The clothes Dick wore in the beginning would not have been deemed “respectable” considering the holes and ill-fitting size of them. If someone looks the part, with well-made and moderately expensive looking clothes, people will assume they are someone who deserves respect. While Dick is still in his worn out clothing, he is almost fooled by a clerk when trying to exchange a bill for change. “He fancied that he could browbeat a ragged boot-black, but with a gentleman he saw that it would be a different matter” (10). Because of Dick’s “ragged” appearance the clerk thought he could be fooled and cheated out of his money. The lack of respect was then challenged when

John Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men is an extraordinary novel with unique characteristics. The novel is about an uncommon friendship between two extremely different individuals who are living and working together. This story belong to the genres tragic realistic fiction, historical fiction and drama. The linking between the novel and The Great Depression emphasizes throughout the story, which makes the novel very realistic and down to earth. The author touches on several themes such as: the unreachable American dream, the economic injustices, loneliness, friendship and people’s propensity for cruelty. In this book review, we will get into a deeper understanding of what the actual story means.

In John Updike’s “A&P,” and William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning,” the reader is given a glimpse into the lives of two boys living in much different worlds, but sharing many characteristics. Both Sammy and Sarty experience coming of age in their respective ways. Through the authors’ use of language, imagery, and plot, it becomes clear that Sarty, although younger than Sammy, is more heavily affected by his coming of age experience.