Alger occasionally cited the young Abe Lincoln as a representative of this theme for his readers. Scharnhorst points out that the patron in Try and Trust, for example, conceals a "sad secret" from which he is redeemed only after saving the hero's life. 2. Alger secured his literary niche in 1868 with the publication of his fourth book, Ragged Dick, the story of a poor bootblack's rise to middle-class respectability. [46] In 1875 Alger produced the serial Shifting for Himself and Sam's Chance, a sequel to The Young Outlaw. Horatio Alger had many different reasons for writing his success stories. He tutored with never a whisper of scandal. Horatio Alger, Jr. (1834–1899) was a prolific 19th-century American author, best known for his many formulaic juvenile novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of respectable middle-class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage, and honesty. a. He wished to do this by showing them what "energy, ambition and and honest purpose may achieve." [11] Horatio attended Gates Academy, a local preparatory school,[10] and completed his studies at age 15. It was rare that a kind rich person would help them out by giving them money or a better job. Brinkley, Alan. [28][32] In September 1865 his second boys' book, Paul Prescott's Charge, was published and received favorable reviews. This brings the boy—and his plight—to the attention of a wealthy individual. In his early adulthood her was a Unitarian minister in Massachusetts. The romance between that man and I was no Romeo and Juliet, but we will sacrifice for each other in any situation. He never experienced any of the hardships that he portrayed in his stories. [81] He observes that it is impossible to know whether Alger lived the life of a secret homosexual, "[b]ut there are hints that the male companionship he describes as a refuge from the streets—the cozy domestic arrangements between Dick and Fosdick, for example—may also be an erotic relationship". People are rewarded for doing good things and helping people out. Each story has its clever hero, its "fairy godmother", and obstacles and hindrances to the hero's rise. During the civil war, he attempted to enlist in the union army, but was rejected many times because of his asthma and other respiratory problems. "... the story and message were invariably the same: A poor boy from a small town went to the big city to seek his fortune. [51] He was writing both urban and Western-themed tales. Characters fall in love and marry on the basis of their character, talents, or intellect rather than the size of their bank accounts. He was an honors student at Harvard. Leyden, MA: Aeonian Press Inc., 1975. To install click the Add extension button. An invalid sister, Annie, was born in 1840, and a brother, Francis, in 1842. There are many lines to the plot, which thickens as many enemies of the main character go against him, some together. Scharnhorst writes that Alger "exercised a certain discretion in discussing his probable homosexuality" and was known to have mentioned his sexuality only once after the Brewster incident. [52] In 1877, Alger's fiction became a target of librarians concerned about sensational juvenile fiction. Alger wrote, for example, that it was difficult to distinguish whether Tattered Tom was a boy or a girl and in other instances, he introduces foppish, effeminate, lisping "stereotypical homosexuals" who are treated with scorn and pity by others. Alger was born in Massachusetts, and attended Harvard College. Horatio Alger Jr. (/ ˈ æ l dʒ ər /; January 13, 1832 – July 18, 1899) was an American writer of young adult novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage, and honesty. His readers ignored the moral qualities of his heroes and instead focused on their success. [12] He published his earliest literary works in local newspapers. His writings were characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which had a formative effect on the United States during the Gilded Age. The majority of his readers clung to the images of success, fortune, and wealth, but ignored the morals. After this book came out, then New York state legislators made some laws preventing cruelty to children. Research the meaning of any allusions that are unfamiliar to you. They didn't see that much of the fortune came as a result of the good deeds that the hero did. A general trust was central to his stories. 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