Horatio Alger Myth
The "Horatio Alger myth" is the rags to riches message in books by Horatio Alger, Jr.. Alger wrote over 100 books for young working class males, beginning with Ragged Dick, which was published in 1867. His books have been described as rags to riches stories. “By leading exemplary lives, struggling valiantly against poverty and adversity,” Alger’s protagonists gain both wealth and honor, ultimately realizing the American Dream. The characters in his formulaic stories sometimes improved their social position through the aid of an older, kindly, wealthly helping person.
Read more about Horatio Alger Myth: Success of Alger's Characters, Criticism and Analysis
Famous quotes containing the word myth:
“How then can we account for the persistence of the myth that inside the empty nest lives a shattered and depressed shell of a woman—a woman in constant pain because her children no longer live under her roof? Is it possible that a notion so pervasive is, in fact, just a myth?”
—Lillian Breslow Rubin (20th century)