Imagery in Ragged Dick Essay -- essays papers

Imagery in Ragged Dick Imagery plays a big part in the success of a novel. Different writers have different styles. The good thing about imagery is it makes room for the reader to put things together. The reader is allowed to interpret the story the way that they like. "Ragged Dick", Horatio Alger, Jr. did a great thing with imagery. While reading the novel readers had a change to envision many things that were mentioned in each chapter. Algar interconnected the appearances of the main character to his living arrangement. He also connected these things with the character's attitude. "Ragged Dick" is about a young boy, name Dick Hunter, who earns his living by shining shoes in New York. He is a very street-smart young boy. All thought the story *censored* was treated according to his appearance. In the beginning of the novel Dick was working on someone shoes when he overheard a conversation between a young boy name Frank and his uncle. Frank wanted to take a tour around the city but his uncle was to busy. Dick interrupted the conversation and said he will give Frank a tour. Before they left for the tour Frank thought Dick need a new suit. While Dick gave Frank a tour, Frank gave Dick something's to think about. He talked to Dick about everything from shining shoes to where Dick was going to live. Dick did not have a home. "His bedchamber had been a wooden box half full of straw . . ."(pg4). He ate whatever he could afford. Looking at his clothes one would assume he was poor. " His pants were torn in several places, and had apparently belonged in the first instance to a boy two sizes larger than himself. He wore a vest, all the buttons of which peeped a shirt which looked as if it had been worn a month. ... ... little better. " I think we can afford to leave Moot Street now," he continued. " This house isn't as neat as it might be, and I should like to live in a nicer quarter of the city."(P184) Dick agreed and decided the sooner the better. He wanted to start the very next day, since he retired from boot blacking. In society today appearances are very important. People associate nice clothes with money. You can see in Ragged Dick that is not always the case. In the beginning of the story Dick did not really care where he lived but after he got new clothes he started thinking differently. He wanted to live in a better place. The connect Algar make was good. It makes people aware of the things we do. People concentrate to much on appearances and not personality. I do believe nice clothes may make a person feel better about them, partly because people treat them better.