Horatio Alger Jr. was an American author who wrote young adult novels about impoverished boys who rose from humble backgrounds to middle-class security through good works. His writings were characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which had a formative effect on the United States during the Gilded Age. His books, essentially variations on Ragged Dick, featured stock characters such as the valiant, hard-working, honest youth; the noble mysterious stranger; the snobbish youth; and the evil, greedy squire. His novels had themes including the Rise to Respectability, Character Strengthened Through Adversity, Beauty versus Money, and the Old World versus the New. He was known for his literary allusions, ranging from the Bible and William...More
Horatio Alger Jr. was an American author who wrote young adult novels about impoverished boys who rose from humble backgrounds to middle-class security through good works. His writings were characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which had a formative effect on the United States during the Gilded Age. His books, essentially variations on Ragged Dick, featured stock characters such as the valiant, hard-working, honest youth; the noble mysterious stranger; the snobbish youth; and the evil, greedy squire. His novels had themes including the Rise to Respectability, Character Strengthened Through Adversity, Beauty versus Money, and the Old World versus the New. He was known for his literary allusions, ranging from the Bible and William Shakespeare to John Milton and Cicero. The backdrops of his novels became the Western United States rather than the urban environments of the Northeastern United States.
