Ragged Dick and His Success. Unlike other bootblacks, Ragged Dick believed in honesty, and this helped him become more successful than his peers.

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Ragged Dick and His Success

It is easy to assume that Ragged Dick rose to success because of hard work, but his honesty and generosity and his encounters with the right people truly changed his life for the better. Anyone can work hard and earn a decent living, but Dick had luck on his side. Many times, his honesty and generosity reaped great rewards. Other times, he was lucky to run into people who would help support his quest for a respectable living.

Unlike other bootblacks, Ragged Dick believed in honesty, and this helped him become more successful than his peers. Once, a clerk tried to keep a bill that Dick asked him to change by claiming it was counterfeit (Alger, 11-12).The bill belonged to Dick’s client, and Dick led him into the store to expose the clerk as a cheater (Alger, 13-14). In the end, the clerk was fired for his dishonesty, and the client rewarded Dick fifty extra cents for his trouble (p.14). Dick’s morality was even evident in his appearance. Mr. Whitney, a stranger to Dick, spontaneously decided to trust Dick as Frank’s tour guide because he believes that “’[Dick] looks honest. He has an open face, and…[can] be depended upon’ (Alger, 16). Because of this, Dick developed a valuable friendship with Frank and also received $5 for his services (Alger,  57). Finally, Dick displayed his honesty to Mr. Greyson by bringing back the 15 cents he owed the man, and as a reward, Mr. Greyson invited him to attend his Sunday School classes (Alger, 72).

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Furthermore, Dick’s acts of generosity and kindness led to self-fulfillment and career advancement. As soon as he realized Fosdick did not have a home, Dick offered to share his room in Mott Street (Alger, 73). In return, Fosdick taught him to read and write, and these valuable skills qualified Dick for a higher-paying job (Alger, 74). Rather than be competitive, Dick allowed Fosdick to set up his black box beside him, and this proved to be favorable because they both earned more than they usually would by themselves (Alger, 79).  In another instance, Tom’s family was struggling to survive because ...

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