Consider the idiom “from rags to riches” as it relates to the characters in Alger’s novel. Which characters are fortunate enough to follow this trajectory? Is their ability due to hard work or to luck? Are the characters who find wealth able to secure happiness? If so, how?

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt invites students to reconsider their responses from the Personal Connection Prompt in the context of the novel. Although Alger highlights the importance of work ethic and determination in The Rise Of The Self-Made Man, both Dick and Frank also encounter a lucky situation that provides the initial stepping stone of social mobility. Part of this luck is related to their wardrobe and demeanor, ultimately signifying The Importance Of Appearances.

Differentiation Suggestion: For an exercise that focuses on developing oral argumentative skills, this prompt may be changed to an in-class debate where students must argue for or against the following statement: Alger’s characters are socially mobile due only to their hard work.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

CREATIVE WRITING: “Ragged Dick in the 21st Century”

In this activity, students will adapt Alger’s novel to the setting of 21st-century New York City.

Imagine that you are tasked with adapting Alger’s novel for a screenplay set in 21st-century New York City. Working in small groups, select one of the scenes in the novel and create a script that adapts the scene and dialogue to this time period. Which elements would you change? Which would you keep? In which ways would a modern setting affect the novel’s central themes of The Rise Of The Self-Made Man, The Rewards Of Virtue, and The Importance Of Appearances?

After drafting your script, act out your adapted scene for the class in a presentation. Reflect on the differences and similarities with your classmates on the elements that were changed and those that stayed the same.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity invites students to consider the relationship between plot and setting in the context of a creative writing assignment. Alger’s novel centers on the ability of being socially mobile through hard work and determination; however, the concept of an “American Dream” based solely on hard work is seen as an outdated concept that, while possible centuries prior, has only become more difficult in contemporary society. Students should explore this in their script, while considering The Rise Of The Self-Made Man, The Rewards Of Virtue, and The Importance Of Appearances as factors in 21st-century American social mobility.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. After Dick meets Frank, he is set on a trajectory to improve his financial and social status.

• What role does luck play in Dick and Fosdick’s social advancement? (topic sentence)
• Identify 1-2 examples for each character of how luck propelled their social mobility.
• Overall, does the story indicate the necessity of luck in the theme of The Rise Of The Self-Made Man?

2. Consider the motif of religion throughout the novel.

• How does Dick form his ideas of morality? (topic sentence)
• Identify 1-2 examples from the text in which Dick grapples with religion.
• Overall, what argument is Alger making regarding The Rewards Of Virtue and its relationship with religion?

3. Throughout the novel, many of the characters either see or experience swindling. 

• How do swindlers lure their victims? Do their victims share any traits in common? (topic sentence)
• Select 1 instance of swindling in the novel to justify your answer.
• How does The Importance Of Appearances link to the presence of swindlers?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1.Does Dick Hunter possess any advantages from experiencing early hardship that someone like Frank Whitney, who was raised by parents in comfortable circumstances, lacks? In which ways are these hardships important for building his character?

2. In what ways does the novel suggest a boy bootblack on the New York City streets is similar to an American businessman in a capitalist society? How might this novel serve as a larger commentary on amassing wealth in the US?

3. How would you describe Dick Hunter’s humor? How does his sense of comedy serve him in life? Why might Alger have chosen to add humor to Dick’s dialogue, despite the gravity of his surrounding economic circumstances?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following words describes Dick’s morning routine?

A) Cumbersome

B) Vigorous

C) Straightforward

D) Lavish

2. Which of the following words best describes the novel’s tone?

A) Humorous

B) Dry

C) Mysterious

D) Prosaic

3. Which of the following best describes why Mr. Greyson gives Dick more money than the amount of the shoeshine?

A) He was in a rush to get home.

B) He wants to test Dick’s character.

C) He wants to make a donation.

D) He made a mistake with the change.

4. Which of the following words best describes the reaction of Dick’s friends to his new attire?

A) Astonished

B) Appalled

C) Apathetic

D) Abhorred

5. Based on his conversations with Dick, which of the following support systems does Frank believe is the key to success?

A) Psychological

B) Educational

C) Residential

D) Fiscal

6. Which of the following phrases best summarizes Dick’s reaction to the man who was swindled out of $50?

A) Sorrow for the growing crime in the city

B) Perturbation at the man’s lack of street smarts

C) Empathy for the loss of such a sum

D) Shame that he was unable to stop the theft

7. Which of the following words best describe Dick’s interaction with Micky Maguire?

A) Quarrelsome

B) Jubilant

C) Nourishing

D) Quaint

8. Which of the following moments is the main catalyst in propelling Dick’s life out of poverty?

A) His Bible lessons

B) His friendship with Micky

C) His secured lodgings

D) His change of wardrobe

9. Which of the following words best describes Fosdick’s character?

A) Flighty

B) Haughty

C) Scholarly

D) Lively

10. Which of the following phrases best describes Frank’s letter to Dick?

A) An overview of the intricacies of his language studies

B) A summary of his life in the county

C) A recollection of his summer in Europe

D) A reprimand to Dick for not visiting him sooner

11. Which of the following elements does the narrator spend a considerable amount of time describing throughout the novel?

A) Financial budgeting

B) Gender norms

C) Political differences

D) Racial segregation

12. Based on the role of religion in the novel, which of the following phrases is most likely true about Alger’s audience?

A) They believed in the separation of church and state

B) They believed in the link between Christianity and morality

C) They felt Puritan ethics had declined in America

D) They did not consider the church to have a central role in American society

13. Based on the content of the novel, which of the following communities would most likely be Alger’s intended audience?

A)Impoverished migrants

B) Wealthy Englishmen

C) Literate youth

D) Street urchins

14. In which of the following historical periods did Alger publish his novel?

A) Antebellum

B) The Civil War

C) Reconstruction

D) World War I

15. Which physical feature does Alger continually reference in regarding Dick’s character?

A) His face

B) His arms

C) His hands

D) His knees

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What is the narration style of the story?

2. What does the term “Ragged Dick” mean? How does this term change by the end of the novel?