Since Ragged Dick is only the first story we have read that deals with a male main character it is hard to suggest how males and females are represented differently in nineteenth century literature. One difference that I did notice was that it felt like the boy s emitted more intelligence than the girls in prior stories. As Ragged dick is walking around the city he is able to state facts about different buildings as is Frank. “that is the new York hospital…They’re a rich institution, and take care of sick people on very reasonable terms.” (p. 297) There are other examples throughout the text that have the similar premise. Then there is a point in the story where the boys begin discussing investments. This topic alone seems like it would be more common amongst an older crowd. “No, said dick; I manage my property myself” “And I presume your dividends have not been large?” (p. 60) That just seems like an advanced conversation for such young boys. The girls in the prior novels really only talked about making toast and other household chores. I feel like authors are trying to suggest that boys have higher intelligence than girls do. Ragged Dick didn’t even go to school, yet he knew about dividends and property values.
Another difference I noticed was that boys seem to be more appreciated and respected. For instance Ragged Dick went out every day and polished shoes. Every day he made money and was able to feed, clothe and find shelter for himself; yet Capitola was forced to dress as a boy in order to work and care for herself. Nobody is willing to hire an orphan unless it’s a boy.
One other point I saw was when Ragged Dick was accused of giving a counterfeit bill. “He stood his ground bravely. Then give me back my bill” (p. 29) The text suggests that Dick is brave for defending his name and for arguing back with the gentleman. In The Wide Wide World when Ellen is given a hard time in the store she does not try to defend herself but rather breaks into tears and is helped by the older gentleman. Now realizing there is a significant age difference between Dick and Ellen I still feel that authors are suggesting boys are brave and defend themselves and that girls are unable to protect themselves.
As I stated in the beginning this is only the first story we have read about boys, but so far it seems that authors portray boys as being stronger and more capable of work.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hey there! Guys definitely seemed more logical than girls in literature. The girls usually were m ore emotional like Ellen with her mom dying, Sybil being trapped in a crazy house, and Gerty punching people because they insulted her. Hehe...toast. I think you're right for the most part about boys being more brave than girls, yet there is one example that opposes this view--Sybil. Sybil is always trying to escape the confines of the crazy house, which I do think is brave. HOwever I always tend to think of Ellen as the quintessential girl in literature, so you make a good point.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Alger was trying to say that boys were more intelligent than girls, or that they're more capable. Think of Frank, he wasn't very street smart; and Johnny was no model human being. Dick is the Alger's image of the future, that is why he is clever. The fact that he male is simply a consequence of the time period. An intelligent boy would be the pride of a family, whereas a too-clever girl, a deceptive girl might be a scary thing.
ReplyDelete