Horatio Alger’s novel “Ragged Dick” paints a very graphic and suitable portrait of the dream so many individuals are trying to grasp. Alger preaches to the reader that anyone could attain the “American Dream” with hard work, positive attitude, and an education. The “American Dream” is a classical ideal that has been present since the origins of American literature. What is the true meaning of the quote “American Dream”? Some believe that it’s a journey to acquire prosperity, wealth, and a high ranking in the eyes of society, while others believe the quote is a simple act of settling down and enjoying the benefits of life. The original quest for freedom as well as settlement has evolved through the passing of time into a vortex of continuous struggle to attain a big home, a nice car, and a life of simplicity. The novel Ragged Dick emphasizes a lot on the fact that…show more content… His sexual preference affects the way he uses gender to compare the amount of importance for certain characters in the novel. There are a few women whom are mentioned in Ragged Dick but they play very minor roles. For example “Frank and Dick are riding in a horse-car, they come across a middle-aged woman who accuses them of stealing her pocket book “ (Alger 60). Her appearance is brief and she gives the reader a face value that she is just a fool due to her false accusations of Frank and Dick. Mrs. Greyson and her daughter, Ida, also made short appearances as characters during the story. Ida’s has a conversation with Dick, but it seems as if she didn’t really have any significance to the story. Her role comes off as a little girl who is saying more than she should (Alger 116). Mrs. Greyson solely appears as a wife and mother. She can be seen correcting her daughter, making her seem stuck up towards Dick and Frank, by her lack of acknowledgement for the boys