The Horatio Alger Myth Today

When looking for contemporary uses of the phrase 'The Horatio Alger myth', I stumbled across this website, http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/10/3199260/whats-wrong-in-america-is-not.html. Although this site doesn't glorify the idea of the myth and doesn't strictly 'use' the phrase, it certainly comments on it, and gives us an insight into the true state of American hope and opportuinty in the 21st Century.

We are used to hearing the 'Horatio Alger myth' used in such positive circumstances in America. Although it's now known more conventionally as the American Dream, 'the myth' lives on to this day and is no doubt a source of inspiration and hope to many Americans. However, the article I have chosen to analyse illustrates the misuse and the misunderstanding of Alger's 'myth'. Mary Sanchez, the writer of the article is very explicit in her dissection of 'the myth'. She even goes as far as completely reversing its principles, explaining how 'young people today do not lack initiative; they lack opportunity'. If we compare this to Alger's novel Ragged Dick we see clearly dissimilarity.

Although Dick is born into poverty he, like in the typical depiction of the American Dream today, is able to escape this life and become successful as a result of hard work. The opportunities Dick recieves are so frequent and seemingly orchestrated that 'the Horatio Alger myth' or 'the American Dream' appears to be in reach for everyone willing to work hard. Sanchez uses the example of the current Occupy Wall Street demonstrations to support her opposition to the portrayel of Alger's 'myth'. She identifies that 'many of the protesters are young people from middle-class backgrounds and with college educations'; the people who are struggling to support themselves in America today. This directly shows how we can suggest that the hard workers often don't succeed in the USA, and the Alger's 'myth' is in fact very over exaggerated and whimsical.

Throughout her article, Mary Sanchez makes direct criticism towards Herman Cain, a 2012 Republican candidate, who, according to Sanchez, 'just doesn't get it'. She goes on to explain that Cain doesn't understand how 'Young people today are no less entrepreneurial or driven than previous generations. The problem is that times have changed'. This outlines the main extended argument of the article; the idea that many Americans, particularly Republican politicians and the older generation, don't take into consideration the way in which the nation is changing, in relation to 'the Horatio Alger's myth'. There is little understanding that perhaps it doesn't carry the same meaning today as it did in the 19th Century.

Despite this, however, the article doesn't completely discount 'the Horatio Alger myth'. It doesn't say that hard work and determination are bad traits to have in America today, but it does almost plead for Americans to stop the insensitive side of 'the myth' and 'the dream. Sanchez uses a direct quote from Cain, '“If you don’t have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself"', as evidence of this. Despite this, I still believe that 'the Horatio Alger myth' does still have importance today, carrying many of the USAs contemporary values. The inspiring rags to rich story of Dick gave children and teenagers, particuarly street arabs, the chance to have hope and drive for the future. The instructional nature of Alger's text made the ambitions seem more achievable and realistic. Although in 21st America the reality is that, as stated frequently by Sanchez, Alger's 'myth' doesn't always work out, I still believe that it does exist and can have influence on the life of Americans.