Rupert's Ambition

Horatio Alger, Jr.Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 313K words
Chapters: 32

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Rupert's Ambition by Jr. Horatio AlgerAuthor: Alger, Horatio, Jr., 1832-1899,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Apr 28, 2017

Editor's review

Rupert's Ambition is a young-adult novel by Horatio Alger Jr. and belongs to his characteristic "rags-to-riches" narrative tradition: an ordinary boy of humble origins gradually gains opportunities and recognition while making his way in the city through honesty, diligence, and resourcefulness. The value of such works lies in presenting late-nineteenth-century American imaginings of success, character, and class; it is an important sample for understanding popular literary expressions of the "American Dream." The story moves briskly and its moral direction is clear, making it a light read as an English young-adult novel and also suitable for socio-cultural researchers doing textual analysis. Note that its values bear a distinct mark of their era, and its attribution of poverty and success is rather simplistic; today's readers should read it critically, seeing both the story and the social ideas behind it.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers who want to understand late-nineteenth-century American popular young-adult fiction
Researchers in literature and history studying "rags-to-riches" narratives and the idea of the American Dream
Middle-school students with basic English who wish to try public-domain original novels
Educators concerned with the evolution of character-education texts for young people

Not a good fit for

Serious literary readers expecting complex characterization and ambiguous themes
Readers sensitive to didacticism and a single-minded view of success, who may find it off-putting
Beginners with weak English who cannot yet read original novels independently

Reading tips

Read the first few chapters to grasp the protagonist's situation and the narrative formula, then pay attention to the motives behind each of his choices.
As you read, note how "opportunity" and "character" are bound together in the narrative, and form your own judgment.
Compare it with other coming-of-age novels of the same period to observe commonalities and differences in success narratives.
English learners can select short chapters for close reading to build up nineteenth-century everyday vocabulary and dialogue expressions.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for children to read independently?

Middle-school students with basic English reading ability can try it, but the language and settings carry a nineteenth-century background, and some vocabulary and social situations need annotation. Younger readers are advised to read with a parent or use a guide, and to discuss the book's views on success and poverty rather than accepting its values uncritically.

What common features do Alger-style novels have?

Such novels typically depict a lower-class boy gradually improving his circumstances through honesty, hard work, thrift, and seizing opportunities; the plot is clear, the moral direction obvious, and the tone markedly inspirational and didactic. Once you know this formula, you can read more consciously analyzing its narrative conventions and period limitations.

What historical information can be learned from this book?

It reflects late-nineteenth-century American urban livelihood, occupational stratification, imaginings of class mobility, and how the popular publishing market shaped young readers. But a novel is an ideologically framed narrative and cannot be treated as a factual record of social history; it should be used in conjunction with historical sources.

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About the author

Horatio Alger, Jr. Author · American · 1832–1899

Horatio Alger, Jr. (1832–1899) was an American writer, born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and died in Natick. He is known for his "rags-to-riches" novels, in which poor boys rise through diligence, integrity, and opportunity. His best-known work, Ragged Dick (1868), depicts the street life and struggles of a New York bootblack. The library holds 101 of his works, including Charlie Codman's Cruise, Dan, the Newsboy, and Bound to Rise; most were written for young readers, with brisk plots and an optimistic tone that typically rewards honest effort. These books deeply influenced nineteenth-century American "self-made" culture, making the "Alger hero" a popular symbol of striving. Public information on other details of his life is limited.