Edward Stratemeyer

Out for Business Edward Stratemeyer

The "Horatio Alger myth" is the "classic" American success story and character arc, the trajectory from "rags to riches." It comes from the novels of Horatio Alger, Jr., which were widely popular after the Civil War in the United States. Alger wrote over 120 books for young working-class males, a well-known early example of which is Ragged Dick, which was published in 1867. His books have been described as rags-to-riches stories, although often "rags to upper-middle class respectability" might be more accurate. "By leading exemplary lives, struggling valiantly against poverty and adversity," Alger's protagonists gain both wealth and honor, ultimately realizing the American Dream. The characters in Alger's stories sometimes improved their social position through the aid of an older, kindly, wealthy benefactor.