ipl-logo

The Death Of Horatio Alger Analysis

420 Words2 Pages

“The Death of Horatio Alger” By. Paul Krugman “The Death of Horatio Alger”, is an option piece written December 18, 2003 by Paul Krugman and published January 5,2004 by The Nation magazine, a “New York based publication that is known for bringing political and social issues to the forefront”. Paul Krugman has done just that with this article by drawing attention by contrasting the current socioeconomic issues of today with those of past years. (Nation) Inspired by “Waking Up from the American Dream” an article published in Business Week, Krugman found that the research in the article pointed to the “drastic increase in income and wealth inequality” which is why “America looks more and more like a class-ridden society”. With this information …show more content…

Krugman states that “the American dream of upward mobility was a real experience for many people” and uses Horatio Alger has his exemplar of what upward mobility meant to the American people. (Krugman) (Dictonary.com) Horatio Alger a” 19th century author, whose writings were characterized by the “rags to riches” narrative do to his characters rise from improvised backgrounds to lives of middle class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage and honesty, which had a formative effect on America during the Gilded Age”. The Gilded Age as told by Krugman “was a highly unequal, that changed during the Great Compression”, a time were the income gap was small due to “corporate profits and high incomes; strong unions; and new deal polices”. Things that we lack today in society. (Wikipedia) (Krugman) Paul Krugman liken the death of Alger and the endings of his rags to riches stories, to the death of the American dream, which is the proverbial rags to riches story that many would to seek and for some still

Show More
Related

Summary Of Death Of Horatio Alger By Paul Krugman

520 Words | 3 Pages

Many economists argue about the exact nature of the relationship of social mobility in the context of the modern economy. One such economist, Paul Krugman, negatively comments in his essay “The Death of Horatio Alger” on the decreasing social mobility among low-wage citizens in the United States. He claims that the American dream of advancement opportunities will diminish as the wealthy aim to prevent others from rising above them in the business world. Moreover, he labels America’s unequal society as a rigid “caste system” and opposes those who ignore the system’s lack of fairness to the lower class (134). Although Krugman strongly criticizes the inflexibility of economic mobility, his informal tone, biased perspective, and unjustifiable approach make his argument not only ineffective but also offensive.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Confronting Inequality By Paul Krugman

290 Words | 2 Pages

Paul Krugman author of the article “Confronting Inequality” stresses the inequality of our social classes in the United States, he uses statistics to demonstrate the staggering consequences of this inequality within our social classes. Krugman emphasizes the fact that a majority of our wealth is owned by about one percent of the population, which is leaving the middle and lower class at an extreme disadvantage. One example Krugman uses is education; children that have wealthy families, have a higher percentage of finishing college than those of lower income families, proving the statement that Krugman was accentuating, “Class-inherited class- usually trumps talent.” The parents within this middle to lower class have been exceed their financial

Read More

Comparison Of Captain Of Industry And Robber Barons Of The Gilded Age

484 Words | 2 Pages

Although industrialists of The Gilded Age brought about a new societal sophistication, those of the lower class were not blessed by these of the social graces. The men of The Gilded Age the steelmaker Andrew Carnegie, the banker J.P. Morgan, the oilman John D. Rockefeller, and the railroad magnates Jay Gould and Cornelius Vanderbilt, contributed to the low income and poverty lives of their workers. Often labeled at robber barons, these industrialists took away the rights of their workers and helped make higher class children have an unfair advantage, especially in the sense of education, over the lower class youth. These men, distinctly different in their investments, all had one goal in mind. To earn a profit, no matter the cost.

Read More

Stuart Ewen Chosen People Summary

670 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the piece, Ewen uses quotes from historians and scholars to enhance his argument that americans strive to attain the dream life. Ewen quotes Alan Dawley, a well known historians who says, “There was a class of white-collar employees who earned only subsistence salaries and their sense of pride lay in the prestige of being close to the social elite. These white-collar employees anxiously strove to assemble a stylistic affinity to wealth” (Ewen 186). The white-collar employees did not have much, but they took great honor in knowing they were closer to the elite than others and continued to strive for the highest level. Alan Dawley was a professor of history who received his degree from Harvard University who also wrote three books.

Read More

Social Workers And Workers In The Gilded Age

688 Words | 3 Pages

The Gilded Age, which occurred during the nineteenth century, was one of the most important periods in American history. America’s industry expanded and generated many opportunities for all people. It allowed them to build great fortunes, but also left many, such as farmers and other workers, struggling to survive. Overall, national wealth increased tremendously, but there was a divide between the rich and the poor. Industrial monopolists like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller revolutionized business and ushered in the modern business economy, but also at times, destroyed free-market economic competition.

Read More

Gilded Age Dbq Essay

790 Words | 4 Pages

The eternal words of Mark Twain made this era the “Gilded Age” for a reason: Society changed for the worse in those years, and the strife of the many was concealed by the Bentleys of the few. As shown by document 1 of section 2, the land grant to the Union Pacific Railroad Company,

Read More

Apush Dbq Gilded Age

882 Words | 4 Pages

As reconstruction ended in the South, there began a new era known as the “Gilded Age.” This term was coined by Mark Twain and meant that although everything seemed prosperous on the surface, if you dig deeper life wasn’t all that great for the working class. During the Gilded Age, new inventions and a growing immigrant workforce led to the rise of industries. Inventions like the Bessemer Process, which allowed for the production of higher quality steel, and the growth of railroads, such as the Transcontinental railroad, led to a boom in industrial production. This massive growth in the industrial sector had positive effects on the American economy, although just like the term “Gilded, ” not everything was perfect under the surface.

Read More

Comparison Between Social Classes In The Gilded Age

355 Words | 2 Pages

The Gilded Age was an age of rapid economic growth. Railroads, factories, and mines were slowly popping up across the country, creating a variety of new opportunities for entrepreneurs and laborers alike. These new inventions and opportunities created “...an unprecedented accumulation of wealth” (GML, 601). But the transition of America from a small farming based nation to a powerful industrial one created a huge rift between social classes. Most people were either filthy rich or dirt poor, with workers being the latter.

Read More

Comparing Douglass And A Raisin In The Sun

750 Words | 3 Pages

As soon as the American class system was established, discussions and evaluations of the "American Dream" have been at the center of Western thought. The concept that a person with humble beginnings can rise to socio-economic prosperity in this capitalist system we call our own has been the subject of many works and writings, with differing definitions of what it is, and how to achieve it. Take the play, "A Raisin in the Sun," for example. This play features a young man by the name of Walter, who firmly believes that wealth leads to happiness, and therefore success. On the other hand, the self-proclaimed erudite Frederick Douglass was in support of the idea that, rather than wealth, knowledge is the true guide to happiness.

Read More

The Era Of Hardship In The Gilded Age

1687 Words | 7 Pages

If someone asks a group of historians their view on whether the Gilded Age is an era of opulence or hardship, that person will regret the question because they will later hear an argument about the great and terrible moments in that era. This is because the Gilded Age had plenty of amazing moments where America discovered new ways to make a business and get rich, but it also underwent plenty of downfalls for the poor. The era was given its name from a novel by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, and it means “covered with a layer of gold, but it also suggests that the glittering surface covers a core of little real value and is therefore deceptive” (Foner 615). This definition truly exhibits that the Gilded Age has a rich outlook with the

Read More

Gilded Age Vs Modern

1089 Words | 5 Pages

Starting with Ronald Reagans policies in the 1980s, America began to look more and more like the Gilded Age. The Bull Market of the 90s and the policies of both Bush administrations began to shift capital from the working and middle class to the capitalist class. In 2005 economist and Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman pointed out that America was in the midst of a “New Gilded Age” because income, wealth and power were increasingly concentrated in the hands of a small group of elites at levels not seen since the days of the robber barons. As long as the illusion of shared prosperity was maintained through things like over-valued stock and real estate America had to reason to protest the return of Gilded Age

Read More

Poverty During The Gilded Age

707 Words | 3 Pages

The decade between 1890 and 1900 expressed a crucial time in the United States of America’s history. Many people experienced struggles throughout this time while others prospered. Mark Twain suggested that despite the significant achievements of the United States, Americans experienced poverty. This statement is an accurate description of the lively hood people experienced in their daily lives during the Gilded Age whether it was positive or negative. Many people during this time period focused on the positive outcomes that resulted from the Gilded Age such as new inventions, the gospel of wealth, additions of land to the country, urbanization, and middle-class improvements.

Read More

Horatio Alger's Analysis

275 Words | 2 Pages

The two stories show that success is difficult to grasp in America at the time especially when society judged every little thing that colored people went through. One very important idea could be the difference between the upper and lower class societies. Dalton states that the myth is false and lacks equality of opportunities for the classes that most colored people associated with. The ability to succeed in society where a person belongs to a specific class is difficult because Dalton states, “All of which is to say that the notion that every individual is judged solely on personal merit, without regard for sociological wrapping, is mythical at best” (274). The “Horatio Alger” story stated that everyone is based on personal merit, but as

Read More

Hunger-Free Kids Act Essay

995 Words | 4 Pages

In the year 2010, President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama created the “Hunger-Free Kids Act” of 2010, which has created problems among students. In the year 2012, Michelle Obama also created the “Let’s Move Campaign” in order to reduce childhood obesity, and to give students access to healthy food in their school lunches. The “Hunger-Free Kids Act” means that no student should go hungry, and the “Let’s Move Campaign” makes the lunches healthier. Unfortunately, due to the quality and quantity of the meals that the students now receive, more kids are refusing to eat school lunches, and remain hungry during school hours. Not only does this outrage students, it also infuriates parents, teachers and staff as well.

Read More

Self-Made Man In The Great Gatsby

1373 Words | 6 Pages

The self-made man is a paragon of virtue and is often paralleled with the idea of a meritocracy. In his novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald challenges the reality of the American dream through Nick Carraway, a fairly well off young man with no tangible end goal in life. Since Nick does not have a real dream, he compares the many dreamers in his life to the ideal self-made man. The American dream can be defined as a ‘rags-to-riches’ story, where a self-made man virtuously amasses unlimited success and wealth. Fitzgerald believes that upward class mobility is impossible without help and fraud, and describes three factions of people to disprove the American myth of the self-made man.

Read More

More about The Death Of Horatio Alger Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document