Money and Success

Horatio Alger According to author Harlon L. Dalton, the Horatio Alger myth is not simply a myth because it is about a fictional character, but because people have dangerously believed it to be true as a sociological fact for far too many years. The myth suggests that demonstrating one's merit is enough to allow a person to attain success, and implies that people 'deserve' their position in life.

African-Americans, of course, have long been painfully conscious that this is not the case, and institutionalized racism can thwart the ability of the individual to 'create his own opportunities' in the Alger model. Prejudices undoubtedly affect how people are perceived. Moreover, the very notion of 'merit' implies an objective standard of excellence, even though these standards were often created by the ruling classes. An excellent example of this is the SAT.

Although the SAT was once viewed as a meritocratic device -- anyone who did well could improve his or her chances of getting into a good college -- it is increasingly clear that expensive test preparation and an academic background that is in harmony with the test designers (particularly in relation to vocabulary) is an advantage in excelling at the test.

In Ragged Dick, the title hero, although born to poverty, has a kind of intrinsic merit that shines through and makes wealthy and influential people want to patronize him and help him on his road to success. Dick shows frugality and industry, and is anxious to mimic the manners of the upper classes. He is also respectful of his social 'betters.' By knowing how to please well-off individuals, Dick is able to insinuate himself into their society.

This is shown to be a demonstration of his 'merit' and Alger never encourages the reader to question if it is fair that boys like Dick live on the streets as bootblacks, while other boys are 'to the manor born' and do not have to work so hard to 'pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.' Q2. 1950s On the whole, I would not like to have lived during the 1950s.

During the 1950s, America was still a segregated society, and it was considered acceptable to be openly discriminatory towards women in education and hiring. Even more so than in other eras, there was a great deal of pressure to conform to social expectations. McCarthyism generated the fear of communists and intellectuals nation-wide, and many types of ideas that seemed potentially 'suspicious' were stifled. The 1950s was a fearful decade.

It was the height of the Cold War, and the terror of atomic annihilation was a real one for many Americans, so much so that many of them constructed bomb shelters within their homes. Certain aspects of the 1950s lifestyle seem enviable, such as the great prosperity enjoyed by Americans during that era. For the first time since the Roaring 20s, most Americans could feel assured that they would have a better life than their parents. They were able to purchase homes, cars, and enjoy unprecedented leisure time.

Jobs were relatively.