http://www.thehoratioalgersociety.org
The tagline for this website struck me immediately -
"Our purpose: To further the philosophy of Horatio Alger, Jr, and to encourage the spirit of strive and succeed that for half a century guided Alger's undaunted heroes. Our members conduct research and provide scholarship on the life of Horatio Alger, Jr., his works and influence on the culture of America."
This reflect the values of Ragged Dick, of spirit and strive, as in the book, Dick doesn't let life get him down, and he goes on to succeed in the end. The story of Ragged Dick has become a sort of ideology for this website and for America.
Quotes such as "non profit organisation" also struck me, because Ragged Dick the book seems to be based quite a lot around the focus of money and profit, be it the money Dick spends or the money he aquires from various places. This sort of goes against the book and Alger's values.
In the lecture there was focus on Alger's relationships with children, and allegations were made against him, and he ended up fleeing, and another quote, "now embraces collectors and enthusiasts of all juvenile literature, including boys' and girls' series books, pulps and dime novels." It seems the aim of the society is based around juvenile literature, which, if the allegations were true, is quite fitting to Horatio Alger.
It seems the website in general is promoting the ideas of Ragged Dick to a wider audience, who perhaps would not have ordinarily read the book.
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