Ragged Dick

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Ragged Dick

by Horatio Alger, Jr.

Genre: Comedy
Setting:
Format of Original Source: Novella
Recommended Adaptation Length: Two Hours

Candidate for Adaptation? Promising

EXCERPT:

“Shall I get the money changed, sir?”

“I can’t wait; I’ve got to meet an appointment immediately. I’ll hand you twenty-five cents, and you can leave the change at my office any time during the day.”

“All right, sir. Where is it?”

“No. 125 Fulton Street. Shall you remember?”

“Yes, sir. What name?”

“Greyson,–office on second floor.”

“All right, sir; I’ll bring it.”

“I wonder whether the little scamp will prove honest,” said Mr. Greyson to himself, as he walked away. “If he does, I’ll give him my custom regularly. If he don’t as is most likely, I shan’t mind the loss of fifteen cents.”

The classic novella which started 100 years of “rags to riches” stories. This book was a phenomenal bestseller in its day; the quintessential “boys’ book” which tells the story of a scrappy-but-honest shoe-shinin’ orphan boy who learns the value of education and doing good. It’s fairly sentimental stuff, but has plenty of humor and scenes. Given the right spin, it might be highly entertaining. A modern telling of its plot might be a fascinating journey (can it retain its moralizing and not be laughable?, or would it be deeply ironic and even perhaps moving — our country’s loss of innocence, etc. etc.).

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