The Myth of Individual Opportunity - Essay Example

Monique Isaac English 1301 Kennedy 10/27/2005 REBUTTAL ESSAY TO HARLON L. DALTON'S "HORATIO ALGER" REBUTTAL ESSAY TO HARLON L. DALTON'S "HORATIO ALGER" Perhaps, few writers' literature heritage has been as widely debated as the novelism of Horatio Alger, one of the demiurges of the far-famed "American Dream". The attitude to Alger's literature is ambiguous: in some readers it causes admiration while for the others it becomes an object of critique. Harlon L. Dalton seems to be one of the major opponents of Horatio Alger. Dalton believes Alger to be a "writer of a mediocre fiction" who revealed the formula of "commercial success" without contributing anything new to the literature (Dalton, p. 303). Moreover, Dalton believes Alger's formula of success to be harmful for the readers. In general Harlon L. Dalton criticizes Alger with simplification of literature genre and its commercialization achieved through clear understanding of readers' needs and development of nice story line with eventual happening. The idea of happening is especially harmful, observing Dalton's critique, as it affecting readers through inspiring them approachability of American Dream. Was, however, Harlon Dalton true in his attitude to Alger's talent and literature That depends on the angle of a research analysis. While some may agree with Dalton, I believe that his critique relies on several false assumptions. First, it tends to judge the literature of middle nineteenth century from the perspective of late twentieth century. Second, it incorporates personal bias of Dalton's past experience which can be read between the lines. Third, the critique implies many false assumptions that can be disproved. Therewith, the general approach of Dalton's criticism can not remain unchallenged. The major assumption of Harlon Dalton is that the whole literature of Horatio Alger is a myth (Dalton, pp. 303-304). Dalton believes it to be a myth not because it is a fiction, but rather because it gives people a false lesson of life. To disprove this thesis I need to specify three basic messages of Alger's novels in Dalton's interpretation. According to Dalton, in Alger's novels people are judged solely on their own merits (1), have fair opportunities to develop these merits (2) and merit will out (3) (Dalton, pp. 304-305). Dalton believes that we live in unfair world where human merits mean practically nothing. Instead, people are rather guided by the factors beyond individual control, i.e.: race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and chance. I strongly object this approach. My first argument will be psychological. According to psychologists, people tend to judge the events from two major angles: internality (believing that everything I do is under my control) and externality (certitude that events are either uncontrolled or have objective nature). Internality is typical to strong personalities who believe in own powers and rely on themselves in their aspirations. Actually, Alger was trying to teach people to rely on own powers, to trust own possibilities rather then lean on a chance and drift through life. It seems to be a psychological training helping people to be more optimistic and persistent. Dalton arguments his thesis with the examples of "discriminated minorities" that, as it goes from his novel, never or next to never succeed. Discrimination on the basis of race is a poor argument, however. In fact, even racists often cannot but admit the talents and insistence of those they may initially discriminate. There are many instances of those representing ethnical and race minorities who achieved position and glory due to their hard work and reliance on own powers. Even with stereotyped preconceptions we eagerly change our minds in favor of talented and gifted humans. At the same time, those who do not aspire always lose, regardless the color of their skin or religion. I contest Dalton's argument that racial minorities, particularly African-Americans should not rely on Alger's myth. Learning this myth they receive not despair, as Dalton says, but rather a hope and optimism, a certain philosophy, though somehow primitive, unartful and nave, but clear and working one. The good always triumphs over evil; the justice always wins injustice - that is an important principle of Alger's literature. My second argument to Dalton's assumption is sociological. Dalton believes that we live in a society characterized with downward social mobility (Dalton, p. 305). It means that people from generation to generation have fewer changes to breakthrough in their lives. However, as common sense prompts, we live in a society of growing opportunities for people. Growing chances in the global world have actually equalized people. Such characteristics as race, ethnicity and religion are not any more critical to achieve a success. The downward mobility on which Dalton insists is again typical only either to small minorities or to those who do not take pains to progress in this life. If a person wants to remain jobless he will, if he/she doesn't want to learn, he/she will not. But these are rather exceptions from rules. A perfect antithesis to Dalton's idea is an example of "Trung Duck", a poor Vietnamese boy born in a humble family and brought up in the wartime Vietnam (Rather, p. 310). However, he managed to rely on own powers and received his PhD, established own companies and earned millions. There are thousands of similar examples in world history. Is it not a modern reinterpretation of a "rags-to-rich" model perfectly described by Alger Is it not a good example for people to follow I reckon that living with the anticipation of miracle in one's heart is much better than having pessimistic and fatalist outlooks. Well, this model might have failed to work perfectly well in terms of nineteenth century but, nevertheless, the general idea is true. James Rockwell from Alger's "Ragged Duck" as well as many others of his protagonists relied on their powers to succeed and they did it right in the times when Alger lived. In different times and in different countries those who believed in own potential would become recognized leaders. Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohamed were also born in the humble families and were probably discriminated but appeared the examples for billions of followers. If a person believes that he/she has a chance and does everything to win a chance he/she will always succeed. Eventually, following Daltons' scheme of critique the Wholly Bible is also a mythisized artwork and could be blamed as well according to the same parameters with Alger's novels. However, the Bible is rather a guiding star for the people; it serves the model of conduct and gives people a hope. Just the same, I am sure, is with Alger's stories. The second argument of Dalton deals with fair opportunities to develop the merits. Dalton believes that people are initially unequal as they are born and nurtured in different conditions. To my mind this idea may be challenged in the following way. To be true, one can not but admit that we are indeed born and brought up in different families with different incomes, live in different countries and have different social statuses and outlooks. However, any society cannot provide people with equal opportunities. Only the children incubators in fantastic utopias can provide equal start for everyone. Nevertheless, the advantage of human society is that being unable to give equal start it gives people "fair field and no favor". This idea was also true in times of Alger. The United States has always been a country of equal opportunities: that is the essence of our society and a passport to social progress. In other words, it seems that Dalton criticized Alger for his ability and willingness to give underprivileged people of nineteenth century an instruction to rely on own merits and their development. The American Dream clearly depicted by Alger was, to my mind, very important for millions of people seeking own fortune in the United States. This explains popularity of Alger's novels in public and their effect on people cannot be underestimated. It is another matter that Horatio Alger's novels are unpolished, they apparently lack dramatization and imagination of a plot. However, we again judge from positions of our twenty first century forgetting the period of time when Alger's stories were written. In nineteenth century the stories like Alger's "Ragged Duck" were requested by public, as very few readers of that time demanded the high-style literature. Many of modern arts, reviewed by further generations would be also called mythic and poorly designed artworks. Alger's formula of success can be verbalized as following: a young gentleman on the way to fame and fortune. It is the formula that according to Harlon L. Dalton seems to be wrong. However, even assuming the impropriety of this idea, how can we explain aspirations and efforts of millions of people who want to breakthrough in this life This formula of success is as old as a society itself and still works perfectly well. Dalton confuse miracle with hard work. Alger's protagonists may be lucky but their fame and welfare are not heaven rained manna. Instead, they are the praises for hard work, decent living and proper attitude to the others. Eventually, the third point of Dalton's critique is that merit will always out. To begin with, I would like to quote one of Chinese apologues: "Once you have a chance it asks you for your merits". It means that we need always to be prepared to our luck. I imply that we need to be prepared not only through passive anticipating of future, but also through hard work in order to show our capacities when necessary. The chance will not wait until we learn what it requires. Ragged Duck's fortune would not have waited until he learned to swim or studied arithmetic. Instead, Duck knew both and was praised for his abilities and brave. Although Harlon L. Dalton may find something wrong with this, I strongly believe that it is the essence of human living: work hard, believe in own merits and prepare for a chance that will definitely occur in everyone's life. Harlon L. Dalton says that merits are very abstract and each situation may require for a new one. It is partially true but we must not forget about the basic merits that have been appreciated by different people in different times. I speak about kindness, wit, decency, prudence, etc. Of course, different situation may require diverse combinations of human merits. Basketball, as Dalton mentions, never requires the same merits as medicine or jurisprudence, but people who prepare themselves for each need to develop the very merits that will be requested in a certain area. At the same time all people need to have basic merits. Who will be in need of a politician who is a bright orator and academician but appears to be unfair and crafty Who will hire a competent lawyer who has a great experience but deceives his clients Are trainers in need of gifted players who are lazy Therewith, our basic merits always play key role and I strongly disagree with Dalton's position here. Of course there may be insidious and cunning politicians and hardhead lawyers but it does not mean that we should become the same! If we follow their examples there will definitely be no space for miracle in our everyday life. I am far from recognizing, however, that Alger's stories should remain the immortal must readings for further generations. Of course not, and to be true, our civilization has already produced a number of much more talented and ingenious writers. However, I vote here rather for the idea or philosophy instead of supporting a certain author. I support all three theses that Dalton seems to disprove and I strongly believe that Alger's optimism, though somehow nave, is much better and useful than Dalton's despairing pessimism. And that is probably the reason of Alger's success. Success of the simple though working formula "be prepared for your chance, look inside your heart, trust yourself and the others, and you will succeed in this life". Bibliography: Alger, Horatio. From Ragged Dick. In: Racial Healing: Confronting the Fear between Blacks and Whites, pp. 297-302 Dalton, Harlon L. Horatio Alger. In: Racial Healing: Confronting the Fear between Blacks and Whites, pp. 303-309. Anchor Books, 1996. Rather, Dan. Trung Dung. In: Racial Healing: Confronting the Fear between Blacks and Whites, pp. 310 - 316. Anchor Books, 1996. Read More