Rugged Individualism

History as we know has many ways of describing it, with all the historical events that occurred in the past it is a result of our American system. As Americans, we live in a land of opportunity and because of that we have the freedom to live . "Every individual should be able to support themselves out that wouldn't include the government's aid". This idea was originally introduced in Herbert Hoover's speech when he was president of the United States. Although this idea refers back during the Great Depression, Hoover believed that Americans shouldn't be assisted somehow by the government, financially speaking. In my perspective, I see rugged individualism as to any individual who is not being aided from the government, but also not just financially, but incentively through the mind. As I read along through books that relate to the American Dream, Hoover's idea of rugged individualism became more visible. Similarly books like "Ragged Dick" by Horatio Alger, "The Great Gatsby" by Scott Fitzgerald and "A Raison in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry, are comparable that the idea of rugged individualism is still being used and even through today's society.

To illustrate rugged individualism through the book Ragged Dick, Alger created a book disclosing the 19th century lifestyle of a poor boot black. In this book rugged individualism shows because of how Alger describes the motivation through his main character "Dick". He was fourteen years young and worked as a 'bootblack' aka shoeshiner boy and slept in dirty torn up clothes on the streets of New York City. Alger portrayed him as any ordinary boy that lived the hard life in the streets; he smokes and drinks occasionally. However, Dick would still practice good deeds and some gentlemen would be impressed that how would a bootblack be so humble and attentive in his work in the streets of New York.

"..He was above doing anything mean or dishonorable. He would not steal, or cheat, or impose upon