ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the work of Horatio Alger because it was so popular and, arguably, so influential and argues that Alger simultaneously appealed to the sense of freedom and adventure associated with homelessness as well as to the impulse to discover “the other half”–in this case, street children of New York. It traces the public and critical reception of Alger–from popular writer, to forgotten figure, to cultural icon and discusses Alger’s depictions of homeless boys. The responses to Alger reflect the contemporary conflicts over social and ideological issues such as poverty and homelessness. The chapter discusses overall effects of Alger’s corpus and the critical commentary and misinformation regarding the “Alger myth”. It argues that both elements produced negative results by entrenching the division between the deserving and undeserving poor; that is, their cultural work was detrimental, despite Alger’s intentions. Alger attracts critical attention because of his status as a cultural icon.
