ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the function of stereotypical portrayals of street-children in ragged school literature, arguing that the focus on readily identifiable features, such as rags, dirt, and bare skin, stressed their deviance from the norm and designated them outsiders to civilised society. It highlights the evangelical message that underpinned such narratives; the contrast between the ragged and the clothed conveyed the movement’s belief in education’s transformative power. In examining ragged school sources, this chapter offers new insights into the lived experiences of the urban poor. Ware’s journals reveal the economic burden children shouldered and demonstrate the active role they played in seeking economic assistance. In contrast with narratives that cast poor children as pitiful subjects, their ability to manipulate or influence their audience asserts their status as actors. Both Ware’s journals and the literature intended for the children testify to the practical and emotional support children received in the classroom.
