Lost in Translation (post 13)

The reality depicted in Alger's "Ragged Dick" versus the reality seen in Moore's "Roger and Me" are in contrast to each other more than in comparison.  However, the different natures of the two may be able to be held accountable for this.  On the one hand, "Ragged Dick" is a telling of living the American Dream in it's most widely viewed form.  That is to say, it is the tale of someone who goes from rags to riches (or in this case from boot-blacker to what appears to be a financial position).  Its fictitious nature will tend to put a more cliche spin on the work as a whole, and idealism is the key concept that affects The American Dream in this case.  On the other end of the spectrum, "Roger and Me" is a story of a real city and real people who have worked long and hard, only to be shut down in the end.  This is the true reality of The American Dream:  as long as you are classified as the working poor, nothing is for certain.  There is always someone bigger than yourself that can allow you to progress and rise through the ranks, in order to possibly attain a better lifestyle, or they can crush your every chance at improving your current position.  At the same time, corporate America dominates the small business world, simply by crushing it before it even has a chance to become much of anything.