Ben, the Luggage Boy

Ben, the Luggage Boy by Horatio Alger “Ben, the Luggage Boy” is more than just a novel, according to its author Horatio Alger. It is based on the biographical information that the real-life “Ben” gave him about his intriguing escapades and daring adventures two years before the book was published. As the fifth installment in the “Ragged Dick” series, readers familiar with Alger’s work will know what to expect. The usual themes of the protagonist fleeing from a troubled background to build a better life for themselves are all present. However, it’s the scrapes and unwelcome predicaments that Ben encounters along the way that give the novel its pace and readability.

In trademark Alger style, “Ben, the Luggage Boy” has a tendency to romanticize a tough upbringing, but it also cuts straight to the heart of how confining and restricting such a life can be. Alger’s passion for building a better world, where opportunity exists for all on a level playing field is evident, on every page. The iron will and steely resolve of Ben reflect his circumstances. It prompts the reader to ask if hard and challenging times are capable of making good, staunch, and principled individuals. What happens when hard times are all but eradicated? Such a question is for the philosophers. Alger’s business is to simply supply a narrative that captivates and entertains.