The Fictional Republic: Horatio Alger and American Political Discourse

by Carol Nackenoff

Investigating the persistence and place of the formulas of Horatio Alger in American politics, The Fictional Republic reassesses the Alger story in its Gilded Age context. Carol Nackenoff argues that Alger was a keen observer of the dislocations and economic pitfalls of the rapidly industrializing nation, and devised a set of symbols that addressed anxieties about power and identity. As classes were increasingly divided by wealth, life chances, residence space, and culture, Alger maintained that Americans could still belong to one estate. The story of the youth who faces threats to his virtue, power, independence, and identity stands as an allegory of the American Republic. Nackenoff examines how the Alger formula continued to shape political discourse in Reagan's America and beyond.

313 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 1994

Reviews

[Relstuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty dry. One of the interesting details was that Alger's works were banned by a lot of Christian organizations and a number of libraries and organizations followed suit. They contended these books could give children unrealistic expectations on how the world works. Humorous that his works were reprinted by conservative Christians 100 years later as being highly appropriate material from a better age.