EXTRA CREDIT!

After reading Sissy and comparing it to Ragged Dick, we see completely different themes in both the novels. In Sissy I found that he broke the mold of the “American boy” the other authors set up. Rather then being tough and dirty like Ragged Dick, Sissy was clean and somewhat feminine. Sissy didn’t care what other people thought, which was not a problem cause everyone accepted him, "he made no effort to conceal his tastes and preferences, but openly pursued his girl-work and good naturedly maintained that it was more respectable and enjoyable than getting into the dirt "to mumble the peg", or than hopping about o none foot, and kicking a bit of china or brick across lines, as in "hop-scotch" (546). The boys never gave him a hard time from him acting like a girl. Everyone really liked him. In Ragged Dick we see this rough, mischievous character. Even though he caused trouble he still got away with all of his actions, "I am afraid he swore sometimes, and now and then he played tricks upon unsophisticated boys from the country, or gave a wrong direction to honest old gentlemen unused to the city"(367). Sissy put a new spin on little boys that I found really interesting and fun to read about whereas Ragged Dick was more predictable and we kind of new what to expect from him. Sissy invited people to be open with whom they are and that boys can be accepted even though they may have some famine characteristics. In Ragged Dick, I think it showed that little boys can get away with being mischievous and rebellious and in Sissy we see that he is calm and he likes to be “good”. I think both Sissy and Ragged Dick showed two different perspectives on how little boys can grow up to be and that there is not just one stereotype.