The Gilded Age
...D. Rockefeller or “wreck a feller” as he was affectionately termed had a shrewd mind for business and undercutting his rivals. Owner of the South Improvement Company, he expanded on many forms of income. Determined to dominate the oil industry entirely, Rockefeller would do anything. The term “shoddy millionaires” must have been termed for this man, because his business dealings were anything but just. He would often cut his prices so low to compete that he made no profit what so ever, just to see a rival competitor go belly up. He then formed the Standard Oil Company which included many members and sharp increase in his already vast income. That company gradually gained complete control of oil production in America. His motives appear to be completely based on greed and supreme dominance. Horatio Alger was a leading proponent of Social Darwinism during the Gilded Age. He penned over 130 dime novels, describing how down and out boys were able to achieve the american dream of wealth and success by hard work, courage, determination, and concern for others. If only he had known the lengths that most “man made men” went to to get to their positions. While most did contribute to charitable causes, that does not rectify their shoddy dealings. His novels were poorly written, and they declined in popularity when the sophistication of his target audience grew. His books served mostly to give young men, hard on their luck, hope that success was just around the corner. He came across that the making and shaping of an industrial empire was an easy task, that many had accomplished. This thinking led several into poverty trying to achieve the “American Dream.” Essentially, all of Alger's novels are the same: a young boy struggles through hard work to escape poverty. Critics, however, are quick to point out that it is not the hard work itself that rescues the boy from his fate, but rather some extraordinary act of bravery or honesty, which brings him into contact with a wealthy elder gentleman, who takes the boy in as a ward. The boy might return a large sum of money that was lost or rescue someone from an overturned carriage, bringing the boy—and his plight—to the attention of some wealthy individual. It has been suggested that this reflects Alger's own patronizing attitude to the boys he tried to help. Despite his remarkable literary output, Alger never became rich from his writing. He gave most of his money to homel...