Henry Trafton's Independence By Horatio Alger

As Percy Bysshe Shelley said “There is no real wealth but the labor of man.” Often called the land of opportunity, the United States of America is known for its free market economy. In this free market economy, America has planted the seed for future entrepreneurs. Throughout time, this seed will eventually grow into a tree that will bear the fruits of one’s labor. However, many entrepreneurs have found different ways to cultivate this seed to bear fruit. Such two men named Dale Carnegie and Horatio Alger have given the world two of the most famous business philosophies. Those who pursue Horatio’s philosophy achieve success through hard work and dedication while those who pursue Carnegie’s philosophy achieve success by being very charismatic.

However, through this chance, Frank is able to advance in society due to the fact Mr. Percival feels indebted to him . Although this story emphasizes luck, Horatio Alger also wrote stories based on “pluck” too. In his short story, Henry Trafton’s Independence, Horatio Alger writes about how a young boy named Henry has to deal with raising his younger siblings, Alice and George, when his father died. Being the oldest boy of fourteen, Henry has to deal with paying fifteen dollars for his rent. However, Henry’s determination to keep the family together impresses the landlord, Squire Castleton, to reduce the rent to ten dollars for the orphans and even provide some oxen and potatoes to start a farm for income. Throughout the year, Henry is shown to be taking odd jobs to support his family and is able to keep the family together and pay all expenses even when they were independent. Later on, Henry is given the squire’s farm at the halves due to the fact the squire has seen the potential in Henry. Although many people doubt whether Henry could take such a responsibility, the narrator states “But five years has passed, and Henry’s engagement still continues. I am inclined to think there is no chance of its speedy termination, as Henry is engaged to the squire’s pretty daughter…” (Alger "Henry Trafton's Independence") This shows that through determination and grit, Henry

Carnegie dictates this idea through self-help books, such as his most famous work, How to Win Friends and Influence People. In this book, Carnegie dictates various principles to convince others to one’s way of thinking. For example, some tips include, “being sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires” and “show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, “You’re wrong.” As Carnegie said “When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion…” (Carnegie How to win 29) This quote provides the whole base for Carnegie’s work. When one is dealing with people, one must remember they are dealing with people who act based on emotions and not logic most of the time. Therefore, in How to Win Friends and Influence People, he profoundly states ideas in how to connect with other people and cultivate a certain type of “peace” in the process. By creating a friendly atmosphere, one can thus generate a feeling of trust others have towards him or her, and thus are more likely accept their own ideas. For example, if a boss is very friendly to his employees, the employer would gain more profit, more leisure, and more happiness in his business due to the sense of trust he had built up with his employees. The employees would be more focused on improving sales to make the boss happy due to their