The Young Musician is a novel written by Horatio Alger. Alger was an American author who lived in the 1800s. He wrote many, many works, over a hundred books, about how success can be attained through honesty, virtue, and hard work. Even though his plots were sometimes regarded as boring and stereotypical, Alger helped create the unique concept of striving and succeeding, part of the American Dream. While he often wrote about those unrealistic plots, Alger inspired the generations that read his works that they could succeed despite any hard circumstances.
The Young Musician is a novel that features the protagonist Philip Gray, one of Alger’s most admirable heroes. Philip is only sixteen years old but his good sense and logical thinking allow him to have interesting adventures and attain wisdom that people sometimes don’t even gain with age. Even though he is a penniless orphan, he holds onto his violin, using it to earn a living in the world. When he is hoodwinked by Lorenzo Riccabicca, losing every single penny he has earned so far, he sets out on his own in New York, befriends Henry Taylor and persuades him not to go west and chase a romantic and unrealistic dream. With his education and good sense, Phillip is able to go even farther in life than everyone expects.
