The short story ”The Cash Boy” is written by Horatio Alger and it was published in the year 1889. The story is about a little poor boy, which lost everyone he loved except his little sister. Because the situation with no parents and income, Frank moved to New York for himself, so he could make some money for him and his sister. His sister stayed in the country and it’s Frank who pays for her needs and her tuition. One day at work Franks boss asks him to send some letters. Frank says yes and now he ventures to find the mailbox at Forty-sixth Street. On his way he helps an old man and he gets invited inside the old mans house for dinner. During the dinner he is getting to know the old man more and more and it ends with Frank reading for the old man and getting a well-paid job.
The main theme in this short story is helpfulness. It is about what you give, will be giving back. The reason why this is the main theme is because Frank is a poor, smart and kind kid, who only wants to give his sister a good life.
Franks name is Frank Fowler. He has a sister and no parents. Frank lives in New York. He is a Cash-boy at Gilbert & Mack’s and this is here he spends all his hours’ everyday running between the salesmen and the cashier. The boss tells him, that he is a hard working-man and he earns 3 dollars a week, which isn’t much.
He spends his money on his sister, Grace, and her tuition, which tells us that he is a caring boy, who only wants to help his sister and others: “Of this sum he inclosed eight dollars to Mr. Pomeroy to pay for four weeks’ board for Grace.” And “I hope you are not much hurt, sir? These sentences explain everything above and it also tells us that Frank has good manners, cares about everyone around him and he knows how to communicate with different people from different social classes. This is also one of the areas where you see the main theme, be-cause