“I don’t wish to defy you or anybody else,” returned Philip; “but I shall stand up for my rights.”
The protagonist, a sixteen-year-old boy, is a minor according to the law but he has unusual presence of mind. Even after having been orphaned, he is not willing to be pushed around. His presence of mind and ability to advocate for himself is far beyond what would ordinarily be expected in a young man his age.
Many Horatio Alger characters play into an adolescent male empowerment fantasy and Philip Gray is no exception. Alger wrote almost exclusively for the young male audience, and his themes of independence and responsibility were popular immediately after World War I.
“I knowed you’d do me justice, squire,” said Mr. Tucker effusively. “You’re a sharp man. You ain’t a-goin’ to be taken in by any of them paupers’ rigmarole. I always said, Squire Pope, that you was the right man in the right place, and that the town was lucky to have so intelligent and public-spirited a citizen fillin’ her most important offices.”
Joe Tucker runs the town almshouse, where the indigent members of the town are lodged at public expense. He feeds his clients nearly nothing, partly because he charges the town only a modest fee for each person and partly because he and his family are keeping most of the proceeds for themselves.
Note the poor grammar with which Joe Tucker speaks. His speech, like that of many Alger characters, reflects his class. Alger characters who are upwardly mobile have speech patterns consistent with the socioeconomic class to which they belong. Tucker, who does not wish to improve himself, is satisfied to speak poorly. However he recognizes that the Squire, who is one of the town selectmen, is someone he must cultivate in order to keep the payments coming. Cunning, but not well educated, Joe Tucker succeeds in convincing Squire Pope to ignore the legitimate complaints of the indigent people housed in the Tucker almshouse.
“Philip,” he said, “put this envelope in your pocket, and don’t open it till you are fifty miles from here.”
As a reward for saving him from a robber, Farmer Lovett has given Philip a generous gift of money. Philip does not realize it at the time, and would perhaps not have accepted it had it not been given in such a fashion, because he and his friend Frank have already refused a monetary reward. This is an example of an older man recognizing the protagonist's merit and rewarding him -- a plot device Alger used frequently.
“He’s a smart boy!” said more than one. “He plays as well as Paul Beck, and Paul’s been play-in’ for more’n twenty years.”
This is an example of a synecdoche: people are described as responding collectively to Philip’s musicianship. Despite having played only a few years, Philip's skill is superior to that of the other self-taught fiddlers in the immediate area. This is the first time the author provides evidence that Philip has actual skill, and is not simply attached to his father's violin for sentimental reasons. Also, this episode marks a key turning point in the novel's plot: Philip suddenly realizes that he can in fact support himself at least for a little while.
“It strikes me you are rather hard on a man because he wants to be paid his honest dues!” whined Gunn, rather uncomfortably.
Lorenzo Riccaboca has just escaped from town with all the proceeds of the previous evening's concerts, without having paid any of the bills related to the performance or to his and Philip's accommodations. One of the people who has just been defrauded is Mr. Gunn, who alone of Philip's creditors insists on Philip's violin being sold to pay the debt.
Gunn, a parsimonious man with little charity toward others, insists on being paid his due but another of the creditors, who trusts Philip to repay the debt, settles with him separately.
As is normal in Alger novels, people antagonistic to the main character "whine" or otherwise behave in a fashion that is less than adult. It is very rare that any reasonable, mature, or honest adult character has an actual problem with an Alger hero that is not the result of a misunderstanding or of someone else's chicanery. The only people who consistently oppose Alger heroes, or who have conflicting interests, are those who are clear villains and whose moral and personal deficiencies are so vast as to allow them no positive character qualities.
Gunn’s lack of maturity shows in his perspective. Philip’s other creditors aren’t frustrated with Gunn due to his desire to be paid his honest due, but because of his whining and short-sighted lack of regard for others.
When the boys were ready to go, Philip drew from his pocket a jack-knife, nearly new, of which he asked the Indian’s acceptance.
Winuca seemed very much pleased, and shook hands heartily with his young guests, wishing them good-by.
Winuca, having found the boys sleeping in his cabin, put them up for the night and fed them a generous breakfast. In a sophisticated gesture, Philip offers a return gift as is customary in Winuca's culture. He does this instinctively, having know knowledge of Indian tribal hospitality customs. Unlike Henry, who is terrified of Winuca, Philip interacts with his host much as an adult would, understands the facts of the situation, and responds graciously and appropriately.
The contrast between Philip's mature and self-possessed behavior and Henry Taylor's terrified immaturity sets Henry up as a foil for Philip. It also introduces another very common Horatio Alger plot device, which is a scenario that requires the hero to assume a quasi-parental role toward a peer.
“I shall pay all the bills and provide for you in every way, exactly as I do for Henry.”
To reward Philip for returning Henry, and to compensate him for any expenses he has incurred along the way, Mr. Taylor gives Philip a hundred dollars, a new suit of clothes (a common plot device in Alger novels that signals an impending change in class) and an opportunity to continue his education alongside the wealthy man's son.
By taking financial responsibility for Philip's continuing education, Mr. Taylor shows himself to be a competent and interested guardian who can and will help Philip grow into a responsible adult. This is a dramatic contrast between the wealthy but antagonistic Squire Pope, seen at the outset of the novel, and the well-meaning but resource-constrained Mr. Dunbar. An astute reader can now see the contrast between what a good guardian and a bad guardian looks like. Note that Philip does not reject Mr. Taylor's offer: the violinist is not motivated by a desire to reject all adult guardianship and help; he merely rejects inappropriate and bad guardians and is willing to accept appropriate help from someone who genuinely wants to assist him.
