Rags to Riches
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The term "Rags to Riches" refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, or sometimes from obscurity to fame. This is a common archetype in literature and popular culture (for example, the writings of Horatio Alger, Jr.). The career of Abraham Lincoln is sometimes cited as an actual example.
Many stories feature a "rags to riches" theme, including:
- Fairy tales, such as Cinderella and Snow White
- Biblical figures, such as Moses and Joseph
- Movies, such as Rocky, Citizen Kane, and Charlie Chaplin in The Gold Rush
- Video games, such as Rags to Riches, a 1985 computer game released for the Commodore 64
- Game shows like The Price is Right, Queen for a Day, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
- Reality television shows such as American Idol, Joe Millionaire, and The Apprentice.
- Rags to Riches (TV series)
- Rags to Riches (song), from 1953, by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, popularized by Tony Bennett
These stories give the poor hope that they can rise to fame and wealth. They are most popular in societies such as the United States, where belief in the ability to move between social classes is an important part of the national identity (even some argue the belief is more of a myth than a reality - see Bowles, Gintis, and Osborne-Groves 2005).
[edit] See also
- Aladdin#Meaning
- Horatio Alger, Jr.
- Lottery
- New money
- Nouveau riche
- Social mobility
- Starman Jones
- The Ugly Duckling
- Dick Whittington
[edit] References
- Bowles, Samuel; with Herbert Gintis and Melissa Osborne-Groves (2005). Unequal Chances: Family Background and Economic Success. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691119309.
