Rags to Riches

Rags to Riches

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.).

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 confidence in the ability to move between social classes is an important part of the national identity .

Many stories feature a "rags to riches" theme.

Classical times

* Fairy tales, such as Cinderella and Snow White
* Biblical figures, such as Moses and Joseph
* The Arthurian story of Sir Gareth, who rises from a lowly kitchen boy to a prominent Knight of the Round Table.

Modern times

* Movies, such as Rocky, Citizen Kane, The Pursuit of Happyness 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
* Rags to Riches (novel) a 1981 romance novel by Joanne Kaye (Rachel Cosgrove Payes)

Notable people

These are famous people who have personally experienced a rags-to-riches life story.
*Ozzy Osbourne
*Sheldon Adelson
*Florence Ballard
*Fantasia Barrino
*Halle Berry
*Mariah Carey
*Eminem
*Gordon Ramsay
*Sir Alan Sugar
*Erin Brockovich
*Andrew Carnegie
*Jim Carrey
*Brian Piccolo
*Ray Charles
*Bill Clinton
*Tom Cruise
*Cher
*Celine Dion
*Larry Ellison
*Chris Gardner
*Whoopi Goldberg
*Napoleon Hill
*Li Ka-shing
*Ralph Lauren
*Marilyn Monroe
*Liz Murray
*Eva Peron
*Tyler Perry
*Elvis Presley
*Sidney Poitier
*John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
*J.K. Rowling
*Mark Wahlberg
*Madam C.J. Walker
*Oprah Winfrey
*Oleg Crijanoschy
*Dhirubhai Ambani

ee also

*Horatio Alger, Jr.
*Lottery
*New money
*Nouveau riche
*Social mobility
*Starman Jones
*The Ugly Duckling
*Dick Whittington
*Self-Made Men (Frederick Douglass)


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  • rags-to-riches — rags to richˈes adjective (of a story, etc) describing a person s progression from poverty to wealth • • • Main Entry: ↑rag * * * rags to riches UK US adjective mainly journalism used for describing a situation in which someone who has been very… …   Useful english dictionary

  • rags-to-riches — adj [only before noun] a rags to riches story is about someone who becomes very rich after starting life very poor …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • rags-to-riches — adjective MAINLY JOURNALISM used for describing the life of someone who was born into a poor family but later became very rich and successful: the rags to riches story of country and western singer Loretta Lynn …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • rags to riches — Someone who starts life very poor and becomes rich goes from rags to riches …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • rags to riches — phrase used for describing a situation in which someone who has been very poor becomes very rich Almost overnight, she went from rags to riches. Thesaurus: changing social or professional statushyponym from an upper class familysynonym Main entry …   Useful english dictionary

  • Rags To Riches — infobox television show name = Rags To Riches caption = Rags To Riches title screen format = Musical, Comedy drama runtime = 30 minutes creator = starring = Joseph Bologna Tisha Campbell Bridget Michele Blanca De Garr Heather McAdam Kimiko Gelman …   Wikipedia

  • rags-to-riches — go from rags to riches to start your life very poor and then later in life become very rich. Raised in poverty by an uncle in Oklahoma, his was a real rags to riches story. (always before noun) …   New idioms dictionary

  • rags to riches — used for describing a situation in which someone who has been very poor becomes very rich Almost overnight, she went from rags to riches. See: rags to riches …   English dictionary

  • rags-to-riches — /rægz tə ˈrɪtʃəz/ (say ragz tuh richuhz) adjective 1. progressing from great poverty to wealth: a rags to riches story. 2. progressing from deep failure to great success: a rags to riches football season …  

  • rags-to-riches — adj. Rags to riches is used with these nouns: ↑story, ↑tale …   Collocations dictionary

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