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Biography
for|the thoroughbred racehorse|Rags to Riches (horse) 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, and lays the foundation of the " American Dream ".
Genghis Khan who was homeless with just his mother and his siblings went on to create the largest land empire in history.
The Roman Emperor Diocletian , born in poverty and whose father was a former slave (by some sources, the emperor himself was born in slavery) http://books.google.co.il/books? id=dSrxcnuJn44C& pg=PA39& lpg=PA39& dq=%22diocletian's+father%22& source=bl& ots=qvYEiqz3-M& sig=NUTvxCFGe0VtGZI7VV3Octs84VY& hl=en& ei=FE57SovAFo-k_QaS_9zZAg& sa=X& oi=book_result& ct=result& resnum=1#v=onepage& q=%22diocletian's%20father%22& f=false.
The King Arthur|Arthur ian story of Gareth|Sir Gareth , who rises from a lowly kitchen boy to a prominent Knights of the Round Table|Knight of the Round Table .
Pope Leo III was of commoner origin and attained the high position in spite of violent opposition from the nobility, who considered the papacy as their preserve.
Chandragupta Maurya of India , who from a humble beginning founded the Maurya Empire
Modern times
Film|Movies , such as Rocky , Citizen Kane , My Fair Lady , Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface , The Pursuit of Happyness , Charlie Chaplin in The Gold Rush , Goodfellas , The Blind Side (film)|The Blind Side , Guru (2007 film)| Guru , Slumdog Millionaire , and Magic Beyond Words : The J.K. Rowling Story .
Video game s such as Rags to Riches (computer game)|Rags to Riches , a 1985 computer game released for the Commodore 64 , or Grand Theft Auto: IV , wherein the character is a poor Serbian immigrant who rises up in the criminal empire.
Game show s like The Price Is Right , Queen for a Day , and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Reality television shows such as American Idol , The X Factor (TV series)|The X Factor and Joe Millionaire .
Rags to Riches (TV series)| Rags to Riches (TV series) .
Rags to Riches (song)|"Rags to Riches" (song) , from 1953, by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (composer)|Jerry Ross , popularized by Tony Bennett .
Rags to Riches (novel)|Rags to Riches , a 1981 romance novel by Joanne Kaye ( Rachel Cosgrove Payes )
Guns and Roses ' song Paradise City features the term on its lyrics.
Rags to Riches (comic) a comic book by Four Color|Four Color Comics Edition #356
Criticism
refimprove section|date=November 2011The concept of "Rags to riches" has been criticised from two opposite directions:
By proponents of rigidly hierarchical class system s, where all persons know their station in life and remain for life in the same social position into which they were born.Citation needed|date=July 2011 This is expressed for example in the Bible|Bible's Book of Proverbs :
For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: For a slave when he reigneth (...) and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. http://www.bible-history.com/kjv/Proverbs/30/ Proverbs 30, 21-22
:"A slave when he reigneth", (??? ?? ?????) has become a still-current Hebrew expression, implying that a slave, or a person from a low social origin, would be bitter and vindictive having attained a position of power. http://www.safa-ivrit.org/exp-abc/ayin/%D7%A2%D7%91%D7%93+%D7%9B%D7%99+%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%9A Online Dictionary of Hebrew Expressions
By social reform movement|reformer s and revolution aries, who argue that only a handful of exceptionally capable and lucky persons are actually able to travel the "rags to riches" road, and that the great publicity given to such cases is an illusion designed to help keep the masses of the working class and the poor in line, and prevent them from agitating for an overall collective change in the direction of social equality .
http://www.goenglish.com/FromRagsToRiches.asp "From Rags To Riches" at GoEnglish.com
tvtropes|RagsToRiches|Rags to riches
http://debts-challenge.com/wall-street-rags-to-riches-fascinating-stories/ Rags to Riches Rags to Riches Amazing Wall Street Stories of how eight men reach success against the odds.
DEFAULTSORT:Rags To Riches Category:English idioms Category:Poverty
de:Sozialer Aufstieg#Vom Tellerwäscher zum Millionär
