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.).
Read more about Rags To Riches: Classic Times, Modern Times, Criticism
Famous quotes containing the words rags and/or riches:
“The Beggar’s Rags, fluttering in Air,
Does to Rags the Heavens tear.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)
“As long as our civilization is essentially one of property, of fences, of exclusiveness, it will be mocked by delusions. Our riches will leave us sick; there will be bitterness in our laughter; and our wine will burn our mouth. Only that good profits, which we can taste with all doors open, and which serves all men.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)