Rags to Riches
Nouveau Riche: French for “New Money”. Refers to a person who has accumulated significant wealth in their own generation (not inherited), usually used to emphasize that the person had a lower socioeconomic status and that their acquired wealth allows them luxuries that were not previously available.
All righty then! Once again proving that there is a Wikipedia page for everything, there is a page specifically for “Rags to Riches” stories, which I discovered while searching for more information on Liz Murray. Lifetime Television made a story about Ms. Murray’s life called Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story. Ms. Murray became homeless at age 15 after her drug-addicted Mother died and her Father, unable to cope and also drug-addicted as well as HIV positive, moved to a homeless shelter.
I watched Homeless to Harvard a few days ago, and I was fascinated. Thora Birch plays Liz Murray without turning her into an object of sympathy or pity. Murray is shown to be capable and self-sufficient, and highly intelligent. She gets herself into an elite college prep school in Manhattan, and despite an inconsistent record of previous schooling, graduates in two years, then wins the New York Times scholarship for needy students and is accepted into Harvard. Ms. Murray now works as an inspirational speaker and is highly sought after.
I’m not sure Liz Murray is the best example of the definition of “Nouveau Riche”, but she definitely demonstrates a “rags to riches” success story. If you get a chance to watch Homeless to Harvard, you’ll be touched by her story.
