Introduce me to your favourite rags-to-riches literary character.

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I'm interested in reading up on some classic books that feature social-climbers who succeed. Any suggestions on the best?

― Catty (Catty), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 23:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Jeebus!

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Wednesday, 4 August 2004 00:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Budd Schulberg's "What Makes Sammy Run?" has a nifty take on showing a kid in the 1930s or so get ahead in Hollywood. It's not a particularly uplifting story though, if that's what you're looking for.

I often see Horatio Alger Jr mentioned as some sort of quintessential rags-to-riches story writer. Haven't read anything by him though, but he might be worth looking into.

― Øystein H-O (Øystein H-O), Wednesday, 4 August 2004 02:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Loon Lake by E.L. Doctorow, an interesting treatment (and subtle subversion of?) the theme, if you manage to get through the literary sperimentalism of the whole novel

― misshajim (strand), Wednesday, 4 August 2004 06:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Pip? I mean I don't remember if he actually got rich, and then was he ever actually in rags, but no, Pip is my fav r2r.

― Fred (Fred), Wednesday, 4 August 2004 06:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm talking about Great Expectations by the way.

― Fred (Fred), Wednesday, 4 August 2004 06:30 (twenty-one years ago)

She's not really a social climber, but Sara in Frances Hodgson Burnett's 'A Little Princess' goes from riches to rags to riches again. It's a great book.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 4 August 2004 07:21 (twenty-one years ago)

The eponymous protagonist of 'Jurgen' (James Branch Cabell). Talk about a social climber... starts as a pawnbroker, ends up a pope. All through the wonderful magic of lying like a rug.

― selfnoise, Wednesday, 4 August 2004 11:38 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.dacre.org/flash/www/gbq00169.jpg

― Huck, Wednesday, 4 August 2004 16:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Widmerpool in Anthony Powell's 'Dance to the Music of Time'

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Wednesday, 4 August 2004 19:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Perhaps he doesn't even need to be mentioned, since his author (Horatio Alger) is now synonymous with the whole rags-to-riches story, but no list of successful social climbers in classic literature would be complete without Ragged Dick.

― Brian Sawyer, Thursday, 5 August 2004 12:12 (twenty-one years ago)

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