Pauper in New Shoes (Story Concept)
Synopsis
Pauper in New Shoes is a story about new riches and its challenges. The story follows a young boy – Tommy – whose father won the lottery and the large sum of money that comes with it. The family moves from their middle class neighborhood in Chino Hills to more upscale Pasadena, where they encounter culture shock. To try to fit in better, they hire an etiquette coach, Sarah, who subjects the family to rigorous training and standards. At his new school with his new friends, Tommy tells them all about Sarah and his family’s etiquette training. They can’t help but find amusement and absurdity in the whole odyssey.
Themes that Pauper in New Shoes reflect are ambition, absurdity, and classism. The story is meant to be comedic in style and aims to give the reader some level of amusement – at least a chuckle, hopefully. On a more serious note, the story provides a realistic account of the ‘nouveau rich’ or ‘new rich’ in modern society. The moral of the story is to be confident in yourself, no matter the circumstance. For Tommy’s family, this means to embrace their acceptable and not-so-acceptable parts while keeping an open mind.
Outline
- Exposition
- Conflict
- Climax
- Resolution
- Denouement