An (Ongoing) Taxonomy of the Sad Rich Girls of Literature

(Spoilers follow.) Some readers love thrillers, others love mysteries—my idea of a page-turner is a Sad Rich Girl novel. Show me a discontented daughter of privilege who wiles away her days agonizing over how dull life is, complaining about nepobaby accusations, or—most deliciously—wishing she were poor so there was some damn romance in her life, and I’ll read late into the night. I love nothing more than a protagonist who has so much free time she can ponder the meaninglessness of existence. I’m a champion for SRG literature because at its core, SRG lit is about what motivates The Culture. Rich girls have what most of us are trying to get—so shouldn’t we educate ourselves about what’s on the far side of our goals? What is the greener grass really like? SRG lit by and large exists to show us that, in Thackeray’s famous words, “Everybody is striving for what is not worth the having!” SRG books tell us that money doesn’t buy happiness, but it sure can foment unhappiness. Most SRGs realize that wealth has something to do with their misery—but they can’t walk away. Don’t you feel compelled to examine what is so desirable (or powerful) that if you had it, and despised it, you still wouldn’t give it up? An SRG’s wealth is never her own—and family money comes with a lot of strings attached. Balancing her own desires and the expectations of a controlling family has the effect of steamrolling SRG individuality. Their identities are flattened by the same powers that accord their families status. Of course, SRGs are not a monolith. Some get happy endings (a few are even redeemed), but most sink deeper and deeper into the gilded quicksand. SRGs exhibit admirable creativity in their ability to engineer an unhappy ending out of blessed circumstances. Classifying them is a hobby I’ve documented in this spreadsheet (I will continue refining and adding to it) where I’ve identified the three main genuses of SRG. Let’s dive in. Type 1: The Social Climbers Must SRGs be born? Can they be made? I’d argue, yes. One can […]

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