The titles in the Social Class Collection explore the historical and contemporary implications of social class and class division in cultures around the world. Representing a diverse range of perspectives, cultures, and societies, the selections in this Collection span a broad range of genres and forms, including essays, biographies, and fiction.
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Indian Literature
Homeless Bird, a novel written by Gloria Whelan and published in 2000, was a New York Times Best Seller and winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. Marketed to middle grade readers, the novel has elements of historical fiction in its portrayal of cultural customs in India. Homeless Bird tells the story of Koly, a 13-year-old girl whose arranged marriage leads to her untimely widowhood. Through Koly’s coming-of-age journey from helplessness to... Read Homeless Bird Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction
Publication year 1849
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Class
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Bullying, Mental Illness, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Disability, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Fantasy
“Hop-Frog” (originally titled “Hop Frog; Or, the Eight Chained Ourang-Outangs”) is among the last short stories by American horror and fiction author Edgar Allan Poe. First published in The Flag of Our Union in 1849, “Hop-Frog” explores themes of revenge, “madness,” and dehumanization. Poe explores similar themes in another short story published several years earlier, “The Cask of Amontillado,” a tale of betrayal and vengeance. Such thematic elements recur often in Poe’s work, given that... Read Hop-Frog Summary
Publication year 1858
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., History: World
Publication year 1910
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Class
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Class, British Literature, History: World, Romance
E. M. Forster’s Howards End (1910) tells the story of two families, the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes, who represent different aspects of society in Edwardian England. Specifically, it follows the Margaret Schlegel, the novel’s protagonist, amid her attempts to manage her own family as she becomes engaged to and marries the widowed Mr. Wilcox. In 1992 it was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film, directed by James Ivory, and in 2017 it was adapted into... Read Howards End Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Class, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Education, Psychology, Parenting, Children's Literature, Education, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Self Help
Publication year 1994
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Class, Identity: Disability
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 1890
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Society: Class, Society: Community
Tags Journalism, History: U.S., Sociology, Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Depression / Suicide, Race / Racism, Urban Development
Jacob Riis’s How the Other Half Lives (1890) is a photojournalistic account of New York City’s working class of the late 19th century and the tenements that housed them. Riis exposes the appalling and often inhumane conditions in and around the tenements. He attributes New York City’s squalor and degradation to sheer greed on the part of landlords who prioritize maximum profits over basic decency. More importantly, he documents these conditions with more than 40... Read How the Other Half Lives Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ
How to be Both is a 2014 novel by Scottish author Ali Smith. The narrative explores common threads of grief, identity, and memory from the perspectives of recently bereaved 16-year-old English schoolgirl George and a character named Francescho, inspired by the real 15th-century Italian artist Francesco del Cossa. The book, exploring themes such as The Impact of Grief on Personality, Ambiguity as an Inescapable Feature of Life, and Everyday Resistance to Injustice, was a critical... Read How to Be Both Summary
Publication year 1995
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class
Tags Satire, Latin American Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2020
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Education, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Class, Society: Immigration
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Asian Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: Asian, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2008
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Education
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature, Class
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Class
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1899
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, African American Literature, Race / Racism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Education, Education, American Literature, Classic Fiction
Imperium in Imperio (1899) is a historical-fiction novel by social activist Sutton E. Griggs. Imperium in Imperio explores the idea of a Black utopia, wherein Black Americans form a shadow government to seize control of the state of Texas and form their own nation. In the late-19th and early-20th centuries, the novel was sold door-to-door in Black communities and was largely unknown to the white population, ultimately garnering little notoriety upon its original publication. However... Read Imperium in Imperio Summary
Publication year 1922
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Japanese Literature, Modernism, Asian Literature
Though Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927) died at age 35, he is often regarded as the father of the Japanese short story. During the middle of the 20th century, when Japanese cinema became interested in its national history and cultural heritage, Akutagawa’s work was adapted by filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa. Because American Westerns had a close relationship with samurai films, Akutagawa’s stories have even been transposed onto the Wild West, resulting in such films as The... Read In A Grove Summary