Class

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.

Murder at the Vicarage

by Agatha Christie

Publication year 1930

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Social Class, Justice

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction, British Literature

Published in 1930, Murder at the Vicarage is Agatha Christie’s first novel featuring the elderly detective Miss Marple. The character first appears in a 1927 short story entitled “The Tuesday Murder Club.” In Murder at the Vicarage, unpopular bully Colonel Protheroe dies from a gunshot wound in the study of St. Mary Mead’s Vicarage. All suspects have an alibi, including the victim’s wife and her lover, who each admits guilt to divert suspicion from the... Read Murder at the Vicarage Summary

Murderland

by Caroline Fraser

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Memory, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Climate, Environment, Place, Family, Social Class, Community, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags True Crime, Biography

... Read Murderland Summary

My Fair Lady

by Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe

Publication year 1956

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Femininity, Economics, Education, Shame & Pride

Tags Humor, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, Music, Romance, Classic Fiction, Comedy & Satire

My Fair Lady, a musical by Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music), opened on Broadway to tremendous critical and popular success in 1956, starring Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews as Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle. Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s popular play Pygmalion (1914) and inspired by the Greek myth of “Pygmalion and Galatea,” the musical takes place in early-20th-century London, satirizing issues of class hierarchies, gender disparity, and how language... Read My Fair Lady Summary

My Favorite Thing Is Monsters

by Emil Ferris

Publication year 2017

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Coming of Age, Social Class, Sexual Identity, Community, Friendship, Safety & Danger, Siblings, Family, Art, Childhood & Youth, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Race, Fear, Conflict, Beauty, Shame & Pride, Appearance & Reality, Loneliness, Grief, Fathers

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Arts & Culture

... Read My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Summary

My Oxford Year

by Julia Whelan

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Literature, Fear, Grief, Hope, Memory, Regret, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, Trust & Doubt

Tags Romance, British Literature

... Read My Oxford Year Summary

Naked Statistics

by Charles Wheelan

Publication year 2012

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Appearance & Reality, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Business/Economics, Technology, Science, Education

... Read Naked Statistics Summary

Nana

by Émile Zola, Transl. Gerhard Krüger

Publication year 1880

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Social Class, Nation, Fame, Beauty, Power & Greed, Femininity, Masculinity

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Love & Sexuality, Realism, Realistic Fiction, Naturalism, Social Class, European History, French Literature

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Native Son

by Richard Wright

Publication year 1940

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Social Class, Power & Greed

Tags Existentialism, American Literature, African American Literature, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Race & Racism

Richard’s Wright’s debut novel Native Son was an immediate success upon its publication in 1940, selling 250,000 copies in three weeks. Today, it is widely recognized as not only Wright’s greatest work, but as one of the most significant American novels of the twentieth century.In his essay “How ‘Bigger’ Was Born” (1940), Wright explains that he based the protagonist of the novel on five young Black men he had known as a child. These five... Read Native Son Summary

Necessary Trouble

by Drew Gilpin Faust

Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Coming of Age, Femininity, Gender Identity, Race, Social Class, Education, Nation

Tags US History, Politics & Government, Gender & Feminism, Post-War Era, Southern Literature, Women`s Studies, World History, Biography

... Read Necessary Trouble Summary

Necropolitics

by Achille Mbembe

Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Indigenous Identity, Race, Death, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Place, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Philosophy, Social Science, Politics & Government, Sociology

... Read Necropolitics Summary

Nectar in a Sieve

by Kamala Markandaya

Publication year 1954

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Colonialism, Social Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Poverty, Urban Development, Education, Education, Asian Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Nectar in a Sieve is a 1954 classical fiction novel written by Kamala Markandaya, who was one of the most prominent 20th-century Indian novelists. It was her first novel and was named an American Library Association Notable Book in 1955. The novel’s plot follows Rukmani, a poor farmer’s wife, as she learns what it means to survive and find happiness in postcolonial and post-partition India. Through Rukmani’s eyes, Markandaya explores the impacts of poverty, the... Read Nectar in a Sieve Summary

New from Here

by Kelly Yang

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Shame & Pride, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Place, Equality, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Science & Technology, Safety & Danger, Race, Mothers, Siblings, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Social Class, Community, Nation, Regret

Tags Race & Racism, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read New from Here Summary

New Kid

by Jerry Craft

Publication year 2019

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Race, Social Class

Tags Humor, Coming of Age, Diversity, Race & Racism, Bullying, Social Class, African American Literature, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

New Kid by Jerry Craft is a 2019 graphic novel and winner of the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award. Jim Callahan is responsible for the coloring. Craft is the creator of the 1990 comic strip Mama’s Boyz, as well as Class Act, the 2020 companion story to this book. New Kid focuses on an artistic middle school student who makes friends and builds confidence in himself as he navigates race and class... Read New Kid Summary

Nickel and Dimed

by Barbara Ehrenreich

Publication year 2001

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Social Class, Economics, Globalization, Politics & Government, Community

Tags Sociology, Poverty, Social Justice, Politics & Government, Education, Education, Business & Economics

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America is a 2001 nonfiction book written by Barbara Ehrenreich. This book is considered a classic of investigative journalism and was ranked #13 in The Guardian’s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century. Ehrenreich takes a series of low-paying, entry-level jobs in three cities (Key West, Florida; Portland, Maine; Minneapolis, Minnesota) to answer the question of whether one can survive on these wages and... Read Nickel and Dimed Summary