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.

The Heart Goes Last

by Margaret Atwood

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Power & Greed, Fate, Marriage, Conflict, Economics, Social Class

Tags Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Margaret Atwood’s The Heart Goes Last is a work of speculative fiction released in 2015. The novel is a reworking of her Positron series for the website Byliner: four interconnected stories that were digitally released as episodes over the course of a year, starting in March 2012. The project aimed to recapture the literary tradition of serialization, but the final installment was never released, and the novel is intended to bring things together and provide... Read The Heart Goes Last Summary

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

by Carson McCullers

Publication year 1940

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Community, Social Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature, American Literature, Southern Literature, Southern Gothic

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1940) is a Southern Gothic novel written by Carson McCullers, one of the most prominent American literary voices of the 20th century. Set in a small unnamed town, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter captures the spiritual isolation and loneliness of five ordinary people in the deep American South in the 1930s. McCullers is known for her contributions to the development of the Southern Gothic subgenre, and her novels... Read The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Summary

The Heiress

by Rachel Hawkins

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Social Class

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Heiress Summary

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

by Henry Fielding

Publication year 1749

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Social Class, Coming of Age

Tags Coming of Age, Classic Fiction, Satirical Literature, Humor, Romance, Historical Fiction, British Literature, World History

First published in 1749, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling is considered one of the best and most influential early novels in English literature. Henry Fielding was a respected dramatist, essayist, and satirist, and as a public official, he helped to establish London’s first professional police force.A comic novel that blends romance, realism, picaresque, and social commentary—while passing itself off as a true history of a life as well as a reflection of human... Read The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling Summary

The Homecoming

by Harold Pinter

Publication year 1964

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Masculinity, Aging, Social Class, Community, Gender Identity

Tags Drama, Psychological Fiction, Education, Education, British Literature, World History, Dramatic Literature, Classic Fiction

... Read The Homecoming Summary

The Hour of the Star

by Clarice Lispector

Publication year 1977

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Femininity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Politics & Government, Art, Fate, Justice, Literature, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Latin American Literature, Poverty, Gender & Feminism, Existentialism, World History, Classic Fiction

Clarice Lispector’s novel The Hour of the Star was originally published in Portuguese as A hora da estrela, by The Heirs in 1977. New Directions Paperbook published the original English translation of the novel in 1992. The novel is Lispector’s final publication during her life; her novel A Breath of Life was published posthumously. The Hour of the Star is set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and follows the first-person narrator, Rodrigo S. M., as... Read The Hour of the Star Summary

The House of Eve

by Sadeqa Johnson

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Safety & Danger, Power & Greed, Education, Mothers, Marriage, Social Class, Sexual Identity, Race, Femininity, Shame & Pride, Regret, Love

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Race & Racism, World History

... Read The House of Eve Summary

The House of Mirth

by Edith Wharton

Publication year 1905

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Community, Friendship, Economics, Shame & Pride, Nature Versus Nurture, Power & Greed, Beauty, Marriage, Trust & Doubt, Equality, Gender Identity, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Love, Femininity, Art, Perseverance, Hope

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Satirical Literature, Social Class, Gilded Age, Naturalism, American Literature, World History

Set in New York’s high society at the turn of the 20th century, The House of Mirth (1905), was the second novel by renowned American writer Edith Wharton. Wharton drew upon her own privileged upbringing in a wealthy, long-established New York family for her astute observations of this social milieu during the Gilded Age, a period marked by economic disparities and ostentatious materialism. Prior to the novel’s publication in October 1905, The House of Mirth... Read The House of Mirth Summary

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

by Victor Hugo

Publication year 1831

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Gratitude, Hate & Anger, Love, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Disability, Language, Sexual Identity, Death, Family, Friendship, Social Class, Community, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Art, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Gothic Literature, French Literature, World History

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is an 1831 gothic novel by French author Victor Hugo, originally published under the title Notre-Dame de Paris. Set in 15th-century France, the novel concerns the intertwined stories of Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Archdeacon Claude Frollo. The story has been adapted many times for theater, television, and film, including an animated film by Disney released in 1996.This guide refers to the 2009 Oxford Classics edition of the novel, translated from French to... Read The Hunchback of Notre-Dame Summary

The Hungry Woman

by Cherríe Moraga

Publication year 2001

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Revenge, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Language, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Death, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Drama, LGBTQ+, Gender & Feminism, Science Fiction

... Read The Hungry Woman Summary

The Hunting Wives

by May Cobb

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Sexual Identity, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Marriage, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction

... Read The Hunting Wives Summary

The Idiot

by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Publication year 1869

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Social Class, Good & Evil

Tags Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Philosophy, Russian Literature, Philosophy

The Idiot is a novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, first published in 1868-69. The story focuses on the titular character, a good-natured, destitute aristocrat named Prince Myshkin. The novel has been adapted many times for film, theatre, television, and radio. This guide is written using an eBook version of the 2003 Vintage edition, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Plot SummaryPrince Lev Myshkin is a young man from one of Russia's oldest, most... Read The Idiot Summary

The Importance of Being Earnest

by Oscar Wilde

Publication year 1895

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Sexual Identity

Tags Victorian Period, Comedy & Satire, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, Romance, Humor, Classic Fiction

The Importance of Being Earnest, a comedy, is Oscar Wilde’s final play. It premiered at St. James’ Theatre in London on February 14, 1895 and skewered the contemporary habits and attitudes of the British aristocracy. The opening was hugely successful, but Wilde’s ongoing conflict with the Marquess of Queensberry, his lover’s powerful father, led the play to close prematurely after Wilde was charged with “gross indecency” for having sex with men. Despite this setback, The... Read The Importance of Being Earnest Summary