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 Man Who Was Poe

by Avi

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Coming of Age, Guilt

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Social Class, Romanticism, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Horror & Suspense, World History

The Man Who Was Poe is a young adult historical fiction novel published in 1989 by Edward Irving Wortis, an award-winning American author who writes under the pen name “Avi.” Set in Providence, Rhode Island in 1848, the story is about the unlikely partnership between Edgar Allan Poe and an 11-year-old London boy named Edmund. The book sources many facts from Poe’s life and works and emulates Poe’s own Gothic style of literature. Edmund turns... Read The Man Who Was Poe Summary

The Marriage Plot

by Jeffrey Eugenides

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Literature

Tags Romance, American Literature, Relationships

Jeffrey Eugenides’s The Marriage Plot (2011), set in the early 1980s, follows a love triangle among a group of recent Brown University graduates. As the 20-somethings forge a path into adulthood, they explore the dynamics of love and commitment while wrestling with ways to imbue their lives with meaning and make a purposeful mark on the world. The title references a plot trope common to 19th-century British novels, such as those by Jane Austen, in... Read The Marriage Plot Summary

The Marvelous Land of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

Publication year 1904

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hope, Love, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Masculinity, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Nature Versus Nurture, Objects & Materials, Place, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure

... Read The Marvelous Land of Oz Summary

The Master

by Colm Tóibín

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Literature, Loneliness, Love, Mental Health, Aging, Death, Family, Friendship, Social Class, Art

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Irish Literature

... Read The Master Summary

The Mayor of Casterbridge

by Thomas Hardy

Publication year 1886

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Fate, Forgiveness, Shame & Pride, Social Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Victorian Era, Industrial Revolution, Realism

The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character (1886) is a novel by Thomas Hardy. Taking place in a fictional town in rural England sometime in the 1840s, the story follows young hay trusser Michael Henchard as he traverses English social life and struggles to improve his standing. One of the foremost authors of the Victorian period, Hardy is known for his psychologically and morally complex portrayals of rural English... Read The Mayor of Casterbridge Summary

The Men of Brewster Place

by Gloria Naylor

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Race, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Social Class, Community

Tags Symbolic Narrative, African American Literature, Race & Racism, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Published in 1998, The Men of Brewster Place is a companion to Gloria Naylor’s acclaimed 1982 novel, The Women of Brewster Place. Written as a series of vignettes, the novel tells the intertwining stories of seven Black men living in Brewster Place, a degrading apartment block in an unnamed American city. Each must fight to define his identity as a man while existing within the confines of a racist, sexist society. With themes of pain... Read The Men of Brewster Place Summary

The Merchant of Venice

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1596

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Forgiveness, Appearance & Reality

Tags Classic Fiction, Tragedy, Elizabethan Era, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature

The Merchant of Venice is a play by English playwright William Shakespeare. It is one of Shakespeare’s many comedies, which include As You Like It, Twelfth Night, and The Taming of the Shrew. Written in the 1590s, it concerns a Jewish moneylender in Venice named Shylock who is determined to extract a pound of flesh from a merchant who failed to pay a debt on time. As the narrative unfolds, it considers themes like The... Read The Merchant of Venice Summary

The Mercy of Gods

by James S. A. Corey

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Teamwork, Social Class, Colonialism, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

... Read The Mercy of Gods Summary

The Midnight Feast

by Lucy Foley

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Revenge, The Past, Animals, Plants, Place, Friendship, Social Class, Justice, Religion & Spirituality

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

... Read The Midnight Feast Summary

The Millionaire Next Door

by Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko

Publication year 1996

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Social Class, Community, Economics

Tags Business & Economics, Finance

In The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy (1996) researchers Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko present their findings about the habits, lifestyles, and financial behaviors of American millionaires. While most picture millionaires as the nation’s highest earners and most conspicuous spenders, Stanley and Danko argue that most of them accumulate wealth through hard work, frugality, disciplined saving, and long-term investing. The Millionaire Next Door outlines the seven factors that Danko... Read The Millionaire Next Door Summary

The Million Dollar Shot

by Dan Gutman

Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Coming of Age, Family, Fathers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Justice, Power & Greed, Wins & Losses

Tags Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Humor

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The Ministry of Time

by Kaliane Bradley

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Love, Regret, Race, Future, The Past, Climate, Environment, Social Class, Community, Economics, Globalization, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags World History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

... Read The Ministry of Time Summary

The Miser

by Jean-Baptiste Moliere

Publication year 1668

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Daughters & Sons, Marriage, Love, Social Class

Tags Comedy & Satire, Classic Fiction, French Literature

The Miser, by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (better known by his stage name, Molière) was written in 1668 and was first performed at the theatre of the Palais-Royal in Paris on September 9th, 1668. The five-act play, which takes much of its inspiration from Plautus’ Latin comedy Aulularia (or The Pot of Gold), is a comedy centered on a penny-pinching old miser, Harpagon, who schemes to make more money by arranging marriages for himself and his two... Read The Miser Summary

The Mistake

by Elle Kennedy

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Love, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Future, Appearance & Reality, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Politics & Government, Beauty, Fame, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags New Adult, Romance

... Read The Mistake Summary

The Moonstone

by Wilkie Collins

Publication year 1868

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Appearance & Reality, Social Class, Colonialism, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, British Literature, World History, Victorian Era

The Moonstone is a Victorian mystery novel by the English writer Wilkie Collins. It was originally published in serial installments between January and August 1868. The Moonstone is sometimes considered one of the first detective novels in English, with its suspenseful and dramatic plot building on the success Collins had achieved with an earlier mystery novel, The Woman in White (1860). Throughout The Moonstone, Collins explores the themes of Public Reputation Versus Inner Nature, The... Read The Moonstone Summary

The Mothers

by Brit Bennett

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Shame & Pride, Religion & Spirituality, Mothers, Community, Friendship, Forgiveness, Guilt, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Race, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Social Class, Truth & Lies

Tags Coming of Age, African American Literature

The Mothers (2016) is the debut literary fiction novel by American author Brit Bennett. Set within a contemporary Black church community in Southern California, the story follows Nadia Turner, a grieving teenager whose decision to terminate a pregnancy creates ripples effects for her, the baby’s father, and her best friend for years to come. The narrative, framed by the collective voice of the church’s elderly women, explores themes including The Corrosive Power of Secrets, Motherhood... Read The Mothers Summary