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.

Book of Night

by Holly Black

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Love, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Social Class, Fame, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance

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Born Behind Bars

by Padma Venkatraman

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Nation, Social Class, Politics & Government, Community, Friendship, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Love, Hope

Tags Realistic Fiction, Social Justice, Poverty, Indian Literature, Social Class, Politics & Government, Incarceration, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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Born in Blood and Fire

by John Charles Chasteen

Publication year 2001

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, Social Class, Equality, Politics & Government, Nation

Tags World History, Latin American Literature, Arts & Culture, Military & War, Politics & Government, European History, Social Class, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Education, Education, US History

Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America, 4th Edition, by John Charles Chasteen was published in 2016. The first edition was printed in 2001. Chasteen works as an author, translator, and professor of Latin American history and culture. He teaches at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Some of his other notable works are Americanos: The Struggle for Latin American Independence, National Rhythms, African Roots: The Deep History of... Read Born in Blood and Fire Summary

Boule De Suif

by Guy de Maupassant

Publication year 1880

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Nation, War

Tags French Literature, Military & War, Historical Fiction

“Boule de Suif,” which translates to “ball of fat” in English, is a short story by 19th-century French Naturalist writer Guy de Maupassant. Published in 1880, it was his first published story and is considered one of his greatest works. The story explores the power dynamics of class and gender while also painting a picture of the dismal final days of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 in Prussian-occupied France. All told, Maupassant wrote some 300... Read Boule De Suif Summary

Bound

by Donna Jo Napoli

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Grief, Hope, Animals, Place, Family, Social Class, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fairy Tale & Folklore

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Break

by Dorianne Laux

Publication year 1990

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Memory, Love, Hope, Fate, Safety & Danger, Family

Tags Lyric Poem, Arts & Culture, Climate Change

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Brideshead Revisited

by Evelyn Waugh

Publication year 1945

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Nostalgia, Social Class, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, World History, Classic Fiction, British Literature, LGBTQ+

Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memoirs of Captain Charles Ryder (1945) is the ninth published novel by British novelist Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh, who published under “Evelyn Waugh.” It chronicles the life and relationships of Charles Ryder, particularly his complex friendship with the aristocratic Flyte family, during the interwar period in England. The novel was an immediate success, and, despite his later dislike, Waugh referred to it as his “magnum opus.” It has been... Read Brideshead Revisited Summary

Bridge of Sighs

by Richard Russo

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Nostalgia, Regret, Death, Social Class, Community

Tags Modern Classic Fiction

Richard Russo’s 2007 novel Bridge of Sighs is a work of literary fiction that became a national bestseller. The novel follows 60-year-old Louis “Lucy” Lynch, who has lived his entire life in the small, economically distressed town of Thomaston, New York. As Lucy and his wife, Sarah, prepare for their first trip abroad to Venice, he begins to write a history of his life, his family, and his hometown. This act of remembering frames the... Read Bridge of Sighs Summary

Bringing Up Bébé

by Pamela Druckerman

Publication year 2012

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Mothers, Gratitude, Hope, Love, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Language, Childhood & Youth, Midlife, Food, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Marriage, Social Class, Immigration, Nation

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Parenting

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Brokeback Mountain

by Annie Proulx

Publication year 1997

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Love, Sexual Identity, Social Class, Hope

Tags Romance, LGBTQ+, Western, Modern Classic Fiction

“Brokeback Mountain,” by award-winning American author Annie Proulx, addresses themes of Masculine Sexuality and the Forbidden Love of Queer Romance, The Inescapable Effects and Momentum of Poverty, and Powerlessness and Loss of Hope. Like much of Proulx’s work, the story includes a strong sense of place. Wyoming’s unforgiving landscape figures prominently in “Brokeback Mountain,” and the film adaptation by the same name received acclaim for its cinematography as well as its unapologetic portrayal of queer... Read Brokeback Mountain Summary

Broken Bonds

by J Bree

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Education, War, Fate, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance

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Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture

by Ross King

Publication year 1999

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Art, Wins & Losses, Perseverance, Social Class, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology

Tags European History, Arts & Culture, Renaissance

Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture is a 2000 nonfiction book by Ross King. The book describes how Filippo Brunelleschi radically altered the course of architectural history, defying expectations by designing and building the dome for Florence’s cathedral during the early Renaissance. Receiving widespread praise from critics, King has been commended for making a complex subject accessible to lay readers. King is a bestselling nonfiction writer who lectures across Europe and North America... Read Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture Summary

Bye, Baby

by Carola Lovering

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

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

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Caleb Williams

by William Godwin

Publication year 1794

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Justice, Social Class, Good & Evil, Shame & Pride

Tags Classic Fiction, Education, Education, Horror & Suspense, British Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, World History

Caleb Williams, written by William Godwin, is one of the first crime novels in English literature as well as a critique of the injustices and inequities of the political and social system in Britain during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Godwin passionately believed that the social hierarchy that placed the upper class over the lower class was unjust and that the law enabled a tyrannical abuse of power. Although many felt that Caleb Williams... Read Caleb Williams Summary

Caliban's War

by James S. A. Corey

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Hope, Love, Disability, Indigenous Identity, Mental Health, Future, Climate, Environment, Objects & Materials, Family, Teamwork, Social Class, Colonialism, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Military & War

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