Class

This thematic collection covers texts that investigate the particularly fraught dynamics and divisions of class, including Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and Ernesto Galarza's Barrio Boy.

Heartland

by Sarah Smarsh

Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Social Class

Tags Politics & Government, Social Class, Business & Economics, Sociology, Social Justice, Poverty, Biography

Heartland (2018) is both a memoir of Sarah Smarsh’s upbringing in rural Kansas as the daughter of working-class people and an exploration of the class system in America today. The book is subtitled: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth; this hits the core of the book, as Smarsh seeks to use her family’s anecdotes and memories to get to the truth of why mostly honest, hardworking people... Read Heartland Summary

Heart of a Dog

by Mikhail Bulgakov

Publication year 1925

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Coming of Age, Animals, Nature Versus Nurture, Social Class, Nation, War, Science & Technology

Tags Satirical Literature, Science Fiction, Russian Literature, Symbolic Narrative

The Heart of a Dog (1925) is a novella by Russian author and playwright Mikhail Bulgakov. During his lifetime, Bulgakov was celebrated as a playwright in the Soviet Union, but his works often faced censorship by authorities due to their satirical critiques of Soviet life and government. The Heart of a Dog is a satirical science fiction tale of a surgeon who uses organ transplants to transform a stray dog into a man. It deals... Read Heart of a Dog Summary

Heaven Official's Blessing

by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Teamwork, Social Class, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Chinese Literature

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Holly

by Stephen King

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Good & Evil, Social Class, Mothers, Death, Disability, Mental Health, Race

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism, Disability, Health

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Homecoming

by Cynthia Voigt

Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Siblings, Social Class, Trust & Doubt

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, Classical Period, Romance

Homecoming (1981) is Cynthia Voigt’s first book in the Tillerman Cycle series, a seven-book young adult series. The novel earned praise and recognition as a National Book Award finalist; other books in the series won a Newberry medal and a Newberry honor. Following four young, abandoned siblings navigating large stretches of New England and the Northeastern United States, the novel explores themes about home, family, and resilience. This guide refers to the 1981 edition, which... Read Homecoming Summary

Homeland Elegies

by Ayad Akhtar

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Immigration, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Hate & Anger, Race, Shame & Pride, Fear, Justice, Conflict

Tags Historical Fiction, Politics & Government, Immigration & Refugeeism, Social Justice, 9/11, Life-Inspired Fiction, Race & Racism, US History, Social Class, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

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Homeless Bird

by Gloria Whelan

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Coming of Age, Animals, Plants, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, World History, 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

Honor

by Thrity Umrigar

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hope, Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction

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Hop-Frog

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1849

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Shame & Pride, Disability, Mental Health, Justice, Good & Evil, Social Class

Tags Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Bullying, Mental Illness, Social Justice, Trauma & Abuse, Disability, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, 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

Howards End

by E. M. Forster

Publication year 1910

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Art, Social Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Social Class, British Literature, World History, 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

How Children Succeed

by Paul Tough

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Mental Health, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Social Class, Education, Equality

Tags Education, Psychology, Parenting, Children`s Literature, Education, Science & Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Self-Improvement

... Read How Children Succeed Summary