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.

Ulysses

by James Joyce

Publication year 1922

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Friendship, Community, Nation

Tags Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modernism, Irish Literature, World History

Ulysses is a 1922 novel by Irish author James Joyce. The story is a loose adaptation of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, portraying a day in the lives of several characters who live in Dublin, Ireland, in June 1904. Ulysses proved controversial on release due to accusations of obscenity but is now celebrated as one of the most important and influential works in the English language and considered a classic.This guide is written using the... Read Ulysses Summary

Unsinkable

by Gordon Korman

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Childhood & Youth, Death, Fathers, Mothers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Equality, Justice, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology

Tags World History, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature

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Utopia for Realists

by Rutger Bregman

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Social Class, Community, Globalization, Politics & Government, Immigration, Education, Power & Greed, Equality, Justice

Tags Science & Nature, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics & Government, Business & Economics, World History, Social Justice, Education, Technology, Military & War

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Vampire Academy

by Richelle Mead

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Social Class, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Written in 2007 by Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy is the first of six novels in the Vampire Academy series, which follows the coming-of-age journey of Rosemarie “Rose” Hathaway, a dhampir (half vampire) who is training to become a guardian for her best friend, Vasilisa “Lissa” Dragomir. Lissa is a royal Moroi (or full vampire) with mysterious powers. The novel addresses themes of friendship, forbidden romance, and personal responsibility within a school setting. In 2014, Vampire... Read Vampire Academy Summary

Vanity Fair

by William Makepeace Thackeray

Publication year 1847

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Mothers, Power & Greed, Conflict, Forgiveness

Tags Satirical Literature, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Comedy & Satire, World History, Romance, Victorian Era

Vanity Fair is a serialized novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, published from 1847-1848. The novel was subtitled Pen and Pencil Sketches of English Society, then changed to A Novel without a Hero in 1848. The novel’s characters generally lack positive qualities and are obsessed with social climbing and the acquisition of wealth. Vanity Fair has been adapted for film, television, and theatre. This guide uses the 2001 Penguin Classics edition. Content Warning: The source material... Read Vanity Fair Summary

Vicious

by L. J. Shen

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Love, Revenge, Coming of Age, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, New Adult

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Waiting For Lefty

by Clifford Odets

Publication year 1935

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Justice, Community, Social Class

Tags Drama, Social Class, Social Justice, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Waiting for Lefty is a one-act play by Clifford Odets. It initially premiered in January 1935, performed by the Group Theatre, a company started in 1931 by Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford, and Lee Strasburg with the goal of revolutionizing American theater as a means for social change. Lefty was Odets’s first produced play, written in response to a call by the New Theatre League for a piece to perform in union halls or meeting spaces... Read Waiting For Lefty Summary

Walden On Wheels

by Ken Ilgunas

Publication year 2013

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Coming of Age, Animals, Environment, Plants, Objects & Materials, Place, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Beauty, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Science & Nature, Business & Economics, Travel Literature, Action & Adventure, Biography

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Walker Brothers Cowboy

by Alice Munro

Publication year 1972

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Family, Memory, Nostalgia, Regret, Coming of Age, Fathers, Social Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Great Depression, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

“Walker Brothers Cowboy” by Alice Munro is a short story set during the Great Depression. The story uses the themes of The Disillusionment of Fading Childhood, The Bittersweet Effects of Nostalgia, and Finding Solace in Companionship to implicitly explore larger issues of poverty and social class. The story was published in Munro’s debut collection, Dance of the Happy Shades, in 1968. The stories in this collection are set in and around a variety of fictional... Read Walker Brothers Cowboy Summary

Warlight

by Michael Ondaatje

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Fear, Grief, Loneliness, Gender Identity, Family, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Nation, War, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Coming of Age, Post-War Era

Warlight (2018) is a historical fiction novel by Sri Lankan-born Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. Ondaatje is best known for his Booker Prize winning novel, The English Patient (1992). Part spy thriller and coming-of-age story, Warlight follows 14-year-old Nathaniel Williams and his older sister, Rachel, in post-World War II London. When their parents depart for a year-long work assignment in Singapore, the siblings are left in the care of an enigmatic guardian named The Moth. Nathaniel... Read Warlight Summary