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.

White Lilacs

by Carolyn Meyer

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Social Class, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Community, Equality, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History

White Lilacs by Carolyn Meyer is a middle grade historical fiction novel first published in 1993. It tells the story of Rose Lee, a young Black girl living in Dillon, Texas, in 1921. When the white citizens of Dillon vote to force the Black community out of their homes to turn the area into a city park, Rose Lee and her family battle against racism, violence, and injustice as they search for options.Meyer is the... Read White Lilacs Summary

White Trash

by Nancy Isenberg

Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Social Class, Community, Nation, Justice

Tags Sociology, US History, Social Class, Social Justice, Race & Racism, Business & Economics, World History, Politics & Government

IntroductionIn White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America, Nancy Isenberg documents the historical and contemporary disdain of the upper and middle classes in America for the white poor and the resultant staying power of a class hierarchy. Isenberg, an award-winning historian, uses her expertise to contribute this non-fictional work to the academic literature on social class. Originally published in 2016, the book became a New York Times bestseller and was a finalist... Read White Trash Summary

Why I Live at the P.O.

by Eudora Welty

Publication year 1941

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Family, Social Class

Tags Southern Literature, Race & Racism, Southern Gothic, Education, Education, US History, World History, Historical Fiction, Humor, Classic Fiction

“Why I Live at the P.O.” is a short story written in 1941 by Eudora Welty, an author and photographer from the American South. The story’s narrator, Sister, narrates her family’s reaction as her sister, Stella-Rondo, leaves her husband and returns to the family’s home in China Grove, Mississippi, surprising her family with a young child in tow. As conflict unfolds among the family members, Sister moves into the post office where she works, seeking... Read Why I Live at the P.O. Summary

Wicked

by Gregory Maguire

Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Justice, Family, Social Class, Fate, Equality, Gender Identity

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Classic Fiction

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995) by Gregory Maguire reimagines the central antagonist of the iconic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which was published in 1900 by author L. Frank Baum and became central to American popular culture through the 1939 film adaptation starring Judy Garland. Allusions to the original story recur throughout film, television, and novels. Decades later, expressions like “we’re not in Kansas anymore” or... Read Wicked Summary

Winesburg, Ohio

by Sherwood Anderson

Publication year 1919

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Community, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Coming of Age, Place, Family, Social Class, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Modernism, US History, World History

Originally published in 1919, Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small Town Life, is a short story cycle by American author Sherwood Anderson. Anderson drew inspiration from the Ohio town of Clyde, where he spent his childhood. By the late 20th century, many scholars considered Winesburg, Ohio a seminal text of American Modernist literature.Winesburg, Ohio focuses on the people who inhabit the eponymous town at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Among them... Read Winesburg, Ohio Summary

Winners Take All

by Anand Giridharadas

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Equality, Social Class, Justice, Power & Greed, Community, Wins & Losses

Tags Politics & Government, Business & Economics, Social Justice, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Social Class, Sociology, World History

... Read Winners Take All Summary

Woman of Light

by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Memory, Femininity, Race, Death, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Social Class, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, Magical Realism, World History

... Read Woman of Light Summary

Words of Radiance

by Brandon Sanderson

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Climate, Self Discovery, Social Class, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Fate, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction

Words of Radiance is the second novel in the high fantasy series, The Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson. It is the sequel to The Way of Kings and is followed by Oathbringer, Rhythm of War, and Wind and Truth. It was originally published on March 4, 2014, by Tor. It enjoyed critical success on its publication, winning the 2015 David Gemmel Legend Award for best novel. Brandon Sanderson is a popular fantasy and high fantasy... Read Words of Radiance Summary

World War Z

by Max Brooks

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Hope, Death, Future, Environment, Community, Education, Nation, Social Class, Politics & Government, War, Art, Fame, Truth & Lies, Beauty, Good & Evil, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Social Class, Disability, Depression & Suicide, Leadership, Military & War, Trauma & Abuse, Politics & Government

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is a horror fiction novel by Max Brooks published in 2006. The book was a critical and commercial success, generally receiving positive reviews and spending several weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. It has sold millions of copies around the world and was subsequently turned into a successful movie starring Brad Pitt, released in 2013, and a highly rated video game, released in... Read World War Z Summary

World Without End

by Ken Follett

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Femininity, Social Class, Religion & Spirituality, Politics & Government

Tags Historical Fiction, Medieval, British Literature, World History, Fantasy, Romance

... Read World Without End Summary

You

by Caroline Kepnes

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Appearance & Reality, Love

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

You is a 2014 thriller novel written by New York Times bestselling author Caroline Kepnes. The story is narrated by Joe Goldberg, a bookstore employee who develops an obsession with an aspiring writer named Beck. The title, You, alludes to the narrator’s obsession; the entire narrative is addressed to Beck in the second person. The novel and its sequels were adapted into a television series of the same name. This guide uses the 2014 Atria... Read You Summary