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.
Publication year 1963
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Gender / Feminism, Post-War Era, British Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
Originally published in 1963 in the short story collection A Man and Two Women, “A Woman on a Roof” by Doris Lessing emerged during a time of social and political upheaval in the Western world. Like many of Lessing’s other works, the story explores the effects of class inequality and the misunderstandings between men and women that arise in a patriarchal culture. Lessing was born in former Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and moved to London... Read A Woman on a Roof Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: War, Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Society: Immigration
Tags History: U.S., Social Justice, Politics / Government, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Satire, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1936
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Education, Society: Class
Tags Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Historical Fiction, British Literature
Publication year 1983
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Class
Tags Magical Realism, Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Business / Economics, Class, Latin American Literature, Post Modernism
Publication year 1990
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, Gender / Feminism, Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government
Publication year 2015
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Sports, Travel Literature, Action / Adventure, Bullying, Arts / Culture, Class, Race / Racism, Relationships, Poverty, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Social Justice, History: World, Biography
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life is a 2015 memoir by William Finnegan, a writer for The New Yorker and the author of several social journalism books such as A Complicated War: The Harrowing of Mozambique and Dateline Soweto: Travels with Black South African Reporters. In Barbarian Days, Finnegan reflects on his upbringing in California and Hawaii, as well as his coming of age in the late 1960s. He relays his experience of the surfing counterculture... Read Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life Summary
Publication year 1971
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Immigration, Society: Class
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: World, Biography
Barrio Boy is a memoir by Ernesto Galarza that narrates the author’s journey from a small village in Mexico to a barrio in the United States. Considered a founding text in ethnic studies, the book was originally published in 1971 and was reissued as a 40th anniversary edition in 2011. Barrio Boy follows the author from his birth in the small town of Jalcocotán in 1905 up until high school. Galarza, who went on to... Read Barrio Boy Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Class, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Irish Literature
Publication year 1740
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class
Tags Fairy Tale / Folklore, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Children's Literature, French Literature, Romance
Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanna Barbot De Villeneuve first appeared in her collection of fairy tales La jeune américaine, et les contes marins (The Young American and Marine Tales) in 1740 and was abridged into a Christian moral tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756. As a fairy-tale classic, Beauty and the Beast has been retold around the globe and in several mediums, including books, film, theater, and opera. The most well-known adaptations... Read Beauty and the Beast Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: World, Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Gender
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Before the Fall (2016) by Noah Hawley details the effects of a plane crash on its survivors. Part mystery, part procedural, and part character study, the narrative examines the lives of the victims—their relationships, their flaws, and their histories—giving the tragedy a human face beyond the sensational headlines. Along the way, it explores themes of celebrity, invasion of privacy, and the difficulty of reconstructing traumatic memories. Hawley, a screenwriter as well as a novelist, is... Read Before the Fall Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Humor, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class
Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 1877
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Animals
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Animals, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Class, History: European, Poverty, Religion / Spirituality, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Urban Development, Victorian Period, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, History: World
Black Beauty was written by English novelist Anna Sewell, and published in 1877. It quickly became extremely popular, and led to increased activism and public concern for the humane treatment of horses and other animals. It went on to become one of best-selling novels of all time, and has been adapted numerous times into films and theatre productions. Sewell used her novel to explore themes such as kindness and responsibility, and to critique social problems... Read Black Beauty Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Class
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Southern Literature, Race / Racism, Poverty, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Mythology, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1971
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Race / Racism, Black Arts Movement
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance