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.
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction
A Bottle in the Gaza Sea (2005) is a young adult novel by French author and translator Valérie Zenatti. It was first published in French as Une bouteille dans la mer de Gaza. The novel begins when 17-year-old Israeli Tal Levine learns about a bombing at a neighborhood café. She is moved to send a letter in a bottle, which reaches 20-year-old Palestinian Naïm Al-Farjouk. Tal included her email address, and they begin corresponding. Initially... Read A Bottle in the Gaza Sea Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Globalization
Tags Business / Economics, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Anthropology, Social Justice, Education, Education, Anthropology, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Politics / Government
Published in 2014, A Brief History of Seven Killings is a literary crime novel by Jamaican writer Marlon James. To serve as the foundation for his novel, James builds the narrative around a singular historical event: the 1976 assassination attempt on Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley, whom he fictionalizes as the Singer for thematic effect. James draws on his experiences growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1970s, and on his parents’ careers in law... Read A Brief History of Seven Killings Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Identity: Gender
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Indian Literature, LGBTQ
A Burning by Megha Majumdar is a contemporary fiction novel that explores issues of tribalism, community, social media, and how we get ahead in a harsh world. Although the book takes place in India, its reflections on hope, humanity, and society are recognizable to all readers. The novel follows the interconnected narratives of Jivan, Lovely, and PT Sir after a terrorist attack in India. Jivan and Lovely’s chapters are narrated in first person with dialect... Read A Burning Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1843
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Society: Class, Life/Time: Birth
Tags Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Holidays & Occasions, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction
Originally published in 1843, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol defined and popularized quintessential Christmas tropes while condemning Victorian England’s harsh social division between the rich and poor. The Poor Laws (referenced by Scrooge in Stave 1) were England’s response to pervasive poverty; the workhouses associated with these laws subjected the desperate and destitute to demeaning conditions, and people who could not pay debts were sent to debtors’ prison—a circumstance that Dickens deals with in detail... Read A Christmas Carol Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Romance, Fantasy, New Adult
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery, Relationships: Family
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Military / War, Journalism, History: World, Religion / Spirituality, Biography, Politics / Government, History: Middle Eastern
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1710
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Class
Tags Satire, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Children's Literature
Publication year 1955
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Allegory / Fable / Parable, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, WWI / World War I, Military / War, American Literature, History: World
Publication year 2015
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Colonialism
Tags Immigration / Refugee
Publication year 2000
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Magical Realism, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Class, Identity: Race
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Society: War, Society: Economics, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Birth, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Class, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death
A Game of Thrones is a 1996 epic fantasy novel by George R. R. Martin and is the first in his long-running A Song of Ice and Fire series. The novel introduces the audience to the fictional world of Westeros, where characters become embroiled in a complicated web of plots, conspiracies, and betrayals as they pursue power. A Game of Thrones won numerous awards on publication and was adapted for television in 2011. This guide... Read A Game of Thrones Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Indian Literature
Publication year 1847
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, British Literature, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period
Agnes Grey is the first novel by Anne Brontë (1820-1849), the youngest of the three celebrated Brontë sisters, who all wrote novels now considered classics of English literature. Anne drew on her experience as a clergyman’s daughter and as a governess in telling the story of a young woman looking for her place in the world. Published in 1847 under the pseudonym Acton Bell, Agnes Grey was read as an incisive commentary on the status... Read Agnes Grey Summary