Class

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.

The Color of Water

by James McBride

Publication year 1996

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Religion & Spirituality, Social Class

Tags Coming of Age, Race & Racism, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Religion & Spirituality, Parenting, African American Literature, Great Depression, American Literature, Education, Education, Biography

The Color of Water is a nonfiction autobiography published in 1996 by the American author and musician James McBride. Subtitled A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother, The Color of Water chronicles the author’s challenges growing up in the 1960s and 1970s as a child with a white Jewish mother and Black father. Interspersed with the author’s recollections are interview transcripts describing his mother’s abusive upbringing as an Orthodox Jewish woman living in the... Read The Color of Water Summary

The Comedy of Errors

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1594

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Family, Social Class, Economics, Order & Chaos

Tags Classic Fiction, Comedy & Satire, British Literature

The Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays and is a comedy that incorporates slapstick humor, farce, and wordplay. Its first recorded performance was in 1594, and it has been performed and adapted numerous times since then. Its title has entered into the English lexicon: The phrase “comedy of errors” means a situation caused by many mistakes.The play follows the story of two sets of identical twins who also share the same names... Read The Comedy of Errors Summary

The Coming of the Third Reich

by Richard J. Evans

Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Nostalgia, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Disability, Gender Identity, Race, The Past, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Art, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags World History, Military & War, World War II, European History, Politics & Government

... Read The Coming of the Third Reich Summary

The Competitive Advantage Of Nations

by Michael E. Porter

Publication year 1990

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Colonialism, Community, Teamwork, Social Class, Immigration, Globalization, Science & Technology, Education, Order & Chaos, Nation, Future, War, The Past, Power & Greed, Equality, Politics & Government, Wins & Losses

Tags Business & Economics, Finance, Leadership, Social Science, World History, Politics & Government

The Competitive Advantage of Nations is a 1990 work of economics by American author Michael E. Porter, a Harvard Business School professor and expert in corporate competitive strategy whose influential works are frequently cited in business and economics. In this book, Porter dismantles traditional economic theories about how well a nation fares in global competition (factor costs and macro-economic policy) and proposes a model that focuses on active and malleable factors of business rather than... Read The Competitive Advantage Of Nations Summary

The Conscious Lovers

by Richard Steele

Publication year 1722

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Social Class, Conflict, Guilt, Love, Femininity, Masculinity, Appearance & Reality, Daughters & Sons, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, Comedy & Satire, Restoration

The Conscious Lovers is a sentimental comedy play by 18th-century playwright Richard Steele. The play was first performed at Drury Lane in 1722, and it was published the same year with a different Epilogue. The Conscious Lovers, which is based loosely on Andria, or The Woman of Andros, a comedy by ancient Roman playwright Terence, is an explicitly moral comedy, following characters that are rewarded for their uprightness: Bevil Jr. wants to marry Indiana, a woman... Read The Conscious Lovers Summary

The Custom of the Country

by Edith Wharton

Publication year 1913

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Social Class, Community, Family, Power & Greed, Nation

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Literature, World History

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton is a tragicomedy of manners that explores themes of greed, ruthless ambition, progress, and gendered ideas. Wharton, who was herself a member of the New York City elite, was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, and her novels are pieces of classic American literature for their social commentary, multilayered characters, and analysis of American culture.Published in 1913, this novel can be read as... Read The Custom of the Country Summary

The Darkest Child

by Delores Phillips

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Hope, Revenge, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Social Class, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Southern Literature, Race & Racism, African American Literature, World History

The Darkest Child (2004) is a coming-of-age historical fiction novel by Delores Phillips. The teenage protagonist and first-person narrator, Tangy Mae Quinn faces racism and segregation in the Jim Crow South, as well as domestic abuse, poverty, and nonconsensual sex work. Despite these challenges, Tangy finds eventual escape when she leaves her abusive mother, Rozelle, and her past behind her to pursue her own goals, which are rooted in education. The novel explores The Role... Read The Darkest Child Summary

The Dead and the Gone

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hope, Religion & Spirituality, Social Class, Trust & Doubt

Tags Science Fiction, Survival Fiction, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Susan Beth Pfeffer’s The Dead and the Gone, published in 2008, is the second book in The Last Survivors, a postapocalyptic series about an asteroid hitting the moon and setting off a chain of natural disasters on Earth. The novel focuses on three stateside Puerto Rican siblings as they struggle to survive starvation while living in a New York City apartment building. Pfeffer has written many young adult science-fiction novels and has likewise received several... Read The Dead and the Gone Summary

The Death of a Government Clerk

by Anton Chekhov

Publication year 1883

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Fear, Social Class, Politics & Government

Tags Satirical Literature, Russian Literature

Anton Chekhov was born in Russia in 1860. His most celebrated works include the plays Uncle Vanya and The Cherry Orchard and the short stories “The Peasants” and “The Lady With the Dog.” Chekhov was no stranger to comedy, but his humor is often couched within serious, unsettling situations, featuring characters who are unable or unwilling to overcome their shortcomings and help themselves. “The Death of a Government Clerk” contains some of these same elements... Read The Death of a Government Clerk Summary

The Deepest Well

by Nadine Burke Harris

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Social Class, Community, Mental Health, Science & Technology, Memory, The Past, Disability, Future, Perseverance, Nature Versus Nurture, Education, Childhood & Youth

Tags Trauma & Abuse, Mental Illness, Science & Nature, Health, Education, Education, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology, Self-Improvement

... Read The Deepest Well Summary

The Destructors

by Graham Greene

Publication year 1954

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Revenge, Coming of Age, War

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

“The Destructors” is a frequently anthologized short story by Graham Greene (1904-1991) originally published in 1954. Greene is often regarded as one of the greatest British writers of the 20th century. His work was commercially and critically successful and was frequently adapted into films and television shows. An adaptation of “The Destructors” was included in the 1970s television series Shades of Greene. His work often reflects his Catholic values as well as his life-long battles... Read The Destructors Summary