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 1890
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class
Tags Free verse
Publication year 1930
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, British Literature
Published in 1930, Murder at the Vicarage is Agatha Christie’s first novel featuring the elderly detective Miss Marple. The character first appears in a 1927 short story entitled “The Tuesday Murder Club.” In Murder at the Vicarage, unpopular bully Colonel Protheroe dies from a gunshot wound in the study of St. Mary Mead’s Vicarage. All suspects have an alibi, including the victim’s wife and her lover, who each admits guilt to divert suspicion from the... Read Murder at the Vicarage Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2021
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Immigration
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, Biography
Publication year 1987
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity
Tags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism
Publication year 1956
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Identity: Femininity, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Humor, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Music, Romance, Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire
My Fair Lady, a musical by Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music), opened on Broadway to tremendous critical and popular success in 1956, starring Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews as Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle. Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s popular play Pygmalion (1914) and inspired by the Greek myth of “Pygmalion and Galatea,” the musical takes place in early-20th-century London, satirizing issues of class hierarchies, gender disparity, and how language... Read My Fair Lady Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1880
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Realism, Realistic Fiction, Naturalism, Class, History: European, French Literature
Publication year 1940
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Existentialism, American Literature, African American Literature, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Race / Racism
Richard’s Wright’s debut novel Native Son was an immediate success upon its publication in 1940, selling 250,000 copies in three weeks. Today, it is widely recognized as not only Wright’s greatest work, but as one of the most significant American novels of the twentieth century. In his essay “How ‘Bigger’ Was Born” (1940), Wright explains that he based the protagonist of the novel on five young Black men he had known as a child. These... Read Native Son Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class
Tags Historical Fiction, Poverty, Social Justice, Health / Medicine, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Education, Society: Nation
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, Post-War Era, Southern Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Biography
Publication year 2016
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Philosophy, Social Science, Politics / Government, Sociology
Publication year 1954
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Class
Tags Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Poverty, Urban Development, Education, Education, Asian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Nectar in a Sieve is a 1954 classical fiction novel written by Kamala Markandaya, who was one of the most prominent 20th-century Indian novelists. It was her first novel and was named an American Library Association Notable Book in 1955. The novel’s plot follows Rukmani, a poor farmer’s wife, as she learns what it means to survive and find happiness in postcolonial and post-partition India. Through Rukmani’s eyes, Markandaya explores the impacts of poverty, the... Read Nectar in a Sieve Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Race, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags Race / Racism, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class
Tags Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Diversity, Race / Racism, Bullying, Class, African American Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
New Kid by Jerry Craft is a 2019 graphic novel and winner of the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award. Jim Callahan is responsible for the coloring. Craft is the creator of the 1990 comic strip Mama’s Boyz, as well as Class Act, the 2020 companion story to this book. New Kid focuses on an artistic middle school student who makes friends and builds confidence in himself as he navigates race and class... Read New Kid Summary
Publication year 2001
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community
Tags Sociology, Poverty, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Education, Education, Business / Economics
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America is a 2001 nonfiction book written by Barbara Ehrenreich. This book is considered a classic of investigative journalism and was ranked #13 in The Guardian’s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century. Ehrenreich takes a series of low-paying, entry-level jobs in three cities (Key West, Florida; Portland, Maine; Minneapolis, Minnesota) to answer the question of whether one can survive on these wages and... Read Nickel and Dimed Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Race / Racism, Poverty, LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1973
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Indigenous, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Publication year 1887
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Satire, Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, History: Asian, Politics / Government, Asian Literature, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction
Noli Me Tángere (1887)—which translates to “Touch Me Not” in Latin—is a novel written by Filipino writer José Rizal. The novel tells the story of Don Crisóstomo Ibarra, a young man of Filipino and Spanish descent who returns to the Philippines after a seven-year trip to Europe. Upon his return, and because he is now old enough to better understand the world, Ibarra sees the oppression wrought on the Indigenous population by Spanish colonialism. As... Read Noli Me Tángere Summary
Publication year 1960
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community
Tags Heinemann African Writers, African Literature, Historical Fiction, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, African American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
No Longer At Ease (1960) is a novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. The story takes place in the years prior to Nigeria’s independence from the British Empire and focuses on Obi Okonkwo. Obi is a young Nigerian man who returns home after studying English in Britain and finds a job in the civil service. He finds himself situated within the conflict between African and Western culture, raising questions about his identity and worldview. No... Read No Longer at Ease Summary