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 1950
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Religion / Spirituality, Holocaust
“The First Seven Years” is a short story that Bernard Malamud originally published in 1950. The story subsequently appeared in several collections, including The Magic Barrel, which won the 1959 National Book Award for fiction. Malamud’s exploration of the complications of the American Dream for immigrants and the aftermath of the Holocaust make the story an important contribution to American Jewish literature of the twentieth century. This guide is based on the short story as... Read The First Seven Years Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Crime / Legal, History: European, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Great Depression, History: World
Publication year 1969
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Society: Class
Tags Historical Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction, Romance, Victorian Period, British Literature, Post Modernism
The French Lieutenant’s Woman is a 1969 historical novel by English author John Fowles. The novel provides a postmodern exploration of Victorian society, telling a story from the era in a manner which also function as a social critique. The French Lieutenant’s Woman was widely praised on release and in the decades after. In 1981, it was adapted into a film of the same name.This guide was written using the 2004 Vintage edition of the... Read The French Lieutenant's Woman Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Birth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 1962
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Italian Literature, Relationships, Military / War, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1922
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Class, Modernism, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Katherine Mansfield’s “The Garden Party” was published in her 1922 short story collection The Garden Party and Other Stories, and many critics consider it the best example of her renowned prose style. Like many Modernists, Mansfield was most interested in rendering not objective realities but characters’ subjective perspectives; her third-person narrators often have intimate insight into a character’s interior world, to the extent that the narrative voice embodies elements of that character’s psychology. The world... Read The Garden Party Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class
Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Asian Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
The Ghost Bride (2013) is the first novel by Malaysian Chinese author Yangsze Choo. The novel bridges multiple genres, including mystery, ghost story, and coming-of-age romance to explore the rich and complicated world of colonial Malacca at the end of the 19th century, the relationship between life and death, and how the afterlife can contain just as many complexities as the living world. Widely praised, the novel was adapted into a Netflix original series in... Read The Ghost Bride Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Japanese Literature, Action / Adventure
The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn (1999), by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler, is the first novel in the Samurai Detective young adult series, currently comprised of seven books. The novel follows Seikei, the son of a merchant who aspires to be a samurai, as he helps the judge investigate the theft of a ruby from a samurai lord. It explores the themes of Personal Ambition Versus Societal Expectations, The Deceptiveness of Appearances, and The Importance... Read The Ghost In The Tokaido Inn Summary
Publication year 1873
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government
Tags American Literature, History: World, Humor, Classic Fiction, Satire, Historical Fiction, Gilded Age, Politics / Government
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Health / Medicine, British Literature
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Scandinavian Literature, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an international bestseller by writer and journalist Stieg Larsson. The crime thriller was published in Sweden shortly after his death in 2005 with the original Swedish title, Män som hatar kvinnor, or Men Who Hate Women. The book won the 2006 Glass Key Award for best crime novel in its native Sweden, and after the English translation was released it received the 2008 Boeke Prize (South Africa), Crime... Read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Identity: Femininity
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Class, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Poverty, African Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags History: World, Arts / Culture, Magical Realism
Publication year 2010
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1843
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race
Tags Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, Gothic Literature, History: World
An instant success, Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Gold-Bug” was published in 1843. Poe submitted the short story to a writing competition that was sponsored by the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper. “The Gold-Bug” was awarded first place and subsequently published in three installments. The story was Poe’s most widely read work during his lifetime. Other works by Poe include “The Oval Portrait”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, and “The Black Cat”. This guide refers to the 2021 Amazon Kindle... Read The Gold Bug Summary
Publication year 1904
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, American Literature, History: U.S., History: World
The Golden Bowl is a 1904 novel by Henry James. The novel explores the intricacies of marriage and affairs in the early 19th century through the affair of Amerigo and Charlotte, who were once in love but too poor to marry. Amerigo instead marries Maggie, and Charlotte marries Maggie’s father, a wealthy American museum curator. While Amerigo is at first happy with his new wife, the time she spends with her father creates an opportunity... Read The Golden Bowl Summary
Publication year 1931
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Place, Society: Community
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, History: Asian, Education, Education, History: World, Chinese Literature
A measure of the quality, prescience, and veracity of Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth is that, nearly a century after its first publication, the book remains required reading in literature, world history, and social science courses. The novel is a simple, straightforward narrative about 50 years in the life of Wang Lung, an uneducated farmer in eastern China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While this era period was one of continual... Read The Good Earth Summary