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 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 1860
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 1668
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class
Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, Classic Fiction, French Literature
The Miser, by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (better known by his stage name, Molière) was written in 1668 and was first performed at the theatre of the Palais-Royal in Paris on September 9th, 1668. The five-act play, which takes much of its inspiration from Plautus’ Latin comedy Aulularia (or The Pot of Gold), is a comedy centered on a penny-pinching old miser, Harpagon, who schemes to make more money by arranging marriages for himself and his two... Read The Miser Summary
Publication year 1868
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period
The Moonstone is a Victorian mystery novel by the English writer Wilkie Collins. It was originally published in serial installments between January and August 1868. The Moonstone is sometimes considered one of the first detective novels in English, with its suspenseful and dramatic plot building on the success Collins had achieved with an earlier mystery novel, The Woman in White (1860). Throughout The Moonstone, Collins explores the themes of Public Reputation Versus Inner Nature, The... Read The Moonstone Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science / Nature, Animals
Publication year 1926
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, first published in 1926, is a mystery novel by Agatha Christie, often called the “Queen of Mystery.” Christie has 66 detective novels to her name, as well as 14 short story collections. She is considered the best-selling fiction author of all time, with her books selling more than 2 billion copies worldwide. Christie also wrote a play, The Mousetrap, which has run continuously in London’s West End since its premiere... Read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Identity: Indigenous, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, History: World
Publication year 1920
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: Class, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Class, Grief / Death, Immigration / Refugee, Psychology, WWI / World War I, British Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, written by Agatha Christie in 1920, is the first of her novels to feature Hercule Poirot. The small, fastidious Belgian is one of her most iconic characters and among the most famous fictional detectives in the world. The novel is exemplary of the “cozy mystery,” in which well-heeled figures work out the solutions to complex, puzzle-like murders within comfortable settings. This one takes place during the years of the Great... Read The Mysterious Affair at Styles Summary
Publication year 1884
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Classic Fiction, French Literature, Education, Education, History: World
Considered a master of the short story, French author Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) wrote over 300 stories, one of the most famous being “The Necklace.” De Maupassant focused his writing on daily life and the observation of human nature, a topic he approached with a strong sense of pessimism. “The Necklace,” published in 1884, illustrates his pessimistic outlook through its focus on irony, conflict, and the destructive power of materialism and greed. The story has... Read The Necklace Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
The Night She Disappeared is a young-adult thriller by American author April Henry. Published in 2012 by Henry Holt, The Night She Disappeared tells the story of Kayla Cutler, a high-school senior kidnapped while on a pizza delivery, and Gabie Klug, her coworker, who discovers that she was the perpetrator’s intended target. As Gabie races to uncover the truth before it’s too late, The Night She Disappeared tackles themes of class-based prejudice and the fallibility... Read The Night She Disappeared Summary
Publication year 1990
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Music, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Publication year 1836
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Satire, Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Russian Literature, History: World, Fantasy, Humor
This guide refers to the story as it appears in the 1965 Norton Library edition of The Overcoat & Other Tales of Good and Evil, translated by David Magarshack.Nikolai Gogol’s short story “The Nose,” written between 1835 and 1836, was originally published in The Contemporary, a literary journal owned by famed Russian Romantic poet Alexander Pushkin. A satire on bureaucratic life in the Tsarist capital of St. Petersburg, “The Nose” has since become an important... Read The Nose Summary
Publication year 1910
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class
Tags Classic Fiction, German Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Place, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Identity: Femininity
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Depression / Suicide, Disability, Grief / Death, Class
Publication year 1911
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Gender, Society: Class
Tags British Literature, Humor, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction
“The Open Window” is a frequently anthologized short story by Hector Hugh Munro, or H. H. Munro, whose penname was Saki. This short story, like many of Saki’s works, satirizes Edwardian society. By utilizing a story within a story, or an embedded narrative, Saki uses satire to explore themes like the absurdity of etiquette, escapism, control, and appearance versus reality.Saki originally published “The Open Window” in the Westminster Gazette on November 18, 1911, and later... Read The Open Window Summary