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 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Sports
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags History: World, Regency Era, Romance, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1848
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Class
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fireside Poets, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Class
Tags Action / Adventure, History: World, Crime / Legal, Colonialism / Postcolonialism
Publication year 1981
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Society: Class, Society: Nation
Tags Historical Fiction, Latin American Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1700
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, Restoration, British Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Humor
The Way of the World is a play by William Congreve, first performed in 1700 at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. The Way of the World is a Restoration comedy, meaning it is a comedy written and performed in the boom of theater following the restoration of the Stuart Dynasty after the Interregnum period in England. As with many Restoration comedies, Congreve focuses his satire on the upper classes, but The Way of the World is notable... Read The Way of the World Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: War, Self Discovery
Tags British Literature, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Military / War, WWII / World War II, British Literature, History: World
Publication year 1612
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Femininity, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Play: Tragedy, Jacobean Era
First performed onstage in 1612, The White Devil is a revenge tragedy that is loosely based on the murder of Vittoria Accoramboni in Italy in 1585. The full title of the play is The White Divel; or, The Tragedy of Paulo Giordano Ursini, Duke of Bracciano. With The Life and Death of Vittoria Corombona the famous Venetian Curtizan). The play has been performed many times but has not been adapted for film. This guide refers... Read The White Devil Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Indian Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Poverty, Class, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger was published in 2008. Adiga’s first novel, The White Tiger won the Man Booker Prize and was adapted into a movie in 2021. Born in Chennai, India, Adiga has lived in India and Australia, and attended Columbia University in New York and Oxford University in England. A coming-of-age story told through a first-person narrator and letters addressed to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, The White Tiger examines the conflict between tradition... Read The White Tiger Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Gothic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1961
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family
Tags Classic Fiction, Finance / Money / Wealth, American Literature, History: World
The Winter of Our Discontent is the final novel of American author John Steinbeck (1902-1968). Published in 1961, the themes reflect Steinbeck’s concern with the degradation of American culture and morality. In some ways, the novel departs from Steinbeck’s more iconic novels, which include East of Eden (1952), The Grapes of Wrath (1939), and Of Mice and Men (1937). Steinbeck takes the novel’s title from a line in William Shakespeare’s play Richard III (1597).The critical... Read The Winter Of Our Discontent Summary
Publication year 1623
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Tragedy, Play: Comedy / Satire, Romance, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
The Winter’s Tale is a late romance play in five acts by William Shakespeare. Originally published in the First Folio of 1623 but debuted onstage circa 1611, the play follows a man’s reckless jealousy as it destroys his family and his own conscience. Shakespeare’s play is based on the romance Pandosto: The Triumph of Time by the Elizabethan author Robert Greene published in 1588, with Shakespeare taking a more lighthearted approach to Greene’s story toward... Read The Winter's Tale Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Gender, Society: Education, Society: Class, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Finance / Money / Wealth, Poverty, Narrative / Epic Poem
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, WWI / World War I, WWII / World War II, History: World, French Literature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Self Discovery
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Humor, Romance
Publication year 1979
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature
Walter Dean Myers first published his middle grade novel, The Young Landlords, in 1979. Like most of the 100 books Myers penned before his death in 2014, the story centers on Black youth. The Young Landlords is particularly personal to Myers, however, because he writes about the neighborhood in Harlem, New York, where he grew up, describing the sort of activities and individuals he encountered as a youth. The main character, 15-year-old Paul Williams, pays... Read The Young Landlords Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education
Tags Class, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction, Indian Literature