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 1925
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Colonialism, Society: Class, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Gender
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, British Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Regency Era, History: World
Publication year 2016
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: Class
Tags Race / Racism
Publication year 2013
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Psychology, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Self Help, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Realistic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Children's Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Class
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Travel Literature
Publication year 1988
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, African American Literature, Children's Literature, Arts / Culture
Scorpions is a young adult, coming-of-age novel written by best-selling children’s author Walter Dean Myers. Like many of Myers’s works, the book is based on his experience of growing up in New York City’s historically African American Harlem neighborhood. Exploring themes of brotherhood and masculinity, love and loyalty, race, class, and curtailed opportunity, the narrative follows 12-year-old Jamal Hicks as he is confronted with a life-changing dilemma: whether or not to step into the shoes... Read Scorpions Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class
Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Poverty, Humor
Scrawl (2010) is a young adult novel by American author Mark Shulman, who has written more than 200 books for young readers. Scrawl follows a young teenage bully, Tod Munn, and his experience in detention where he is required by a guidance counselor to write about himself in a journal. In the journal, Tod describes his struggles with coming from a low-income family, low self-esteem, and his problematic behavior at school. The novel was a... Read Scrawl Summary
Publication year 1811
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Identity: Gender
Tags Romance, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Relationships, Class, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Sense and Sensibility (1811) was the first published novel of English writer Jane Austen (1775-1817). She published it anonymously, identifying herself only as "a lady." It tells the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who find love after their father dies and they are plunged into a more modest lifestyle. Sense and Sensibility’s continual presence in the cultural imagination is evident in its numerous film and TV adaptations, including the award-winning 1995 version... Read Sense and Sensibility Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Romance, Humor, Race / Racism
Publication year 1773
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Humor, Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, British Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
She Stoops to Conquer is a play by British writer Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in 1773. The play is a comedy of manners and a romance set in 18th-century England. Goldsmith was an Anglo-Irish poet and dramatist and this play is his most popular and well-known work, with performances still regularly occurring in the 21st century. In 1778, John O'Keeffe wrote a successful sequel to the play, entitled Tony Lumpkin in Town. She Stoops to... Read She Stoops to Conquer Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class
Tags Realistic Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1861
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family
Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Historical Fiction, Industrial Revolution, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period
Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe is the third novel by Mary Ann Evans, published under the pseudonym George Eliot. The realist novel portrays the life of a weaver in 1800s England against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution. The novel has been adapted into films, radio plays, theatrical productions, and television shows.This guide refers to the 2021 Alma Classics edition. Content Warning: This guide discusses addiction and depression, which feature in Silas Marner.Plot SummarySilas... Read Silas Marner Summary
Publication year 1900
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Literature, Gender / Feminism, Naturalism, Education, Education, History: World
Sister Carrie is a novel published in 1900 by the American author Theodore Dreiser. Dreiser uses the story of Caroline Meeber, a naïve young woman who gets caught up in the gaudy venality of the city, to explore the emptiness of materialism, the tension between flesh and spirit, the inevitability of loneliness, and the role of women in the emerging America of the new century. Now recognized as one of the defining expressions of American... Read Sister Carrie Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration
Tags Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature
In the novel Sister of My Heart, the Indian-born American author and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni explores issues of family, womanhood, and diasporic experience, constantly affirming and exploring the redemptive power of storytelling. Divakaruni’s first collection of stories, Arranged Marriage, won an American Book Award, a PEN Josephine Miles Award, and a Bay Area Book Reviewers Award. Her novel The Mistress of Spices was released as a film of the same name in 2005. Sister of My Heart was made into a television series... Read Sister of My Heart Summary
Publication year 1960
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Poverty, Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1924
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Literature, Poverty
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Prose poetry, Free verse, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Music, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Society: Class, Life/Time: Midlife
Tags Romance, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2024
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fame