Class

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 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Allegory / Fable / Parable, Class, Existentialism, African Literature, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Thief and the Dogs is a 1961 surrealist, existentialist novel by Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz. Mahfouz won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature and The Thief and the Dogs is considered one of his most celebrated works. The novel has been adapted for Egyptian television, and is the first novel written in Arabic to use the stream-of-consciousness style. Published nearly ten years after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, the novel is also considered an... Read The Thief and the Dogs Summary


Publication year 2009

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Immigration

Tags African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, African Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Relationships, Gender / Feminism

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was published in 2009. Adichie had previously published two novels, making this text her third book and her first short story anthology. Some of the stories had been published previously in publications like The New Yorker and The Iowa Review. The book received praise, situating Adichie as a rising star of Nigerian literature. These short stories deal with problems of political conflict, immigration, artistic integrity, and... Read The Thing Around Your Neck Summary


Publication year 1915

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class

Tags Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction

The Thirty-Nine Steps, an early spy thriller, was published by Scottish author John Buchan in 1915. It was the first of five books to feature protagonist Richard Hannay. Alfred Hitchcock adapted the story to film in 1935, emphasizing the thriller elements and changing most of the secondary characters. A theatrical version, which drew from Hitchcock’s movie but restored the comedic tone of Buchan’s novel, ran in London’s West End for 10 years. Buchan’s story of... Read The Thirty Nine Steps Summary


Publication year 1928

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, Classic Fiction, Poverty, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 1895

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Class

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

The Time Machine is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells published in 1895. The book’s protagonist, who is never named and called only the Time Traveller, is a brilliant Victorian inventor who travels 800,000 years into the future. He finds that humans have evolved into two distinct species, called the Eloi and the Morlocks. The Eloi are peace-loving and childlike simpletons who are farmed and eaten by the brutal Morlocks, who live underground... Read The Time Machine Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Identity: Gender, Society: Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Southern Literature, History: World


Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Immigration, Society: Class, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Satire, Drama / Tragedy, Race / Racism, Immigration / Refugee, American Literature

Published in 1995, The Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle tells the story of two couples living parallel lives in Southern California: Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher, affluent white Americans with a home in the upper-middle-class subdivision of Arroyo Blanco; and Cándido and América Rincón, undocumented immigrants from Mexico living in a makeshift camp at the bottom of the canyon. Rotating among the perspectives of the four protagonists, the novel explores the inequality inherent in the United States... Read The Tortilla Curtain Summary


Publication year 1613

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Drama, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction

The Tragedy of Mariam, Fair Queen of Jewry recounts actual historical events surrounding the execution of Mariam, the second wife of Herod the Great. Written by Elizabeth Cary, the Viscountess Falkland, this five-act play published in 1613 is unique in several ways—chiefly, in that it is the first English-language play authored and published by a woman. Multiple tragedies occur in the drama, which falls into the genre of a Senecan revenge tragedy. It’s also a... Read The Tragedy of Mariam Summary


Publication year 1893

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature

Tags Humor, Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Satire, Race / Racism, American Literature


Publication year 1952

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Race / Racism, African Literature, Relationships

“The Train from Rhodesia” is a short story by Nadine Gordimer, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991. The story originally appeared in The Soft Voice of the Serpent, her first collection of stories, published in 1953 and used as the basis for this study guide.The story takes place in a train station in an unnamed African village. The station is surrounded by beggars and by vendors selling carved wooden animals. A stationmaster... Read The Train From Rhodesia Summary


Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

Published in 1990, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by children’s book writer Avi, tells the story of a teenage girl who travels from England to America aboard a sailing ship filled with intrigue, mutiny, and murder; she learns to be a sailor, withstands a hurricane, and thwarts the captain’s attempts to kill her. Written for middle-grade readers, the book won several awards, including the Newbery in 1991. Plot SummaryThirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle, at school in... Read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Summary


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