Class

The titles in the Social Class Collection explore the historical and contemporary implications of social class and class division in cultures around the world. Representing a diverse range of perspectives, cultures, and societies, the selections in this Collection span a broad range of genres and forms, including essays, biographies, and fiction.

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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

Incarceron (2007) is a young adult dystopian science fiction novel by Catherine Fisher. One protagonist, Finn, is incarcerated in a high-tech, sentient prison, and the other, Claudia, is the Warden’s daughter. While Finn tries to escape Incarceron, Claudia rebels against the Realm’s restrictive laws, which outlaw modern technologies and knowledge. She also endeavors to free herself from an arranged marriage to a boy she hates. The novel explores the true meaning of freedom, the dangers... Read Incarceron Summary


Publication year 1861

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Inspirational, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: U.S., African American Literature, American Civil War, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

The memoir Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861) is an account of the life of Harriet Ann Jacobs, who calls herself “Linda Brent” in the narrative. It is a key text in the slave narrative genre, which were first-person narratives written by formerly enslaved people that hoped to convert readers to the abolitionist cause. While most slave narratives were written by men, such as The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1791), Narrative of... Read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Summary


Publication year 1953

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Identity: Femininity, Society: Community


Publication year 1939

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality


Publication year 2015

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

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

Tags Immigration / Refugee, Korean Literature, History: World, Biography, Politics / Government


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2021

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Poverty, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: War

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy


Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction


Publication year 1961

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: Class

Tags Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

“I Stand Here Ironing” was originally published in 1961 in Tell Me a Riddle, Tillie Olsen’s first collection of short stories. Since then, it has greatly impacted feminist scholars and creative writers alike and is often anthologized. The short story is an intimate exploration of one woman’s experience with motherhood between the 1930 and 1950s. Her oldest daughter, Emily, is 19 years old and has been neglected and separated from the narrator due to factors... Read I Stand Here Ironing Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction


Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Class

Tags Realistic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Agriculture, Class, History: U.S., Poverty, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Vietnam War


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, 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: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose


Publication year 1930

Genre Novel, Fiction

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

Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Class, Poverty, Social Justice, American Literature, Education, Education, Jewish Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Jews Without Money is a semi-autobiographical 1930 novel by Itzok Isaac Granich, published under Granich’s pseudonym, Mike Gold. The book charts the impoverished conditions of the Lower East Side of New York City and the experiences of growing up in a community of predominantly Jewish immigrants in the early 20th century. Growing up in such a difficult environment informed the author’s socialist politics as an adult. Plot SummaryMike Gold is born and raised by a... Read Jews Without Money Summary


Publication year 1939

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Society: War, Society: Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, WWI / World War I, Military / War, History: World, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Magical Realism, History: World


Publication year 1932

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: War

Tags French Literature, Philosophy, Auto/Biographical Fiction, WWI / World War I, Modernism, The Lost Generation

Journey to the End of the Night is a modernist novel by Louis-Ferdinand Céline, first published in the French language in 1932 by Parisian publishing house Éditions Denoël et Steele. It is a semi-autobiographical work centered on the life and travels of cynical antihero Ferdinand Bardamu, set over several decades of Bardamu’s life, beginning at the outbreak of World War I. The novel became influential in the development of post–WWI literary modernism, but like many... Read Journey to the End of the Night Summary


Publication year 1922

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Economics, Society: Class

Tags Harlem Renaissance


Publication year 1895

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Class, Historical Fiction, Romance, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period

English author Thomas Hardy published his final novel, Jude the Obscure, in 1895. Critics deemed it “immoral” and “indecent,” and it became a target of book burnings because of its critique of marriage, religion, education, and class structure. The narrative follows the tragic journey of Jude Fawley, a working-class man striving for education and love, whose aspirations are consistently thwarted by societal barriers, personal setbacks, and internal struggles.This guide refers to the e-book version of... Read Jude the Obscure Summary


Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Military / War, African Literature

July’s People, a 1981 dystopian novel by South African author Nadine Gordimer, imagines the aftermath of a bloody uprising that topples South Africa’s notorious, white-ruled apartheid regime. Her novel, which follows a white family’s desperate flight from Johannesburg, traces the complex interdependencies of white and Black South Africans, revealing the insidiousness of the regime’s racial disparities and mindsets, even among liberal, well-meaning white people. Through the lens of this hypothetical future, Gordimer’s novel explores racial... Read July's People Summary