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 1940
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community, Society: Class
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature, American Literature, Southern Literature, Southern Gothic
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1940) is a Southern Gothic novel written by Carson McCullers, one of the most prominent American literary voices of the 20th century. Set in a small unnamed town, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter captures the spiritual isolation and loneliness of five ordinary people in the deep American South in the 1930s. McCullers is known for her contributions to the development of the Southern Gothic subgenre, and her novels... Read The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Climate, Society: Class
Tags Science / Nature, Climate Change
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Disability, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Society: Class
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1749
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Classic Fiction, Satire, Humor, Romance, Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World
First published in 1749, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling is considered one of the best and most influential early novels in English literature. Henry Fielding was a respected dramatist, essayist, and satirist, and as a public official, he helped to establish London’s first professional police force.A comic novel that blends romance, realism, picaresque, and social commentary—while passing itself off as a true history of a life as well as a reflection of human... Read The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling Summary
Publication year 1964
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Aging, Society: Class, Society: Community, Identity: Gender
Tags Play: Drama, Psychological Fiction, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1977
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Latin American Literature, Poverty, Gender / Feminism, Existentialism, History: World, Classic Fiction
Clarice Lispector’s novel The Hour of the Star was originally published in Portuguese as A hora da estrela, by The Heirs in 1977. New Directions Paperbook published the original English translation of the novel in 1992. The novel is Lispector’s final publication during her life; her novel A Breath of Life was published posthumously. The Hour of the Star is set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and follows the first-person narrator, Rodrigo S. M., as... Read The Hour of the Star Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Class
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Education, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Race / Racism, History: World
Publication year 1905
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Satire, Class, Gilded Age, Naturalism, American Literature, History: World
Set in New York’s high society at the turn of the 20th century, The House of Mirth (1905), was the second novel by renowned American writer Edith Wharton. Wharton drew upon her own privileged upbringing in a wealthy, long-established New York family for her astute observations of this social milieu during the Gilded Age, a period marked by economic disparities and ostentatious materialism. Prior to the novel’s publication in October 1905, The House of Mirth... Read The House of Mirth Summary
Publication year 1831
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Language, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Gothic Literature, French Literature, History: World
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is an 1831 gothic novel by French author Victor Hugo, originally published under the title Notre-Dame de Paris. Set in 15th-century France, the novel concerns the intertwined stories of Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Archdeacon Claude Frollo. The story has been adapted many times for theater, television, and film, including an animated film by Disney released in 1996.This guide refers to the 2009 Oxford Classics edition of the novel, translated from French to... Read The Hunchback of Notre-Dame Summary
Publication year 2001
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Play: Drama, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 1869
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Philosophy, Russian Literature, Philosophy
The Idiot is a novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, first published in 1868-69. The story focuses on the titular character, a good-natured, destitute aristocrat named Prince Myshkin. The novel has been adapted many times for film, theatre, television, and radio. This guide is written using an eBook version of the 2003 Vintage edition, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Plot SummaryPrince Lev Myshkin is a young man from one of Russia's oldest, most... Read The Idiot Summary
Publication year 1895
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Victorian Period, Play: Comedy / Satire, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, Humor, Classic Fiction
The Importance of Being Earnest, a comedy, is Oscar Wilde’s final play. It premiered at St. James’ Theatre in London on February 14, 1895 and skewered the contemporary habits and attitudes of the British aristocracy. The opening was hugely successful, but Wilde’s ongoing conflict with the Marquess of Queensberry, his lover’s powerful father, led the play to close prematurely after Wilde was charged with “gross indecency” for having sex with men. Despite this setback, The... Read The Importance of Being Earnest Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags History: U.S., Southern Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Poverty, Grief / Death, Finance / Money / Wealth, Information Age, Class, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1911
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1897
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, British Literature, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Victorian Period, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
H. G. Wells is one of the earliest science fiction authors, sometimes referred to as the father of the genre. His 1897 novel, The Invisible Man, follows an albino scientist who discovers the secret to turning himself invisible. The novel’s blend of fantastical science and realistic, mundane detail is a signature of Wells. This novel has influenced generations of writers and artists, both through its powerful prose and fascinating plot, as well as for its... Read The Invisible Man Summary