The laws that govern and the social norms that regulate society are not always fair, legal, moral, or ethical. What is a person to do about all this injustice? What are the hazards of righting injustices or changing social norms? And what are the dangers of doing nothing?

Close reading of the unit texts will help you answer these Guiding Questions:

• How do social class and legal institutions shape literary characters' lives (and presumably our lives)?
• How does social class affect a person in dealing with the law (protect a person, hurt a person)?
• How is social class determined in America and in other places in the world?