Social stratification is a recurring theme in many great works of
             literature. Social stratification can be defined as a "hierarchical
             ranking of groups (that is) based on the unequal distribution of societal
             resources and positions" (The University of Texas at Dallas). Throughout
             history, social stratification has influenced the class system of America,
             the caste system of India, and the feudal system of Europe. Today, social
             stratification has a very real influence in America and Europe. Even
             today, Americans are often divided by income, race, gender, and social
             While this definition is undoubtedly complete and correct, it does
             little to tell us about the real, human consequences of social
             stratification. It is through an understanding of the impact of social
             stratification on a real human life that makes us understand the human
             costs. For example, the vivid descriptions of racism and scorn faced by
             Eudora Welty's protagonist in A Worn Path give us an understanding of the
             emotional consequences of racism on a single human life. This description
             has a much more powerful impact on our understanding of social
             stratification than a dry phrase like, 'social stratification impacts
             individuals within the African American community'.
             This paper will compare and contrast the theme of social
             stratification between a number of six important short stories. These
             stories are: Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown, Edgar Allen Poe's
             The Masque of the Red Death, Guy Maupassant's The Necklace, Eudora Welty's
             A Worn Path, Alice Walker's Everyday Use, and Edith Wharton's Roman Fever.
             While all of the stories outlined here are entertaining, they also
             make an important contribution to our understanding of social
             stratification. Fiction itself can be invaluable in providing insights
             into larger societal issues. Laurence Perrine notes, "Unless fiction gives
             us somet...