The divide between the Korean landed elite and the peasant masses that predated Japanese rule grew deeper and more complex as a result of colonial policies.
—
Kornel Chang
September 19,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
Her character is a peasant who, around the midway mark, gives an inspiring speech to her granddaughter, Afra (Wardi Eilabuni).
Not only does the peon and con man Tom end up refashioning himself as the rich and carefree Dickie, but Highsmith’s novel itself was a retelling of Henry James’s The Ambassadors.
—
Hillary Kelly,
The Atlantic,
19 Apr. 2024
Not afraid but brave, not weak but empowered, not peons but partners.
Born on a New York farm in 1821, Youmans didn’t come from a notable family or attend elite schools —his name even derives from yeoman, a self-reliant commoner.
—
Sabrina Schaeffer,
Oc Register,
4 July 2025
Once reserved for aristocrats, these menageries opened to the public in the 17th and 18th centuries; commoners could also attend performances hosted by itinerant showmen who traveled from town to town with exotic species in tow.
—
Shoshi Parks,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 June 2025
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