Class is a a story about an Indian man named Edgar who marries a white woman named Susan. The story follows how the couple met and their relationship dynamics as a married couple. Though the story does not revolve around racial discrimination or socioeconomic class(both Edgar and Susan upper middle class and financially comfortable), Edgar soon discovers that Susan had been cheating on him shortly after their first anniversary. Though he was not particularly upset, he is disappointed. When his wife gives birth to a stillborn, their marriage loses its remaining intimacy; and he finds himself seeking that intimacy and gratification in prostitutes and escorts every time he leaves town on his many business trips. With his marriage breaking apart, he eventually finds himself at a bar near the plains he grew up in in Eastern Washington. In an attempt to prove himself, he ends up fighting a tribal man who beats him to a pulp.
The story explores masculinity, identity, and roots. While Edgar's marriage to a white woman pulls him away from his native background, he finds himself seeking validation in different places outside of his marriage. The fact that he found himself in a bar brawl despite the fact that he doesn't drink speaks volumes about how his cushy job and distant marriage emasculated him.
Since the story is told from the perspective of Edgar, it is difficult to track the reasons behind Susan's character development. Regardless, it seems that her role is to bolster/reaffirm her husband's masculinity. When she can't provide that, Edgar seeks his roots.
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