Caroline Wendelin is not the first nor the last to question America’s commitment to high levels of government spending. In The New Class, her latest book, she challenges American society to ask: “What happened to our tall”? As a result, many Americans who would otherwise be content to live their lives with little concern over their height are left wondering how and why this seemingly unimportant demographic group has been so denigrated. If you read The New Class by Caroline Wendelin, you will learn that tall men are not doomed to death or even to a life spent in rags. It takes just a little education and awareness to see the truth about being “short.”
In many parts of Europe, where height is considered a social stigma, tall men can enjoy a number of advantages. Here, men are not automatically viewed as violent or socially unsound, since height is seen as an indicator of wealth, power and social status. As such, some cultures actually value being tall as a sign of beauty and success. In many places across Europe, being tall means you can expect to be married and have children; conversely, being short often means you will be single and without any family to support. Wendelin reminds us that all is not synonymous with evil, but it does mean you may face a world that is less hospitable to you than average-sized people.
If being short means facing an eternity of inferiority and humiliation, then certainly you don’t need that kind of a life. What you need is an education that leads you to a new perception of self. This education should encourage you to examine your relationships with weight, your relationships with height, and your interactions with those who judge you by your height. Once you do, it should help to liberate you from some of the deepest injustices of modern culture. The New Class by Caroline Wendelin gives you the opportunity to escape the barbed wire of social hierarchy and reclaim your own dignity.