In this Collection, we've gathered together a selection of fictional and real-life narratives that share the theme of Challenging Authority. These selections feature protagonists and real-world figures who stand up to both powerful individuals and oppressive systems in an array of cultural and historical settings.
Publication year 1985
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Race, Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams
Tags Fairy Tale / Folklore, Allegory / Fable / Parable, History: U.S., African American Literature, Race / Racism
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Fantasy
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1842
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Community
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Children's Literature, Fairy Tale / Folklore, British Literature, Victorian Period, Animals, Class, Grief / Death
Publication year 2010
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism
Tags Post Modernism, Poverty
Publication year 1881
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, History: U.S., British Literature, American Literature, Italian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James, is considered one of the most important novels written in English. It was published first in serial form between 1880 and 1881, and later revised for another edition in 1908. The novel details the experience of a young American woman, Isabel Archer, who travels to Europe. She is committed to her freedom, rejecting two marriage proposals. After she inherits an unexpected fortune, she falls victim to the... Read The Portrait of a Lady Summary
Publication year 1940
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Religion / Spirituality, Class, Politics / Government, Poverty, British Literature, Christian literature, History: World
Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory (originally published in 1940) recounts the tragic story of the whisky priest. His religion has been outlawed, his faith shattered, and his history—like his name—all but erased. He’s relentlessly pursued by the lieutenant, whose secular beliefs are as passionate as others’ spiritual beliefs. The priest’s mere presence endangers those he once served, and he constantly struggles to fulfill his duty to bring comfort and absolution to others at... Read The Power and the Glory Summary
Publication year 1974
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags History: U.S., Urban Development, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: World, Biography
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York is a 1974 biography of American urban planner Robert Moses, written by journalist Robert Caro. The book charts the rise of Moses in the New York political system, illustrating how he came to shape the city according to his own designs. The book was widely praised by critics and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1975, though Moses and his associates disagreed with several points... Read The Power Broker Summary
Publication year 1956
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class
Tags Sociology, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy
Publication year 2012
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Teams
Tags Psychology, Inspirational, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology
Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business investigates the science behind habit formation in the human brain. Drawing on corporate case studies and pioneering scientific experiments, Duhigg analyzes how individuals, organizations, and societies can use the knowledge of habit formation to change their behaviors. Published in 2012 by Random House, the nonfiction book has reached a broad public readership and landed on the New York Times... Read The Power of Habit Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Crime / Legal, Children's Literature, History: World, Biography
Publication year 1532
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags History: European, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Class, Italian Literature, Renaissance, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy
The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise of the Renaissance period written by Italian diplomat and philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli. The work, which was likely distributed for years prior to its official publication in 1532, is one of the most influential works of political philosophy in human history. Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a guide for new and future rulers, instructing them on how to seize and hold onto power, frequently citing specific examples from history... Read The Prince Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 1963
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Race / Racism
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 1991
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Environment
Tags Military / War, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government
The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power is an influential work by Daniel Yergin that was originally published in 1991. Yergin, a highly regarded American historian and economic researcher, examines the history and influence of the global oil industry. With a background in energy economics and policy, Yergin brings a wealth of expertise to this comprehensive examination, providing a detailed narrative of the oil industry’s evolution and its substantial impact on global... Read The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help
Publication year 1844
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
“The Purloined Letter,” a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, was first published in the literary magazine The Gift in 1844. It is the third of his detective stories featuring C. Auguste Dupin, with the first two being “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841) and “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt” (1842).This study guide refers to the version collected in The Purloined Poe, published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 1988.Poe opens with an epigraph... Read The Purloined Letter Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Gender / Feminism, Leadership/Organization/Management, Relationships, Parenting, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Fairy Tale / Folklore