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 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Social Justice, Crime / Legal, Politics / Government
The 2016 novel The Whistler by American author John Grisham is a legal thriller that centers on an investigation of corrupt business operations involving Native American gaming. The novel is based on the real-life corruption of US casinos in which entities outside the Native American community illegally offer financial incentives in exchange for long-term profit.This is the 29th of Grisham’s adult novels, which are primarily legal thrillers but also include contemporary and humorous fiction. In... Read The Whistler Summary
Publication year 1612
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Femininity, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Play: Tragedy, Jacobean Era
First performed onstage in 1612, The White Devil is a revenge tragedy that is loosely based on the murder of Vittoria Accoramboni in Italy in 1585. The full title of the play is The White Divel; or, The Tragedy of Paulo Giordano Ursini, Duke of Bracciano. With The Life and Death of Vittoria Corombona the famous Venetian Curtizan). The play has been performed many times but has not been adapted for film. This guide refers... Read The White Devil Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Indian Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Poverty, Class, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger was published in 2008. Adiga’s first novel, The White Tiger won the Man Booker Prize and was adapted into a movie in 2021. Born in Chennai, India, Adiga has lived in India and Australia, and attended Columbia University in New York and Oxford University in England. A coming-of-age story told through a first-person narrator and letters addressed to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, The White Tiger examines the conflict between tradition... Read The White Tiger Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Competitor... Read The Will of the Many Summary
Publication year 1901
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Philosophy, Psychology
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Immigration
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Class, History: World, History: The Americas, History: U.S., Immigration / Refugee, Military / War, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Music, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism
Publication year 1994
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Japanese Literature, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Gender, Society: Education, Society: Class, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Finance / Money / Wealth, Poverty, Narrative / Epic Poem
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Music, Arts / Culture, Biography, Mental Illness
Publication year 2015
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Education, Education, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1937
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Self Help, Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy
Originally published in 1937, Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich is widely acknowledged as a foundational text in the field of self-help literature. The book mainly revolves around the themes of The Mystical Power of Positive Thinking, Setting Goals and Persistence, and Desire and Motivation in Personal and Financial Growth. Through anecdotes and practical strategies that Hill claims came from his intimate knowledge of business luminaries such as Andrew Carnegie, Hill promises to catalyze personal... Read Think and Grow Rich Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Health / Medicine, Humor, Science / Nature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Historical Fiction, Italian Literature, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (2014) is the third book in pseudonymous Italian author Elena Ferrante’s world-acclaimed adult fiction series The Neapolitan Novels. The four-novel series chronicles the friendship between first-person narrator Elena Greco and Raffaella “Lila” Cerullo from childhood to old age in an impoverished neighborhood in Naples, Italy. Translated by Ann Goldstein, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay documents the beginning of middle age, wherein the two women grapple with... Read Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Natural World: Environment
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2006
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Crime / Legal, History: European, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography
Erik Larson’s Thunderstruck is a 2006 work of narrative nonfiction that braids two seemingly unrelated historical events that captured public attention in the pre-World War I years. The first involves the emerging and transformative technology of wireless communication designed by Marconi, the second a gruesome murder in London perpetrated by a seemingly docile and genial doctor named Crippen. Thunderstruck follows the success of Larson’s 2003 Devil in the White City, which coupled America’s first major... Read Thunderstruck Summary