Equality

The titles in this Collection examine the concept of social equality through a broad array of literary genres and forms. These curated selections represent a diversity of voices and perspectives that examine social disparities through the lenses of gender, race, socioeconomics, and other factors.

Publication year 2022

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Education, Education, History: U.S., History: World


Publication year 1965

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Satire, Humor, Post Modernism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, or Pearls Before Swine is a 1965 novel by American author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (1922-2007). The novel is a postmodern satire on wealth, capitalism, and the dark side of the American Dream. Vonnegut’s fifth novel is considered a precursor to Slaughterhouse Five (1969) since it introduces many of the themes that appear in that much-lauded novel. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater contains elements of science fiction, which emerge in a... Read God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Biography, Sports, Gender / Feminism, Health / Medicine, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)


Publication year 1898

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation

Tags Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Education, History: World, Social Justice, Russian Literature, Education, Philosophy, Philosophy

“Gooseberries,” by Russian author Anton Chekhov, is a short story that uses symbolism, subtlety, irony, and keen observation of human behavior to explore themes of the quest for happiness, the meaning of life, social expectations, privilege, and social equality. Written in mid-1898, the story is the second in what was later referred to as The Little Trilogy, together with “The Man in the Case” and “About Love.” All three stories explore the definitions of happiness... Read Gooseberries Summary


Publication year 1953

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Religion / Spirituality, Race / Racism, American Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Go Tell it on the Mountain is a semi-autobiographical novel by James Baldwin. Published in 1953, the novel tells the story of a teenager in 1930s Harlem named John Grimes as well as his wider family, dealing with themes of religion, sexuality, and race. This guide uses an eBook version of the Modern Penguin Classics edition of the novel. Plot SummaryGo Tell it on the Mountain is set on the 14th birthday of the protagonist... Read Go Tell It on the Mountain Summary


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Animals, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction


Publication year 2009

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community

Tags Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Diversity, Education, Education, Sociology, Politics / Government

In their 2009 nonfiction book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, husband-and-wife journalist team Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn document what they consider the paramount moral challenge of the 21st century: the oppression of women and girls. The book was an international bestseller, inspired a four-part PBS documentary of the same name, and launched the Half the Sky movement.Like many journalists, when Kristof and WuDunn first began their careers, they... Read Half the Sky Summary


Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Great Depression, History: U.S., American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1951

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Nation

Tags Lyric Poem, Harlem Renaissance, African American Literature, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Race / Racism, History: U.S., Urban Development


Publication year 1960

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Satire, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Kurt Vonnegut’s dystopian science fiction story “Harrison Bergeron” was first published in 1961 in The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy. It has since been adapted for film and television in PBS’s Between Timid and Timbuktu series, Showtime’s Harrison Bergeron, a 2008 short film also titled Harrison Bergeron, and a 2009 short film titled 2081. The story was republished in Vonnegut’s collection Welcome to the Monkey House in 1968. This guide references the e-book version... Read Harrison Bergeron Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Psychology


Publication year 1995

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Race / Racism


Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1858

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., History: World


Publication year 1968

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Social Justice, History: World

The novel House Made of Dawn, by N. Scott Momaday, was first published in 1968. Heralded as a major landmark in the emergence of Indigenous American literature, the novel won the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. House Made of Dawn blends fictional and nonfictional elements to depict life on an Indigenous American reservation like the one where Momaday grew up.This guide uses an eBook version of the 2018 First Harper Perennial Modern Classics (50th Anniversary)... Read House Made of Dawn Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore


Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Class, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Education, Psychology, Parenting, Children's Literature, Education, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Self Help


Publication year 2024

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction


Publication year 1919

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Grief / Death, Race / Racism, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, African American Literature, Harlem Renaissance, Education, Education, Classic Fiction