Feminism is more than fighting for gender equity. It is about retelling the stories that define us, recognizing the place of woman in our shared history, now and into the future. This collection of study guides features fiction, nonfiction, and poetry all about women and their tales of triumph, pain, love, and everything in between.
Publication year 1905
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Society: Education, Natural World: Environment
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Indian Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
The author of “Sultana’s Dream” is Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, popularly known as Begum Rokeya (“Begum” is the Urdu equivalent of Mrs.). The story is a science fiction social satire that features a feminist utopia called Ladyland. As the title suggests, the narrative takes the form of a dream that the narrator experiences. The narrator is a woman called Sultana (the Arabic title for an empress or the wife of a sultan). The story was originally... Read Sultana's Dream Summary
Publication year 1920
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Midlife
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Class, Love / Sexuality, Gilded Age, American Literature, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Romance
American writer Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer-Prize winning novel The Age Of Innocence (1920) was a post-armistice reflection on the 1870s New York society of her youth. Wharton, an American who lived abroad in Paris, was already the successful author of other novels, including The House of Mirth (1905) and Ethan Frome (1911).In a The New York Times article, Elif Batuman reflects that “eventually, each classic tells two stories: its own, and the story of all the... Read The Age of Innocence Summary
Publication year 1678
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Lyric Poem, Colonial America, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Health / Medicine, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Biography
Publication year 1963
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender
Tags Gender / Feminism, Depression / Suicide, Psychology, Psychology, Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
The Bell Jar is a semiautobiographical novel by author Sylvia Plath, originally published under her pen name Victoria Lucas. Plath was best known for her contribution to the confessional poetry genre with the collections Ariel and The Colossus and Other Poems. After her death by suicide in 1963, she received a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for her Collected Poems. The Bell Jar is Plath’s only novel, inspired by her experience battling depression. It explores themes of... Read The Bell Jar Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Gender / Feminism, History: World
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War, Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender
Tags Children's Literature, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Education, Education, Military / War, History: World
The Breadwinner, also known as Parvana, is a 2000 children’s novel by Canadian author and activist Deborah Ellis. It centers on an 11-year-old girl named Parvana who, due to her family’s circumstances, is forced to defy the Taliban and their repressive laws to become the breadwinner for her family. Exploring themes of human connection, maturation and bravery, and the repression of women, The Breadwinner was critically acclaimed upon its release and has had over 40... Read The Breadwinner Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags History: European, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2021
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Teams
Tags Science / Nature, Gender / Feminism, Health / Medicine, Technology, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Biography
Publication year 2004
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Society: Nation
Tags Education, Education, Gender / Feminism, Arts / Culture, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government
Publication year 1353
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Italian Literature, Gender / Feminism, Religion / Spirituality, Class, Education, Education, History: World
The Decameron is a collection of short stories by Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio, completed in 1353. The book was published in the wake of the Black Death, a bubonic plague which swept through Europe in the 14th century. The plague killed a large percentage of the population of Boccaccio’s native Florence. Boccaccio uses the epidemic as a key part of the book’s framing narrative, as in the book, a group of young Florentine men and... Read The Decameron Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Class, History: European, Military / War, Gender / Feminism, British Literature, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Humor, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2021
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Biography, History: World, Gender / Feminism, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Relationships, History: African , Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Race / Racism, African American Literature, Military / War, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, British Literature, History: World
Publication year 1887
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Play: Drama, Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Play: Tragedy, Gender / Feminism, History: European, Mental Illness, Relationships, Scandinavian Literature, Naturalism, History: World
Publication year 2006
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature
Tags Psychology, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Self Help, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Gender
Tags Fantasy, Gender / Feminism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ
The Fifth Season is the first installment of author N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy—a “science fantasy” series that blends scientific explanation with the magical or supernatural elements of the fantasy genre. After its publication in 2015, the novel received the 2016 Hugo Award recognizing excellence in science fiction or fantasy writing. Jemisin was the first black woman to win the prize, and went on to break another record when her sequels to The Fifth... Read The Fifth Season Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Grief / Death, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction