Good & Evil

How do we uphold goodness in a world where it can seem impossible? What are the consequences to the human heart when we fail to live up to the ideals of goodness? These are some of the questions posed by the texts in this collection which explores the theme of Good & Evil.

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gothic Literature


Publication year 1621

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Tragedy, Play: Comedy / Satire, British Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy

The Witch of Edmonton is an English Jacobean play. It was written in 1621 by William Rowley, Thomas Dekker, and John Ford, who were all established playwrights of this period. Other playwrights may have also contributed, including John Webster, who was working closely at the time with the play’s credited writers. The play was first performed by Prince Charles’s Men (a theatrical company patronized by Prince Charles’s estate) at the Cockpit Theater in 1621. It... Read The Witch of Edmonton Summary


Publication year 1900

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery

Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure

Published in 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a beloved children’s classic by L. Frank Baum. It was adapted in 1939 into an iconic film starring Judy Garland. L. Frank Baum went on to write 13 further books set in the Land of Oz. This guide refers to the 2008 Puffin Books edition of The Wizard of Oz.Plot SummaryDorothy is a young girl living with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on a farm... Read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Summary


Publication year 1816

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Identity: Indigenous

Tags Fairy Tale / Folklore, Mythology, American Literature


Publication year 2008

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Crime / Legal, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Biography

Cylin and John Busby’s The Year We Disappeared is a true crime memoir originally published in 2008. An expanded, 10th-anniversary edition was published in 2018. The book falls into both the memoir and true crime genres and is told from the perspective of the victims rather than a third party, such as a reporter. The Busby’s story was also featured on CBS’s newsmagazine, 48 Hours. It originally aired in 2010.Plot SummaryIn the summer of 1979... Read The Year We Disappeared Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Indigenous, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Self Discovery

Tags Historical Fiction, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Asian Literature, Class, Education, History: Asian, Race / Racism

Pramoedya Ananta Toer—a famous Indonesian editor, essayist, and social activist—wrote This Earth of Mankind (1980)—the first book of his series The Buru Quartet—while imprisoned in the Buru Concentration Camp following a military coup that overthrew Sukarno, the first democratically elected president of Indonesia. Incarcerated for 14 years and prevented from having writing material, Toer memorized the books of his series and recited them to his fellow inmates each day until his release in 1979. The... Read This Earth of Mankind Summary


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 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Christian literature, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2008

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags History: U.S., American Civil War, Military / War, Grief / Death, History: World

This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War is a nonfiction book published in 2008 by Drew Gilpin Faust, an American historian and the first woman to serve as president of Harvard University. A finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, This Republic of Suffering details how mass death affected the lives of survivors during and after the Civil War. Other works by Drew Gilpin Faust include Mothers of... Read This Republic of Suffering Summary


Publication year 1946

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

The short stories in Tadeusz Borowski’s collection, This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen, were selected from two earlier volumes of stories, Farewell to Maria and The World of Stone, both published in Poland in 1948. The collection was translated into English in 1967 and published in the United States. Borowski’s stories are based on his experiences as a concentration camp inmate at Auschwitz-Birkenau during the Holocaust. His fiancée, Maria Rundo, was arrested as... Read This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen Summary


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 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


Publication year 1883

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None is a work of fiction written by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Published between 1883 and 1885, the allegorical novel also known as Thus Spake Zarathustra is a collection of speeches by a character named Zarathustra to the villagers of The Motley Cow. Nietzsche uses many literary devices such as personification, allegory, and allusion. The philosophical points referenced in Thus Spoke Zarathustra include the death of... Read Thus Spoke Zarathustra Summary


Publication year 65

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Play: Tragedy, Ancient Rome, Classical Period, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 1616

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

Tricks is a 2009 young adult novel by Ellen Hopkins. Hopkins is the best-selling author of novels such as Crank, Impulse, and Traffick, the sequel to Tricks. Like many of Hopkins’s novels, the novel is written in free verse and has been banned in several states because of its graphic content and subject matter. The novel follows the lives of five different teenage narrators—Eden, Seth, Whitney, Ginger, and Cody—as they experience the traumas of the... Read Tricks Summary


Publication year 1947

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., Cold War