Mortality & Death

"Nothing can be said to be certain," wrote Ben Franklin, "except death and taxes." And yet, death is often ignored, dismissed, or delayed as an experience worth contemplating—until we are forced to reckon with it head-on. The books in this collection do their own reckoning.

Publication year 1949

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race

Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, American Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Road is a dystopian fiction novel published in 2006 by American author Cormac McCarthy. McCarthy penned 12 novels, three short stories, and several plays for screen and stage. His works, including Blood Meridian and No Country for Old Men, are known for violence; postapocalyptic, western settings, and a lack of punctuation characteristic of McCarthy's writing. Widely considered one of the greatest novels of the 21st century, The Road won the Pulitzer Prize and the... Read The Road Summary


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Education, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: War, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: Nation, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Class

In The Ruins of Gorlan, a Medieval adventure-fantasy novel for middle-grade readers, young Will learns the arts of the secretive Ranger tracker-warriors and defends his kingdom against an evil baron. Released in 2004 by author John Flanagan, The Ruins of Gorlan won multiple awards, spawned the bestselling Ranger Apprentice book series, and has been published in 18 countries. A television adaptation is in the works.Following a long career in advertising, author Flanagan shifted to book... Read The Ruins of Gorlan Summary


Publication year 1956

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, History: World, Anthropology, Psychology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology, Fantasy


Publication year 1959

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family

Tags Play: Drama, Absurdism

First produced in 1960, Edward Albee’s play The Sandbox is one of the celebrated playwright’s early one-acts and serves as a front-runner of American absurdist theater, an avant-garde artistic movement that began in Europe in the 1950s. Absurdism likens humanity to the Greek mythological figure Sisyphus, whose punishment for angering the gods was to endlessly roll a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down each time.The term Theatre of the Absurd... Read The Sandbox Summary


Publication year 60

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Satire, Classic Fiction, Love / Sexuality


Publication year 1960

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

First published in The Atlantic in 1960, James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” won the magazine’s “Atlantic First” award. Frequently included in literature anthologies, Hurst’s tragic short story explores themes of pride, shame, and death within the context of coming of age.This guide refers to the 1960 version that appeared in The Atlantic as well as the brief biographical information included in that original publication.Content Warning: The source text uses outdated, offensive terms to describe people... Read The Scarlet Ibis Summary


Publication year 1912

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment

Tags Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1905

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1904

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Class, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Psychological Fiction, Class, American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction

Jack London’s novel The Sea-Wolf, originally published in 1904, draws inspiration from an ocean voyage London took in the Pacific nearly a decade prior to his writing the novel. London himself was an avid adventurer and once spent seven and a half months on the crew of the Sophia Sutherland. This study guide references the Signet Classics 2013 edition of The Sea-Wolf.Along with London’s other famous works, The Call of the Wild and White Fang... Read The Sea-Wolf Summary


Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Mental Illness, Psychological Fiction, Southern Literature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Christian literature, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Social Justice, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Language

Tags Grief / Death, Biography


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction


Publication year 1947

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Post-War Era, Japanese Literature


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Satire, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Journalism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Humor, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy


Publication year 1955

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death


Publication year 1949

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Historical Fiction, Post-War Era, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Psychological Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, American Literature, Travel Literature, Classic Fiction

An American writer and composer who lived in Morocco for most of his life, Paul Bowles was a peripheral member of the post-World War II counter-cultural group of writers known as the Beat generation. The Sheltering Sky (1949), his first novel, is his best-known work, although he wrote other novels, numerous short stories, and works of nonfiction, most notably travel narratives. He also translated several works by Moroccan writers. The Sheltering Sky was adapted into... Read The Sheltering Sky Summary