Like night and day or winter and summer, there is a rigid division between the states of order and chaos that seems immutable. Nevertheless, these opposing forces also depend on one another. In this study guide collection, we've put together texts that explore themes related to the diametrically opposed yet inextricably linked forces of order and chaos.
Publication year 2004
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Self Help, Gender / Feminism, Business / Economics, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management
Publication year 1984
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Classic Fiction
Nights at the Circus is an adult fantasy novel by British author Angela Carter first published in 1984. It takes place in 1899 and follows protagonist Jack Walser, a journalist investigating the mystery of Sophie Fevvers, a part-woman, part-swan who performs as an aeraliste at the popular Colonel Kearney’s circus. The book was critically acclaimed upon publication and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction in 1984, as well as a nomination for... Read Nights at the Circus Summary
Publication year 1982
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire
Noises Off by Michael Frayn was originally performed and published in 1982. It ran in English theaters until 1987, was revived in 2000, and began running in the United States in 2001. Frayn’s career as a professional playwright began in 1970, and Noises Off brought him significant critical and commercial success. It was followed many other successful plays, including the Tony-award-winning Copenhagen (1998). Noises Off won the London Evening Standard Award and the Laurence Olivier... Read Noises Off Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Politics / Government, Military / War
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Climate Change, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Politics / Government, Journalism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Education, Education, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Oil on Water is a 2010 novel by Helon Habila, who originally worked as a journalist and poet in Nigeria before becoming a professor of creative writing at George Mason. His writing has earned many accolades, including the Music Society of Nigeria national poetry award, the 2001 Caine Prize, the 2003 Commonwealth Writers Prize, the 2008 Emily Balch Prize, and the 2015 Windham-Campbell Prize for Fiction. Oil on Water is his third novel and foregrounds... Read Oil on Water Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Gothic Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1874
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Ancient Greece, Philosophy, Military / War, Social Justice, History: World, Politics / Government
Publication year 1859
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Science / Nature, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (published in 1859) is a seminal work in evolutionary biology of great historical and scientific importance. Darwinian thought, especially regarding evolution, is now commonly accepted as the most powerful theory in biology and the natural history of species—and the system of natural selection that this theory advanced has been applied (and misappropriated)... Read On the Origin of Species Summary
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Ancient Greece, Education, Education, Classic Fiction, Philosophy
Aristotle (384-322 BC) was an important ancient Greek philosopher whose work embraced politics, ethics, and metaphysics. The title of his treatise On the Soul (sometimes known by its Latin title De Anima) suggests it is a seminal work on the process of understanding human beings. For Aristotle, “soul” denotes the life principle in plants, animals, and humans, and is thus a more biological and psychological than a spiritual concept. Some scholars believe that On the... Read On the Soul Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Teams
Tags History: U.S., Sports, Biography
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Animals, Food, Relationships
Publication year 1938
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Arts / Culture, Christian literature, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Published in 1938, Out of the Silent Planet is a science fiction novel by author C. S. Lewis, best known for his bestselling fantasy children’s series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It is the first book in Lewis’s Space Trilogy, followed by Perelandra (1943) and That Hideous Strength (1945). With Out of the Silent Planet, Lewis sought to write a narrative that differed from contemporary popular science fiction, which he believed promoted harmful ideas like human... Read Out of the Silent Planet Summary
Publication year 1994
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Mythology, Religion / Spirituality, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Education, Education, Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Fantasy
Publication year 2024
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Publication year 1670
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Humor, Action / Adventure
Publication year -1
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Philosophy, History: European, Ancient Greece, Military / War, Education, Education, Philosophy, History: World, Classical Period, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
Publication year 1836
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Action / Adventure, Humor, Travel Literature, Class, History: European, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Sports, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period
The debut novel of British author Charles Dickens, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (commonly known as The Pickwick Papers) was first published as a series by Chapman and Hall between 1836 and 1837. The Pickwick Papers chronicles the adventures of the members of the Pickwick Club, a group of travelers who journey around England and share their experiences. Because of the original serial format of the novel, the chapters contain individual but interconnected... Read Pickwick Papers Summary
Publication year 1967
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Place
Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction