These two emotions couldn't feel more different, yet pride and shame are linked by how we see ourselves—and how we want others to see us. This collection explores texts that navigate the emotional terrain of pride and shame.
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Free verse, Bullying, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure
Steelheart, a 2013 young adult sci-fi/fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson, is the first installment of The Reckoners trilogy. The story takes place in dystopian Chicago, dubbed “Newcago,” which is overrun by evil superhumans called Epics and ruled by a functionally invulnerable tyrant named Steelheart. David Charleston, an 18-year-old boy whose father Steelheart killed 10 years before, joins a rebel group called the Reckoners hoping that they will help him take revenge on Steelheart. Borrowing elements... Read Steelheart Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World
Publication year 1993
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2016
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Sociology, Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Literature, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right (2016) is an in-depth exploration of the rise of the Tea Party movement in Louisiana by sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild. In an effort to understand the Tea Party and bolster her empathy for political opinions oppositional to her own, Hochschild spent five years getting to know residents and conducting interviews in and around Lake Charles, Louisiana. Hochschild argues that by understanding one another’s... Read Strangers in Their Own Land Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Urban Development, Romance
Publication year 1955
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Biography, Classic Fiction
Surprised by Joy is C.S. Lewis’s spiritual autobiography, tracing the steps that led up to his conversion to Christianity. This guide refers to the 1955 Harcourt Brace & Company/Harvest Books edition. Lewis was born in 1898 in Ireland and begins his story with his childhood in Belfast, where he and his family lived in a maze-like house full of empty attics and heaps of books. He was close with his older brother, and together they... Read Surprised by Joy Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Race / Racism, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Sweat is a two-act play written by Lynn Nottage. The play was produced Off-Broadway in 2016 and on Broadway in 2017. Sweat examines the changing lives of factory workers in Reading, Pennsylvania, between the years of 2000 and 2008. Nottage’s characters were based on personal research and interviews she conducted in Reading throughout 2011. It was awarded the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 2017 Obie Award for Playwrighting, and three 2017 Tony Award nominations... Read Sweat Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Memoir in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Music, Realistic Fiction, British Literature, Arts / Culture, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Gender / Feminism, History: African , History: European, Love / Sexuality, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction
Swing Time (2016) is renowned author Zadie Smith’s fifth novel. Inspired by classic movie musicals and Smith’s childhood passion for musical theater, Swing Time is a story about women, how forms of privilege warp our worldviews, and the ways in which history informs our present. The novel is divided into seven parts, each narrated by the same unnamed protagonist sometimes as a child and sometimes as an adult.One of the most respected literary voices of... Read Swing Time Summary
Publication year 1963
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Lyric Poem, Play: Comedy / Satire, Race / Racism
Publication year 1891
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Romance, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period
Tess of the D’Urbervilles is Victorian writer Thomas Hardy’s 12th novel. It was first published in 1891 as a serial in the newspaper The Graphic; this serialized publication was followed by a three-volume edition in 1891 and a single volume in 1892. Like many of Hardy’s other realist novels, Tess is set in the fictional, southwestern English region of Wessex, using fictional locations closely modelled after real ones. Hardy’s sympathetic portrayal of a young woman... Read Tess of the D'Urbervilles Summary
Publication year 1610
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams
Tags British Literature, Play: Historical, Play: Comedy / Satire, Satire, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Renaissance, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Humor, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1959
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Sports, Relationships, Psychological Fiction
Published in 2011, The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach is a work of literary fiction depicting the interwoven journeys of characters at Westish, a fictional small liberal arts college in Wisconsin. Henry Skrimshander is a talented baseball shortstop whose future is jeopardized by an errant throw. His development intersects with that of his teammate Schwartz; his roommate, Owen; college president Guert; and Pella, Guert’s daughter and a newly enrolled student of Westish. The novel... Read The Art of Fielding 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 1896
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Incarceration, Grief / Death, History: European, LGBTQ, Religion / Spirituality, British Literature, Victorian Period, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period, History: World, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1726
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Military / War, History: European, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, British Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
“The Battle of Maldon” is a heroic poem, also classified as an epic, dating from the 10th century. Originally written in Old English, the text details a violent battle between the Anglo-Saxon warriors and the raiding Vikings. The Anglo-Saxons are led by Earl Byrhtnoth, who held land in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Essex and fought for his ruler, King Æthelred the Unready. The poem depicts some of the central tenets of Anglo-Saxon culture, praising loyalty... Read The Battle of Maldon Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Irish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction