These texts explore the concept of the nation, an idea of community that inspires patriotism and nostalgia. What makes a nation? And why are people willing to die—or to kill—to protect it? These are just a couple of the questions examined in the texts in this collection.
Publication year 1975
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction
The Great Train Robbery (1975) by Michael Crichton is a fictionalized account of the Great Gold Robbery of 1855. It details the actions of criminal mastermind Edward Pierce and his co-conspirators as they plan and execute the heist of £12,000 of gold from a train in London. This historical thriller analyzes Victorian beliefs about crime in the context of a rapidly changing society overwhelmed by industrialization. Historically, Pierce’s successful heist shocked a nation that believed... Read The Great Train Robbery Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, Latin American Literature, American Literature, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Identity: Race, Society: Nation
Tags History: U.S., Gilded Age, Race / Racism, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government
Anthropologist David Treuer’s The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present (2019) revives Indigenous history and centers Indigenous people as subjects, not as mere victims of American avarice. It was a finalist for the National Book Award in Nonfiction. Treuer is a member of the Ojibwe tribe from the Leech Lake Reservation in north-central Minnesota. He has a doctorate in anthropology, teaches at the University of Southern California, and is the... Read The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee Summary
Publication year 1853
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Publication year 110
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Philosophy, Philosophy, Classical Period, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 590
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags History: European, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, French Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1916
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation
Tags Asian Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Classic Fiction
The Home and the World is a novel by Rabindranath Tagore, set against the political and logistical nightmares of India’s 20th century caste system. Although the story focuses on the dynamic of a marriage—which shifts when a shadowy outsider enters the lives of the couple—much of the novel reads like a philosophical treatise. There are shifting viewpoints between the characters Bimala, Nikhil, and Sandip, and much of the book comprises their internal and external dialogues... Read The Home and the World Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government, History: World, Sociology
Publication year 1831
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Language, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Gothic Literature, French Literature, History: World
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is an 1831 gothic novel by French author Victor Hugo, originally published under the title Notre-Dame de Paris. Set in 15th-century France, the novel concerns the intertwined stories of Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Archdeacon Claude Frollo. The story has been adapted many times for theater, television, and film, including an animated film by Disney released in 1996.This guide refers to the 2009 Oxford Classics edition of the novel, translated from French to... Read The Hunchback of Notre-Dame Summary
Publication year 2001
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Play: Drama, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Irish Literature, Biography, History: U.S., Military / War, History: World
The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero (2016), by American author and journalist Timothy Egan, is a biography of Thomas Francis Meagher, an Irish revolutionary and American Civil War hero who later became the governor of the Montana Territory. Egan's narrative captures Meagher's tumultuous journey, from his fight for Irish independence to his contributions in America, focusing on broader themes of exile, resilience, and identity. Egan contextualizes Meagher’s life against the... Read The Immortal Irishman Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Society: Nation
Tags History: U.S., Crime / Legal, Action / Adventure, Drama / Tragedy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Biography
Publication year 1973
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Anthropology, Sociology, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Politics / Government, Education, Education, Anthropology, Social Science, History: World, Philosophy, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1949
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Military / War, History: World, WWII / World War II, Politics / Government, Biography
“Their Finest Hour” is a speech originally given by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on June 18, 1940, in the House of Commons to members of Parliament and his ministerial cabinet. Churchill delivered the speech following the disastrous campaign of the Battle of France and the hasty evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) from Dunkirk. In June 1940, Nazi boots marched in Paris, and the surrender of the French government seemed imminent. The speech... Read Their Finest Hour Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Society: Nation, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Flora/plants, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Food, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: European, History: World, Immigration / Refugee, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Military / War, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Race / Racism, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1967
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Self Discovery
Tags Satire, Philosophy, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
The Joke is a novel by Czech author Milan Kundera. Released in 1967, it tells the story of Ludvik Jahn and his life under the Czech communist regime. The novel has been celebrated as one of the most important literary works of the 20th century. A 1968 film adaptation by director Jaromil Jires was banned in Eastern European cinemas. The Joke was Kundera’s first novel in his long and distinguished career. He received the Jerusalem... Read The Joke Summary
Publication year 1908
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Gothic Literature, British Literature, American Literature, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
“The Jolly Corner” is a short story written by American British writer Henry James. It is one of his most famous ghost stories, along with The Turn of the Screw (1898). It was first published in December of 1908 for The English Review magazine. “The Jolly Corner” is told from a third-person limited point of view and explores themes of The Discontinuity of Identity and The Fear of Missed Opportunity as the protagonist struggles to... Read The Jolly Corner Summary
Publication year 1974
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Nation
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, American Civil War, Education, Education, History: U.S., History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Nation, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Korean Literature, Agriculture