Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Race, Indigenous Identity, Conflict, Perseverance, Grief
Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, American Literature, World History
American Literature
This collection is designed for teachers and professors creating or revising a comprehensive American Literature syllabus. We’ve gathered study guides on classic novels, plays, and poems by some of the most frequently taught American writers, such as Mark Twain, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Toni Morrison, and Louise Glück. If you’re looking for more contemporary texts, like Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam or The Color of Water by James McBride, you’ll find those here, too!
This Other Eden
This Side of Paradise
This World is not Conclusion
Those Winter Sundays
Throne of Glass
Tinkers
To a Daughter Leaving Home
To Build a Fire
To Have And Have Not
To Helen
To Kill a Mockingbird
Tom Lake
Towers Falling
Train Dreams
Travels With Charley
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Orange
Tuck Everlasting
Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
Two Boys Kissing
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Race, Indigenous Identity, Conflict, Perseverance, Grief
Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, American Literature, World History
Publication year 1920
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age, Love, Social Class, Shame & Pride, Self Discovery
Tags Classic Fiction, Jazz Age, Life-Inspired Fiction, Coming of Age, Roaring Twenties, Social Class, American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance
This Side of Paradise (1920) is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was Fitzgerald’s first novel and became an instant hit, launching Fitzgerald into literary fame for its social commentary on a younger generation fueled by indulgence and materialism. This Side of Paradise is also a historical depiction of the Jazz Age, like Fitzgerald’s most famous novel, The Great Gatsby.This Side of Paradise follows Amory Blaine’s coming of age during prep school and four... Read This Side of Paradise Summary
Publication year 1862
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Death, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Appearance & Reality
Tags Lyric Poem, American Literature, Romanticism, Religion & Spirituality
Publication year 1962
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Fathers
Tags Lyric Poem, Parenting, American Literature, Education, Education
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Trust & Doubt, Coming of Age, Politics & Government
Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Coming of Age, Romance, Love & Sexuality, Trauma & Abuse, Politics & Government, American Literature
Throne of Glass is the first novel in the eight-book young adult (YA) fantasy series of the same name by author Sarah J. Maas. First published in 2012, the novel is loosely based on the Cinderella story. Throne of Glass was critically well-received. In 2016, Disney purchased the rights to a television adaptation. In addition to the Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas is the author of a second High Fantasy series, A Court... Read Throne of Glass Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Memory, Aging, Death, Family
Tags Psychological Fiction, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Grief & Death, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Tinkers (2009) is Paul Harding’s debut novel. It delves into the life of a dying man, George Washington Crosby, as he reflects on his past and his family history. The narrative weaves together George’s memories with stories from his father’s life, and it explores the themes of mortality, memory, and the interconnectedness of generations. The novel, which is considered literary fiction, won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2010 PEN/ Robert W. Bingham... Read Tinkers Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age, Mothers, Nostalgia, Family
Tags Lyric Poem, Parenting, American Literature
Publication year 1902
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Tags Naturalism, Education, Education, Horror & Suspense, American Literature, Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction
“To Build a Fire” is a short story by American writer Jack London. It was published in Century Magazine in 1908, and this guide references the 1908 edition. An earlier version of the story was published in Youth’s Companion in 1902. It is one of London’s many adventure stories based in the Klondike, where he prospected as a young man. There are six film versions of the story.The story is set during the 1890s gold... Read To Build a Fire Summary
Publication year 1937
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Masculinity, Social Class, Economics
Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Social Class, Disability, Poverty, Great Depression, US History, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History
Ernest Hemingway’s best-selling yet poorly reviewed 1937 novel, To Have and Have Not, reflects his growing disillusionment with the world following his experiences in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Written in piecemeal format during his travels, the novel was originally published as two separate short stories and a novella, and this disjointed formation is apparent in the continuity of the plot. Featuring Hemingway’s classic minimalism, the novel offers both the story of Harry Morgan... Read To Have And Have Not Summary
Publication year 1831
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Beauty, Art, Love
Tags Mythology, Lyric Poem, Love & Sexuality, Romanticism, Horror & Suspense, American Literature, World History, Fantasy, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1960
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Coming of Age, American Literature, Southern Gothic, Education, Education, World History, Historical Fiction
To Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel written by Harper Lee and originally published in 1960. The book is widely regarded as an American classic and, until recently, was the only novel Lee had published. To Kill a Mockingbird was inspired by events and observations that took place in Lee’s hometown. Set in the Great Depression, from 1932 to 1935, the novel is narrated by a young girl named Scout, whose coming-of-age experiences closely mirror... Read To Kill a Mockingbird Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Love, Coming of Age, Literature, Memory, The Past, Plants, Place
Tags Realistic Fiction, American Literature, Agriculture, Arts & Culture, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Grief, Race, Community, Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Relationships, Grief & Death, Diversity, American Literature, 9/11, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, World History
Publication year 2002
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Loneliness, Grief, Memory, Regret, The Past, Environment
Tags Historical Fiction, American Literature, World History, Western
Set mainly in the early 1900s, Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella, Train Dreams, presents snapshots in the life of Robert Grainier, a laborer in the Northwest frontier. Working in the logging and railroad industries while living a remote life in the wilderness, Grainier navigates a harsh world while contending with grief. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction in 2012, Train Dreams tackles themes including Industrial Progress and the Erosion of Wilderness, The Symbiosis of... Read Train Dreams Summary
Publication year 1962
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Place, Fear, Hope, Nostalgia, Memory, Masculinity, Aging, Future, The Past, Self Discovery, Beauty, Justice, Language, Community
Tags Travel Literature, Action & Adventure, American Literature, Animals, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Classic Fiction, Biography
Published in 1962, Travels With Charley: In Search of America is a narrative travelogue by John Steinbeck. The book follows a cross-country road trip the author took with his dog, a brown poodle named Charley. They travel in a camper-style pickup truck named Rosinante, which Steinbeck had custom built for the trip. Steinbeck embarked on the journey because he felt disconnected from the larger picture of American life after years of living in New York... Read Travels With Charley Summary
Publication year 1934
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Masculinity, Food, Art
Tags Classic Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, American Literature, Love & Sexuality, French Literature, World History
Tropic of Cancer (1934) was Henry Miller’s third novel after the never-published Clipped Wings (1922) and Moloch: or, This Gentile World (1928). Miller referred to it as his “Paris book,” and it was wildly controversial for its candid depictions of sex. It was the subject of legal disputes and censorship attempts for decades, though ironically it has never been out of print. Tropic of Cancer brings together various genres, including autobiography, memoir, manifesto, and philosophical... Read Tropic of Cancer Summary
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Education, Education, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Tropic of Orange is a 1997 magical realism novel by Japanese American writer Karen Tei Yamashita. Taking place primarily in Los Angeles, the novel begins on the longest day of the year and spans the course of a week; it covers a magical event that begins in Mexico on the Tropic of Cancer and spreads north to Los Angeles. The story is told from the perspective of seven diverse principal characters; each character gets a... Read Tropic of Orange Summary
Publication year 1975
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Aging, Death, Friendship, Coming of Age, Family
Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Coming of Age, American Literature, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Romance
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt follows the journey of a young girl’s decision to live forever or remain mortal. The book received many honors and awards, including the Janusz Korczak Medal and the 1976 Christopher Award as best book for young people, among others, and it was named an ALA Notable Book. Tuck Everlasting was adapted twice into a full-length feature film (1981 and 2002), and it appeared on Broadway as a stage musical in... Read Tuck Everlasting Summary
Publication year 1994
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Shame & Pride
Tags Race & Racism, Education, Education, American Literature, Journalism, World History, Dramatic Literature
Anna Deavere Smith’s solo play relives three tumultuous days of rioting in Los Angeles in the wake of the first Rodney King verdict, issued April 29, 1992, when four, white Los Angeles Police Department officers were acquitted of charges of assault and police brutality in connection with King’s roadside arrest and beating on March 3, 1991. Caught on video, the King assault became a national media sensation, a disturbing vision of black-white race relations, and... Read Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Sexual Identity, The Past, Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Depression & Suicide, Love & Sexuality, Parenting, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
David Levithan’s 2013 young adult novel Two Boys Kissing is narrated from the perspective of the gay men who died during the 1980s HIV/AIDS epidemic. This chorus, resembling that of ancient Greek theater, observes the novel’s present-day characters—several gay teenage boys in neighboring American small towns—as they explore love, relationship, and identity. The central narrative follows two boys, Harry and Craig, who attempt to break the Guinness World Record for longest continuous kiss by kissing... Read Two Boys Kissing Summary