Beauty

In her novel The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison writes, "Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do.” In this thematic collection, we have gathered texts that explore the promises and problems of beauty.

Paul's Case

by Willa Cather

Publication year 1905

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Art, Beauty, Social Class

Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Depression & Suicide, Finance, Education, Education, LGBTQ+

Willa Cather’s short story “Paul’s Case” was published in 1905 in McClure's Magazine. In its original iteration, the story was titled “Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament,” but it was later shortened to the current title. The story became a popular one of Cather’s, in part because it was one of the only few that she allowed to be anthologized, but also for the debates over its interpretation. “Paul’s Case” was turned into a TV... Read Paul's Case Summary

Petrified Man

by Eudora Welty

Publication year 1941

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Beauty, Power & Greed

Tags Southern Gothic, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Born in 1909 in Jackson, Mississippi, Eudora Welty was a fiction writer and photographer who predominantly wrote about the American South. After finishing college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Welty spent her entire adult life in Jackson, and her stories often reflect the intimacies of everyday Mississippi life. Published in 1939, “Petrified Man” is a Southern Gothic short story that offers a glimpse of an average morning for two women at a hair salon in... Read Petrified Man Summary

Phenomenal Woman

by Maya Angelou

Publication year 1978

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Race, Self Discovery, Beauty

The career of American activist, memoirist, and poet Maya Angelou—often called a “phenomenal woman” herself—is noted for poems that speak to Black experience, human resilience in the face of oppression, as well as the strength and beauty of women. The poem “Phenomenal Woman” first appeared in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1978. Later that year, it became part of Angelou’s third collection of poetry, And Still I Rise. This lyric poem, which details the special qualities of the... Read Phenomenal Woman Summary

Picnic

by William Inge

Publication year 1953

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Beauty, Social Class, Femininity

Tags Drama, Love & Sexuality, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Dramatic Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction

When William Inge’s play Picnic opened on Broadway in 1953, it received much popular and critical acclaim. In the post-World War II era, in the face of rising paranoia and fear of communism, the televisions that had become fixtures in American homes broadcast idealized portrayals of small-town family life with shows such as The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952), Make Room for Daddy (1953), Leave it to Beaver (1957), and The Donna Reed Show... Read Picnic Summary

Planet Earth Is Blue

by Nicole Panteleakos

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Joy, Memory, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, Space, Family, Self Discovery, Community, Economics, Education, Beauty, Justice, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Children`s Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Disability

... Read Planet Earth Is Blue Summary

Rebecca

by Daphne du Maurier

Publication year 1938

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Death, Social Class, Coming of Age, Loyalty & Betrayal, The Past, Hate & Anger, Marriage, Fear, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Beauty, Appearance & Reality, Power & Greed, Grief, Conflict, Memory, Truth & Lies, Loneliness

Tags British Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Coming of Age, Dramatic Literature, Gothic Literature, Modernism, Horror & Suspense, Historical Fiction

Rebecca, a bestselling novel by famed English writer Daphne du Maurier, was published in 1938, and has never gone out of print. The winner of the National Book Award for favorite novel of 1938, Rebecca has been adapted numerous times, including Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 film version, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and a 1997 television miniseries. It was most recently adapted for a Netflix film in 2020 by the same name. Rebecca... Read Rebecca Summary

Red Mars

by Kim Stanley Robinson

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Conflict, Perseverance, Loneliness, Nostalgia, Future, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Food, Place, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Immigration, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

Red Mars, a 1992 science fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson, is the first book in the Mars trilogy about settling and terraforming the planet Mars. Red Mars follows the first 100 people who land on Mars and begin the complex process of terraforming the planet. In 1993, Red Mars won the Nebula Award and the British Science Fiction Association Award. This guide uses the 2009 HarperVoyager edition.Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions... Read Red Mars Summary

Rendezvous with Rama

by Arthur C. Clarke

Publication year 1973

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Conflict, Fear, Hope, Memory, Masculinity, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Place, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

Published in 1973, Rendezvous With Rama is a science fiction adventure novel by British author Arthur C. Clarke. In his time, Clarke was known as one of the “Big Three” writers of science fiction alongside American authors Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein. Clarke’s expertise in space flight prompted him to develop the novel and screenplay for his best-known work, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Rendezvous With Rama won major speculative fiction awards, including the... Read Rendezvous with Rama Summary

Rouge

by Mona Awad

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Beauty, Death, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Gothic Literature

... Read Rouge Summary

Salome

by Oscar Wilde

Publication year 1891

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Beauty, Sexual Identity, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Tragedy, Love & Sexuality, Irish Literature, Victorian Period, World History, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

... Read Salome Summary

Sandwich

by Catherine Newman

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Marriage, Aging, Nostalgia, Memory, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Love, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Mothers, Beauty, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Literary Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Sandwich Summary

Sense and Sensibility

by Jane Austen

Publication year 1811

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Beauty, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Shame & Pride, Perseverance, Conflict, Social Class, Economics, Gender Identity

Tags Romance, Romanticism, British Literature, Relationships, Social Class, Gender & Feminism, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Sense and Sensibility (1811) was the first published novel of English writer Jane Austen (1775-1817). She published it anonymously, identifying herself only as "a lady." It tells the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who find love after their father dies and they are plunged into a more modest lifestyle. Sense and Sensibility’s continual presence in the cultural imagination is evident in its numerous film and TV adaptations, including the award-winning 1995 version... Read Sense and Sensibility Summary