Challenging Authority

In this Collection, we've gathered together a selection of fictional and real-life narratives that share the theme of Challenging Authority. These selections feature protagonists and real-world figures who stand up to both powerful individuals and oppressive systems in an array of cultural and historical settings.

Eleven

by Sandra Cisneros

Publication year 1991

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Power & Greed, Shame & Pride, Justice

Tags Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, American Literature

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Ellen Foster

by Kaye Gibbons

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Memory, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Revenge, Love, Gratitude, Hope, Childhood & Youth, Death, The Past, Equality, Good & Evil, Literature, Art, Beauty, Trust & Doubt, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses, Power & Greed, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Family, Fathers, Grandparents, Mothers, Nature Versus Nurture, Appearance & Reality

Tags Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Southern Literature, Life-Inspired Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism

Ellen Foster is a work of adult fiction by US novelist Kaye Gibbons, first published by Algonquin Books in 1987. The novel was Gibbons’s debut, and it won the Sue Kaufman Prize for literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a notable citation from the Ernest Hemingway Foundation. Critics praised the novel for its unsentimental outlook and the wry, distinct voice of its protagonist. Ellen, a young girl living in the American... Read Ellen Foster Summary

Embracing Defeat

by John W. Dower

Publication year 1999

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Justice, Power & Greed, Memory, Grief, War, Colonialism

Tags Asian History, World War II, Politics & Government, Military & War, Asian Literature, World History, Japanese Literature

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Empire Falls

by Richard Russo

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Fathers, Power & Greed, Social Class

Tags American Literature, Humor, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction

In Empire Falls, published in 2001, award-winning author Richard Russo focuses his sharp observations on family, faith, and hope for the future in small-town America, where the factories have left, the populations are dwindling, and the prospects are shrinking. Miles Roby almost got out of Empire Falls, but his mother’s illness brought him back a semester shy of graduating college. Now he runs the Empire Grill, a landmark that still anchors the dying town, and... Read Empire Falls Summary

Empire

by Niall Ferguson

Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Indigenous Identity, Race, Colonialism, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, Power & Greed

Tags British Literature, Historical Nonfiction, Business/Economics, World History, European History, Politics & Government

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Empire of AI

by Karen Hao

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Gender Identity, Mental Health, Race, Future, Social Class, Colonialism, Globalization, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology

Tags Journalism, Environmental Science, Technology

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Empire of Pain

by Patrick Radden Keefe

Publication year 2021

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Social Class, Siblings, Art, Trust & Doubt, Economics, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Health, Politics & Government, US History, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Business & Economics, Crime & Law, Finance, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science & Nature, World History, Biography

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Endgame

by Omid Scobie

Publication year 2023

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Power & Greed, Conflict, Nostalgia, Future, The Past, Family, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

Tags European History, Politics & Government, Sociology, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Biography

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Enough

by Cassidy Hutchinson

Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Nation, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags US History, Politics & Government, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Biography

... Read Enough Summary

Eragon

by Christopher Paolini

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature

Eragon (2003), an epic fantasy novel in the style of Lord of the Rings, is the first book in the four-part Inheritance Cycle by author Christopher Paolini. Paolini wrote the first draft of Eragon at age 15. After spending an additional year revising and polishing the work, he showed it to his parents, who agreed to self-publish the novel in 2001. Afterward, Paolini actively promoted the book by traveling to 135 schools and libraries around... Read Eragon Summary

Exit Strategy

by Martha Wells

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Conflict, Perseverance, Loneliness, Memory, Language, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Future, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Economics, Equality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

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