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.

Glass Sword

by Victoria Aveyard

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance, Action & Adventure

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard (Harper Teen, 2016) is the second installment of the New York Times bestselling Red Queen YA fantasy series and follows a group of fugitives and rebels as they work to build an army to take on the powerful ruling class. Glass Sword follows Red Queen and is the prequel to King’s Cage. Aveyard grew up in western Massachusetts before moving to Los Angeles, California where she received her degree in... Read Glass Sword Summary

Gleam

by Raven Kennedy

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Love, Gender Identity, Politics & Government, Power & Greed

Tags Romance, Fantasy

... Read Gleam Summary

Globalization and Its Discontents

by Joseph E. Stiglitz

Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Globalization, Power & Greed, Politics & Government

Tags Business & Economics, Politics & Government, World History, Poverty, Sociology

Globalization and Its Discontents (2002) is American economist John E. Stiglitz’s second major work, published shortly after he became a Nobel laureate. It explores and critiques the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) policies between the 1970s and the early 2000s. Since Stiglitz was a senior vice president of the World Bank between 1993 and 1997, he uses insider knowledge to explain certain structural and functional aspects of the IMF that remain opaque to the public. His... Read Globalization and Its Discontents Summary

Glow

by Raven Kennedy

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Mental Health, Self Discovery, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Trauma & Abuse

... Read Glow Summary

Goblin Market

by Christina Rossetti

Publication year 1862

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Appearance & Reality, Environment, Food, Nature Versus Nurture, Community, Education, Siblings, Beauty, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Wins & Losses

Tags Narrative Poem, Symbolic Narrative, Gothic Literature, World History, Fantasy, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Victorian Era, Classic Fiction

Enigmatic and strange, English poet Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” has sparked multiple interpretations since its publication in 1862. The poem helped launch her career and expand the Pre-Raphaelite art movement into literature.The long narrative poem centers on Lizzie’s rescue of her sister from an enchantment cast by malicious goblins. Fairy tales and folklore inspired many Victorian writers, who felt weary about England’s increasing industrialization.Often seen as an allegory, scholars have posited that the poem’s characters... Read Goblin Market Summary

God Is Red

by Vine Deloria Jr.

Publication year 1972

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Indigenous Identity, Race, Environment, Place, Politics & Government, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Religion & Spirituality, World History, Philosophy, Race & Racism

... Read God Is Red Summary

God of Malice

by Rina Kent

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hope, Love, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Death, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Art, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Horror & Suspense, New Adult

... Read God of Malice Summary

Going Infinite

by Michael Lewis

Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Trust & Doubt, Science & Technology, Power & Greed, Order & Chaos, Economics, Teamwork, Apathy

Tags Finance, US History, Leadership, Philosophy, Business & Economics, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science & Nature, World History, Biography

... Read Going Infinite Summary

Gone

by Michael Grant

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Science & Technology, Fear, Community, Conflict, Power & Greed, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

... Read Gone Summary

Gray Mountain

by John Grisham

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Revenge, Death, Environment, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics, Justice

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Crime & Law

The legal thriller Gray Mountain (2014) is a #1 New York Times bestseller from John Grisham, an author known for his critiques of the American legal system. A former criminal defense attorney and Mississippi state legislator, Grisham draws on his legal background to craft narratives that often explore systemic corruption and social injustice. In Gray Mountain, the 2008 financial crisis serves as the catalyst for the story: After the collapse of Lehman Brothers, high-powered Wall... Read Gray Mountain Summary

Green Grass, Running Water

by Thomas King

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Indigenous Identity, Power & Greed, Colonialism

Tags Magical Realism, American Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature

Thomas King’s novel Green Grass, Running Water (1993) is set in a contemporary First Nations Blackfoot community in Alberta, Canada. The book gained critical acclaim due to its unique structure and King’s combination of oral and written history within a compelling narrative. The novel follows several plotlines, ranging from realist to mythical, and revolves around the broad theme of Indigenous identity in the 20th century. The novel is notable for its use of magical realism... Read Green Grass, Running Water Summary

Greenwild

by Pari Thomson

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Revenge, Race, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Environment, Plants, Family, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature

... Read Greenwild Summary

Greenwood

by Michael Christie

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Plants, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Science & Nature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

... Read Greenwood Summary

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane

by Suzanne Collins

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Joy, Love, Revenge, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Family, Friendship, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, War, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

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

... Read Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane Summary

Grown

by Tiffany D. Jackson

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Grown Summary

Gulag

by Anne Applebaum

Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Memory, Social Class, Politics & Government, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags European History, World History, Military & War, Politics & Government, Incarceration, Russian Literature

... Read Gulag Summary

Gulliver's Travels

by Jonathan Swift

Publication year 1726

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Politics & Government, Self Discovery, Nation

Tags Satirical Literature, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Travel Literature

Gulliver’s Travels is a 1726 novel written by Jonathan Swift. It is both an early English novel and a seminal satirical text in British Literature, remaining Swift’s best-known work and spawning many adaptations in both print and film. The targets of Swift’s satire range from political structures in early 18th-century England to the national rivalry between England and France during the same period. Swift also lampoons science and educational trends that lean towards more speculative... Read Gulliver's Travels Summary