Equality

The titles in this Collection examine the concept of social equality through a broad array of literary genres and forms. These curated selections represent a diversity of voices and perspectives that examine social disparities through the lenses of gender, race, socioeconomics, and other factors.

Open Throat

by Henry Hoke

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Animals, Equality, Climate, Loneliness, Gender Identity, Environment, Social Class

Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Humor, Dramatic Literature

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Ophie's Ghosts

by Justina Ireland

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Femininity, Race, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Family, Social Class, Economics, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, African American Literature

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Ordinary Hazards

by Nikki Grimes

Publication year 2019

Genre Memoir in Verse, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Childhood & Youth, Family, Mental Health, Perseverance, Race, Coming of Age, Mothers, Self Discovery, Equality, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Biography, Mental Illness

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Original Sins

by Eve L. Ewing

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Shame & Pride, Indigenous Identity, Race, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Education, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice

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Our Evenings

by Alan Hollinghurst

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Hope, Joy, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Race, Sexual Identity, The Past, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Equality, Fame, Literature

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Packing for Mars

by Mary Roach

Publication year 2010

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Space, Equality, Teamwork, Place, Gender Identity, Science & Technology

Tags Science & Nature, Humor, US History, Technology, World History

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void is one of several bestselling nonfiction works by science writer and humorist Mary Roach. Published in 2010, the work focuses on the human side of space travel and offers behind-the-scenes accounts of peculiar and taboo topics such as sex, vomit, and toilets in space. Roach writes from a candid, outsider’s point of view and demystifies some of the grandeur of space travel by reporting... Read Packing for Mars Summary

People Like Us

by David Brooks

Publication year 2003

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Community, Nation, Equality

Tags Diversity, Sociology

“People Like Us” was published in the September 2003 issue of The Atlantic Monthly. Using a series of examples to compare different areas of the United States, author and political commentator David Brooks argues that although America prides itself on being a diverse nation, its population actively self-segregates along multiple demographic lines.The essay begins by painting a picture of an unlikely community where “a black Pentecostal minister lives next to a white anti-globalization activist, who... Read People Like Us Summary

Pickwick Papers

by Charles Dickens

Publication year 1836

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Justice, Politics & Government, Community, Self Discovery, Order & Chaos, Literature, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Family, Marriage

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Action & Adventure, Humor, Travel Literature, Social Class, European History, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Sports, British Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Victorian Era

The debut novel of British author Charles Dickens, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (commonly known as The Pickwick Papers) was first published as a series by Chapman and Hall between 1836 and 1837. The Pickwick Papers chronicles the adventures of the members of the Pickwick Club, a group of travelers who journey around England and share their experiences. Because of the original serial format of the novel, the chapters contain individual but interconnected... Read Pickwick Papers Summary

Powerful

by Lauren Roberts

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hope, Love, Friendship, Social Class, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance

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Pride

by Ibi Zoboi

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Social Class, Community, Siblings, Family, Conflict, Race, Equality

Tags Romance, Social Class, Urban Development, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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Progress and Poverty

by Henry George

Publication year 1879

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Justice, Science & Technology, Equality

Tags Business & Economics, Philosophy, Politics & Government, Poverty, Social Justice, Urban Development, Sociology, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

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Prometheus Unbound

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Publication year 1820

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Future, Environment, Objects & Materials, Space, Art, Equality, Literature, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Politics & Government

Tags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Drama, Mythology, Romanticism, British Literature

Prometheus Unbound (1820) is a four-act lyrical drama by Percy Bysshe Shelley, a celebrated English Romantic poet best known for his poems like “Ozymandias” (1818) and “Ode to the West Wind” (1819). The work is adapted from the play cycle Prometheus Bound (456 BCE), Prometheus Unbound and Prometheus the Fire-Bearer, traditionally attributed to the ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus. Shelley rewrites the myth of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods for humans and was severely... Read Prometheus Unbound Summary