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.

Ham on Rye

by Charles Bukowski

Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Equality, Apathy

Tags Coming of Age, Life-Inspired Fiction, Great Depression, US History, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Classic Fiction

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Harlem

by Langston Hughes

Publication year 1951

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Future, Race, Justice, Equality, Nation

Tags Lyric Poem, Harlem Renaissance, African American Literature, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Race & Racism, US History, Urban Development

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Harrison Bergeron

by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Publication year 1960

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Politics & Government, Equality

Tags Science Fiction, Satirical Literature, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Kurt Vonnegut’s dystopian science fiction story “Harrison Bergeron” was first published in 1961 in The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy. It has since been adapted for film and television in PBS’s Between Timid and Timbuktu series, Showtime’s Harrison Bergeron, a 2008 short film also titled Harrison Bergeron, and a 2009 short film titled 2081. The story was republished in Vonnegut’s collection Welcome to the Monkey House in 1968. This guide references the e-book version... Read Harrison Bergeron Summary

Heart of a Stranger

by Angela Buchdahl

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Gender Identity, Race, Coming of Age, Family, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Religion & Spirituality

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl’s spiritual memoir, Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging (2025), chronicles her journey as the daughter of a Korean Buddhist mother and a Jewish American father who became the first Asian American to be ordained as both a cantor (or worship leader) and a rabbi. The book traces her path from a childhood in Tacoma, Washington, where she navigated her intersecting identities, to her leadership of... Read Heart of a Stranger Summary

Hidden Potential

by Adam Grant

Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Self Discovery, Education, Equality

Tags Psychology, Self-Improvement, Business & Economics, Leadership, Education, Education, Science & Nature, Psychology

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Hijab Butch Blues

by Lamya H

Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Hope, Love, Gender Identity, Race, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Immigration, Equality, Justice

Tags Coming of Age, LGBTQ+, Gender & Feminism

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Home

by Marilynne Robinson

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Guilt, Forgiveness, Fate, Equality, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

... Read Home Summary

House Made of Dawn

by N. Scott Momaday

Publication year 1968

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Apathy, Perseverance, Loneliness, Love, Place, Animals, Religion & Spirituality, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Order & Chaos, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Memory

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Social Justice, World History

The novel House Made of Dawn, by N. Scott Momaday, was first published in 1968. Heralded as a major landmark in the emergence of Indigenous American literature, the novel won the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. House Made of Dawn blends fictional and nonfictional elements to depict life on an Indigenous American reservation like the one where Momaday grew up.This guide uses an eBook version of the 2018 First Harper Perennial Modern Classics (50th Anniversary)... Read House Made of Dawn Summary

House of Flame and Shadow

by Sarah J. Maas

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Race, Coming of Age, Environment, Place, Teamwork, Colonialism, War, Equality, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure, Fairy Tale & Folklore

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How Children Succeed

by Paul Tough

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Mental Health, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Social Class, Education, Equality

Tags Education, Psychology, Parenting, Children`s Literature, Education, Science & Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Self-Improvement

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How to Menopause

by Tamsen Fadal

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Gratitude, Hope, Joy, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Aging, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Equality

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I Cheerfully Refuse

by Leif Enger

Publication year 2024

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Memory, Revenge, Death, Future, Climate, Environment, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Music, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction

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If We Must Die

by Claude McKay

Publication year 1919

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Conflict, Equality, Power & Greed

Tags Grief & Death, Race & Racism, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, African American Literature, Harlem Renaissance, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

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I, Juan de Pareja

by Elizabeth Borton De Treviño

Publication year 1965

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Race, Equality, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Arts & Culture, World History, Classic Fiction

Elizabeth Borton de Treviño’s I, Juan de Pareja is a young adult historical fiction novel published in 1965. Its complicated portrayal of slavery, art, and self-expression earned it the Newbery Medal in 1966. In 1656, Spanish Golden Age painter Diego Velázquez unveiled his newest portrait: a simple study of one of his enslaved workers entitled Portrait of Juan de Pareja. Upon viewing the painting, de Treviño was inspired to imagine the story of this man... Read I, Juan de Pareja Summary