Good & Evil

How do we uphold goodness in a world where it can seem impossible? What are the consequences to the human heart when we fail to live up to the ideals of goodness? These are some of the questions posed by the texts in this collection which explores the theme of Good & Evil.

American Sniper

by Jim DeFelice

Publication year 2012

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes War, Good & Evil, Family, Siblings

Tags US History, Iraq War, Military & War, World History, Biography

American Sniper is the autobiography of Chris Kyle, the single deadliest sniper in the history of the United States military. The narrative, co-written by Chris Kyle, Jim deFelice, Scott McEwen, and Chris’s wife Taya, opens with events that took place in 2003 in Iraq. At the time, Chris was providing protective fire for a group of Marines; a female insurgent attempted to attack the Marines with a grenade, but Chris shot her, registering his first... Read American Sniper Summary

Amsterdam

by Ian McEwan

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Friendship, Revenge, Art, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense

Ian McEwan’s Amsterdam, a satirical novel published in 1998, won the prestigious Booker Prize. McEwan is a highly regarded British author, known for acclaimed works such as Atonement, The Children Act, and Saturday. Set in London during the late 1990s, Amsterdam captures the cynical atmosphere of post-Thatcherite Britain, particularly the codependent relationship between politics and the press. The novel follows two successful middle-aged friends, a composer and a newspaper editor, who make a fateful euthanasia... Read Amsterdam Summary

And The Earth Did Not Devour Him

by Tomás Rivera

Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil

Tags Education, Education, Classic Fiction

And the Earth Did Not Devour Him, by Chicano American author Tomás Rivera, was originally published as a Spanish and English bilingual edition in 1971, translated into English by Herminio Ríos. Evangelina Vigil-Piñón’s translation, considered the definitive edition, came out in 1988. The book was awarded the Quinto Sol Prize for literature and was adapted into a film. Born in Texas, Rivera,was the son of Mexican migrant farm workers, and worked on farms as a... Read And The Earth Did Not Devour Him Summary

An Ember in the Ashes

by Sabaa Tahir

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Friendship, Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Good & Evil, War

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

Book DetailAn Ember in the Ashes, published by Razorbill in 2015, is the first in Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes series. The novel debuted at number two on the young adult New York Times best seller list and was also a USA Today and international bestselling book. In addition, TIME magazine named it one of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of all Time. It won the People’s Choice Award for favorite fantasy in... Read An Ember in the Ashes Summary

Angelfall

by Susan Ee

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Disability, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Siblings, Good & Evil, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

... Read Angelfall Summary

Angel Of Greenwood

by Randi Pink

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Love, Race, Family, Friendship, Community, Equality, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Race & Racism, Social Justice, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance

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An Inspector Calls

by J.B. Priestley

Publication year 1945

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Good & Evil, Justice

Tags Drama, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, Classic Fiction

An Inspector Calls is a three-act play written by J. B. Priestley, first performed in 1947. In the play, an inspector questions a wealthy family about the death of a young woman who worked at the family’s factory. An Inspector Calls first premiered in Moscow in 1945 before showing in England. The play has been adapted for film, television, and radio, and a 1992 stage revival won a Laurence Olivier Award, a Drama Desk Award... Read An Inspector Calls Summary

An Outpost Of Progress

by Joseph Conrad

Publication year 1897

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Order & Chaos, Good & Evil

Tags Classic Fiction, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Depression & Suicide, Existentialism, Education, Education, British Literature, World History

In “An Outpost of Progress,” Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), a Ukrainian-born Polish-British novelist and short story writer, presents a disturbing psychological case study centered on the struggle between good and evil in the hearts and souls of two white traders dispatched to a remote corner of Africa to oversee a trading station along the Congo River. The story probes how easily the heart can lose its moral and ethical bearings amid the oppressive emptiness of the... Read An Outpost Of Progress Summary

Anthem

by Ayn Rand

Publication year 1938

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Equality, Politics & Government, Community, Self Discovery

Tags Science Fiction, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Philosophy, Education, Education, Philosophy, Politics & Government

Anthem is a short novella written by Ayn Rand and published in 1938. Rand is known for her polarizing fiction, which includes the well-known novels Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. She is also known as the founder of a controversial philosophy known as Objectivism. In 1987, Anthem won the Libertarian Futurist Society’s Hall of Fame Award. Since its publication, the novella has been met with mixed reviews due to the controversy around its Objectivist themes... Read Anthem Summary

Any Small Goodness

by Tony Johnston

Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Family, Immigration, Race, Coming of Age, Community

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Arts & Culture

Tony Johnston’s Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio is a young adult novel originally published in 2001 by Scholastic, Inc. As a meditation on the value of friendship, family, and community, the novel centers the Mexican American Rodriguez family as they adapt to life in a lower-income Los Angeles barrio (Spanish for “neighborhood”). In school, their son Arturo bonds with other Mexican American students, joining them as they reclaim their Mexican roots. Ever... Read Any Small Goodness Summary

A Photo Finish

by Elsie Silver

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hope, Joy, Love, Memory, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Animals, Place, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Romance, New Adult

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A Piece Of Cake

by Cupcake Brown

Publication year 2006

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Good & Evil, Trust & Doubt, Perseverance, Gratitude, Hope, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Race, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Addiction & Substance Abuse, Trauma & Abuse, Drama, Inspirational, Biography, Mental Illness

... Read A Piece Of Cake Summary

Artemis

by Andy Weir

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Social Class, Good & Evil

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure

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As A Man Thinketh

by James Allen

Publication year 1902

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Fear, Joy, Love, Mental Health, Future, The Past, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Art, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Literature, New Age, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Self-Improvement, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Inspirational

... Read As A Man Thinketh Summary