Guilt

In Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, a character remarks, "If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake; that will be punishment—as well as the prison." In other words, guilt is its own form of imprisonment, from which someone may never be released. In this collection explore titles that probe the questions and implications raised by the idea of guilt.

What Comes After

by JoAnne Tompkins

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

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

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While the World Watched

by Carolyn Maull Mckinstry

Publication year 2011

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Mental Health, Race, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice

Tags Race & Racism, African American Literature, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, World History, Biography

Carolyn Maull McKinstry's memoir While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement (2011) describes the author’s experiences growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, during the 1950s and 1960s. At 14 years old, McKinstry survived the racially motivated bombing of Sixteen Street Baptist Church. Four of McKinstry’s friends were killed in the explosion, and the trauma of the experience haunted her into adulthood. McKinstry later embraced a peaceful approach... Read While the World Watched Summary

Whiskey Tender

by Deborah Jackson Taffa

Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Shame & Pride, Indigenous Identity, Mental Health, Coming of Age, The Past, Family, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Justice, Religion & Spirituality

Tags World History, Race & Racism, Biography

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White Angel

by Michael Cunningham

Publication year 1988

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Memory, Siblings, Family, Death

Tags Coming of Age, Grief & Death, Education, Education

Michael Cunningham’s short story “White Angel” was published first in the New Yorker in 1987 and later as a chapter in his 1990 novel A Home at the End of the World. Cunningham has won several major literary awards, including the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel The Hours. “White Angel” is written in a realist style, poetic and at times humorous. The author uses symbolism to illustrate the narrator’s preoccupation with time... Read White Angel Summary

White Noise

by Don DeLillo

Publication year 1985

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Guilt

Tags Satirical Literature, Science Fiction, US History, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Classic Fiction

White Noise is a 1985 novel by American author Don DeLillo. A significant entry in the canon of postmodern literature, White Noise tells the story of a small-town college professor whose suburban routine is shattered when a train crash results in a massive chemical spill. As the characters struggle to accept their own mortality, the book explores a range of contemporary issues including consumerism, mass media, and conspiracy theories. In 2005 Time Magazine included White... Read White Noise Summary

Wings of Starlight

by Allison Saft

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Guilt, Hope, Joy, Love, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Friendship, Teamwork, Community, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale & Folklore

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Wintergirls

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Family, Grief, Friendship, Mothers, Guilt, Shame & Pride, Food, Fear, Trust & Doubt, Conflict, Fathers, Appearance & Reality

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Grief & Death, Depression & Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction

Wintergirls is a young-adult novel by Laurie Halse Anderson published in 2009 by Penguin Books. Wintergirls is the winner of the 2010 Milwaukee County Teen Book Award and has received several other award nominations. Wintergirls follows the mental health journey of Lia Overbrook as she attempts recovery from anorexia, depression, and other mental health issues. Lia spends the weeks during Thanksgiving and Christmas struggling to gain closure over her former best friend Cassie’s death. Lia... Read Wintergirls Summary