James Baldwin said, "It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have." In this collection, we've compiled texts that explore the idea of what justice is — and how it can thrive.
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Southern Literature, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism
Ellen Foster is a work of adult fiction by US novelist Kaye Gibbons, first published by Algonquin Books in 1987. The novel was Gibbons’s debut, and it won the Sue Kaufman Prize for literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a notable citation from the Ernest Hemingway Foundation. Critics praised the novel for its unsentimental outlook and the wry, distinct voice of its protagonist. Ellen, a young girl living in the American... Read Ellen Foster Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Realistic Fiction, Poverty, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Grief / Death, Urban Development, Arts / Culture
Emako Blue is a novel for young adults written by Brenda Woods. Set in Los Angeles, California, Emako's friends and schoolmates relay the events leading up to Emako Blue’s gang-related murder in alternating first-person narration, primarily through flashbacks. The text explores the effects of poverty, gang violence, guns, and how these issues have far-reaching impacts on each member of a community. As the events of the story unfold, each narrator must consider what they want... Read Emako Blue Summary
Publication year 1863
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Identity: Race
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Race / Racism, American Civil War
Publication year 1999
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: War, Society: Colonialism
Tags History: Asian, WWII / World War II, Politics / Government, Military / War, Asian Literature, History: World, Japanese Literature
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Politics / Government, Self Help, Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Social Justice, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2021
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, History: U.S., Addiction / Substance Abuse, Business / Economics, Crime / Legal, Finance / Money / Wealth, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Education, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Community
Tags Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Sociology, Politics / Government, Health / Medicine, Agriculture, Business / Economics, Class, Climate Change, Social Justice, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 458
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Gender
Tags Ancient Greece, Drama / Tragedy, Play: Drama, Philosophy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Eumenides is an Attic tragedy by the playwright Aeschylus (circa 525/4-circa 456/5 BCE). Eumenides was the final part of the Oresteia, a tragic trilogy first produced for the City Dionysia in 458 BCE. The Oresteia describes the murder of Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra and the aftermath of this act; in Eumenides, Orestes—the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra—must undergo a trial to be purified of the blood of his mother, whom he murdered to avenge... Read Eumenides Summary
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Romance, Latin American Literature, Classic Fiction
First published in Spanish in 1987, Eva Luna is a novel written by celebrated Chilean writer Isabel Allende and later translated into English by Margaret Sayers Peden the following year. The story is set in an unnamed South American country believed to be an amalgamation of Chile and Venezuela. The eponymous Eva Luna narrates the epic story of her life against a backdrop inspired by the sociopolitical changes in South America from the mid-1940s to... Read Eva Luna Summary
Publication year 1847
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Romance, American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2025
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Disability, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Health, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, History: World
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self Discovery
Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Immigration
Tags WWII / World War II, History: World, Military / War, History: U.S., History: European, Grief / Death, Japanese Literature, Biography
Publication year 2018
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 1972
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Globalization, Society: Community
Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice