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 1830
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Historical Fiction, French Literature, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction
The Red and the Black (in French, Le Rouge et le Noir: Chronique du XIX siècle) is an 1830 historical novel by Marie-Henri Beyle, better known by the pen name Stendhal. The Red and the Black follows the rise and fall of Julien Sorel, a bright and ambitious, but in many ways naïve, young man of lowly birth, who resolves to work his way up in the highly stratified French society during the Bourbon Restoration... Read The Red and the Black Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Indigenous, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Indian Literature, History: The Americas, History: World
Publication year 1895
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Social Justice, African American Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Race / Racism, African American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2024
Genre Memoir in Verse, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Sports, Race / Racism
Publication year 2022
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Revolution, Military / War, History: World, Biography
Publication year 1971
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Music, Society: Community
Tags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Music, African American Literature
Publication year 1791
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, History: U.S., History: European
Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man (1791) is one of the 18th-century’s most influential political treatises. It offers a spirited defense of the ongoing French Revolution and calls for dramatic reforms in Britain. Paine wrote Rights of Man as a direct response to Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), a conservative critique that professes skepticism and even horror at the course of events in France since the Revolution began in 1789. Rights of... Read The Rights of Man Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Race / Racism
The Rock and the River is a young adult historical fiction work that earned author Kekla Magoon the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award upon its publication in 2009. Set in the 1960s Civil Rights era, the story’s protagonist, Samuel Childs, is the son of a famous activist who worked alongside Dr. King and the brother of a teenager involved with a local Black Panther group. The tensions between the historical “passive resistance”... Read The Rock and The River Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
The Runaway Jury is a 1996 legal thriller by author, lawyer, and former politician John Grisham. Grisham has written 50 consecutive #1 best-selling novels that have been translated into 50 languages. Grisham has won the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction and won the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction twice. The Runaway Jury was adapted into a 2003 film, one of the seven Grisham novels that have been made into movies. The... Read The Runaway Jury Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Arts / Culture, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Western, Modern Classic Fiction, Irish Literature
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Jewish Literature, Christian literature, History: World, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Gender / Feminism, History: Middle Eastern
In The Secret Chord (2015), Geraldine Brooks, a former journalist and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of historical fiction, turns to the story of the biblical King David. She uses this figure from religion and history to study human nature. Her David is far from a saint. He is a complex character: “a man who dwelt in the searing glance of the divine, but who sweated and stank, rutted without restraint, butchered the innocent, betrayed those... Read The Secret Chord Summary
Publication year 1930
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Gender / Feminism, Class, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Race
Tags Satire, Humor, Race / Racism, African American Literature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Paul Beatty is the author of the 2015 novel The Sellout—a satire that makes fun of contemporary norms around race and identity. In the novel, Beatty applies his no-holds-barred idea of comedy to segregation, slavery, police brutality, and countless tragic and fraught issues that people typically treat with extreme seriousness and sensitivity. Through the main character, Me, the book provides an ironic and unexpected take on themes like Racial and Personal Identity and Capitalism’s Power... Read The Sellout Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Social Justice, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction