Books on Justice & Injustice

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.

Titus Andronicus

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1594

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed

Tags Classic Fiction, Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, British Literature, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature

Titus Andronicus is a tragedy generally thought to have been written between 1588 and 1593 and is usually credited to William Shakespeare. The play is set in an undefined time in imperial Rome. Roman General Titus Andronicus returns victorious from a long war. Tamora, Queen of the Goths, is his prisoner, along with her family and retinue. He authorizes the execution of one of her sons by his sons. This begins a vicious cycle of... Read Titus Andronicus Summary

To His Excellency General Washington

by Phillis Wheatley

Publication year 1773

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Equality, Justice

Tags Classic Fiction, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Race & Racism, African American Literature

“To His Excellency General Washington'' was written in 1775 by Phillis Wheatley. The poem addresses George Washington following the commencement of the American Revolutionary War that year. At the time, Wheatley was writing in popular convention with a Victorian form praising poetry’s inherited forms. A striking dimension of the poem is its fealty to a slave owner, George Washington, by a woman who was still a slave at her time of writing and would remain... Read To His Excellency General Washington Summary

Travels With Charley

by John Steinbeck

Publication year 1962

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Place, Fear, Hope, Nostalgia, Memory, Masculinity, Aging, Future, The Past, Self Discovery, Beauty, Justice, Language, Community

Tags Travel Literature, Action & Adventure, American Literature, Animals, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Classic Fiction, Biography

Published in 1962, Travels With Charley: In Search of America is a narrative travelogue by John Steinbeck. The book follows a cross-country road trip the author took with his dog, a brown poodle named Charley. They travel in a camper-style pickup truck named Rosinante, which Steinbeck had custom built for the trip. Steinbeck embarked on the journey because he felt disconnected from the larger picture of American life after years of living in New York... Read Travels With Charley Summary

Triangle

by David Von Drehle

Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Grief, Gender Identity, Social Class, Economics, Immigration, Politics & Government, Justice, Power & Greed, Science & Technology

Tags US History, Politics & Government, Crime & Law

... Read Triangle Summary

Triptych

by Karin Slaughter

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Disability, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Social Class, Economics, Justice, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

... Read Triptych Summary

Trouble Don't Last

by Shelley Pearsall

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Family, Perseverance, Fear, Coming of Age, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, African American Literature, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History

... Read Trouble Don't Last Summary

True Grit

by Charles Portis

Publication year 1968

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Regret, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Teamwork, Nation, War, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction

True Grit is a 1968 western novel by Charles Portis that tells the story of Mattie Ross, a determined and headstrong 14-year-old girl from Arkansas who seeks vengeance for her father’s murder. With the unlikely help of Rooster Cogburn, a tough US Marshal, and LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger, Mattie sets out to capture the killer, Tom Chaney. True Grit was an instant bestseller, adapted as a film in 1969 and in 2010. This guide uses the... Read True Grit Summary

Truman

by David McCullough

Publication year 1992

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Justice, Power & Greed, Politics & Government, War, Nation, Perseverance

Tags Politics & Government, US History, World War II, Crime & Law, World History, Biography

... Read Truman Summary

Twelve Angry Men

by Reginald Rose

Publication year 1954

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Fathers, Justice, Social Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Drama, Crime & Law, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Dramatic Literature

Reginald Rose was born in Manhattan, New York in 1920. He saw active service during the Second World War and began his writing career in 1950 with the play The Bus to Nowhere. The experience of serving on a jury in 1954 inspired Rose to write his most famous work, Twelve Angry Men. The play was first broadcast as a one-hour television drama that same year. In 1957, the play was adapted for film, starring... Read Twelve Angry Men Summary

Two Degrees

by Alan Gratz

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Apathy, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Grief, Indigenous Identity, Justice, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Fathers, Friendship, Teamwork, Mothers, Animals, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Plants, Place, Politics & Government, Community

Tags Action & Adventure, Survival Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Natural Disaster, Climate Change, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

... Read Two Degrees Summary

Two Roads

by Joseph Bruchac

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Race, Friendship, Self Discovery, Justice, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Arts & Culture, World History

... Read Two Roads Summary