Nation & Nationalism

These texts explore the concept of the nation, an idea of community that inspires patriotism and nostalgia. What makes a nation? And why are people willing to die—or to kill—to protect it? These are just a couple of the questions examined in the texts in this collection.

Rubicon

by Tom Holland

Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nation, Politics & Government, Power & Greed

Tags World History, Politics & Government, Classical Period, Classic Fiction

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Shadow Ticket

by Thomas Pynchon

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hope, Regret, Language, Masculinity, Future, The Past, Self Discovery, Nation, Politics & Government, War

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

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Shame

by Salman Rushdie

Publication year 1983

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Politics & Government, Nation

Tags Magical Realism, Symbolic Narrative, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Indian Literature, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction

Written by Salman Rushdie in 1983, Shame takes place in a fictionalized version of the city of Quetta in Pakistan. Although several characters are based on historic Pakistani politicians, the novel incorporates elements of magical realism to create a richly nuanced fable whose philosophical message transcends the boundaries of the ordinary. The novel explores themes of Shame Versus Shamelessness, the partition of Pakistan through Partition and Duality, and The Systemic Misogyny of Patriarchal Societies. Shame... Read Shame Summary

Silver Elite

by Dani Francis

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Loneliness, Love, Revenge, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Future, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Romance, New Adult

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Slouching Towards Bethlehem

by Joan Didion

Publication year 1968

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Nation, Appearance & Reality, Literature

Tags Arts & Culture, US History, American Literature, Vietnam War, Journalism, World History, Classic Fiction, Biography

Slouching Towards Bethlehem is Joan Didion’s 1968 collection of essays that document her experiences living in California from 1961 to 1967. It is her first collection of nonfiction (many of the pieces originally appeared in The Saturday Evening Post) and is hailed as a seminal document of culture and counterculture in 1960s California. Didion’s style was part of what Tom Wolfe called “New Journalism,” which emphasized the search for meaning over the reporting of facts... Read Slouching Towards Bethlehem Summary

Some Desperate Glory

by Emily Tesh

Publication year 2023

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Revenge, Gender Identity, Language, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Future, Space, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Justice, Power & Greed, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, LGBTQ+, Fantasy

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Song of Myself

by Walt Whitman

Publication year 1856

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Death, Politics & Government, Nation, Family, Perseverance

Tags Lyric Poem, Life-Inspired Fiction, Transcendentalism, Education, Education, US History, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

“Song of Myself” is a free verse poem by the American writer, journalist, and poet Walt Whitman. The poem is often classified as a work of transcendentalist literature. Originally self-published by Whitman himself in 1855, it was considerably revised and expanded over subsequent decades. In 1889, “Song of Myself” was released in its final form as part of the last edition of the collection Leaves of Grass. This final version—the version referenced in this guide—is... Read Song of Myself Summary

South to America

by Imani Perry

Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, Nation, Race

Tags US History, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Southern Literature, Immigration & Refugeeism, World History, Travel Literature, Politics & Government

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Spark

by Sarah Beth Durst

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Coming of Age, Climate, Environment, Community, Nation

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction

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