Pride & Shame

These two emotions couldn't feel more different, yet pride and shame are linked by how we see ourselves—and how we want others to see us. This collection explores texts that navigate the emotional terrain of pride and shame.

Going After Cacciato

by Tim O'Brien

Publication year 1978

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Shame & Pride, Guilt

Tags Military & War, American Literature, Education, Education, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Going After Cacciato, by Tim O’Brien, is a novel about a young soldier’s experiences in the Vietnam War. However, as the New York Times noted in its initial review of the novel upon its publication in 1978, “call[ing] Going After Cacciato a novel about war is like calling Moby Dick a novel about whales.” The novel does not simply recount the events of the war; it dives into the inner life of its protagonist, Paul... Read Going After Cacciato Summary

Goodbye, Eri

by Tatsuki Fujimoto

Publication year 2022

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Mental Health, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Self Discovery, Art, Order & Chaos

Tags Coming of Age, Love & Sexuality

... Read Goodbye, Eri Summary

Good Country People

by Flannery O'Connor

Publication year 1955

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Good & Evil, Shame & Pride, Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Truth & Lies

Tags Southern Gothic, Education, Education, American Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

“Good Country People” first appeared in Flannery O’Connor’s short story collection A Good Man is Hard to Find in 1955 and is widely regarded as an exemplary work of Southern Gothic literature. Like many of O’Connor’s works, “Good Country People” contains a critique of the American South and religious hypocrisy rooted in O’Connor’s worldview informed by her Catholic faith. This study guide uses the 1988 Library of America edition of Flannery O’Connor’s Collected Works. The... Read Good Country People Summary

Go Tell It on the Mountain

by James Baldwin

Publication year 1953

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Race, Sexual Identity, Family, Shame & Pride, Fathers, Equality

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Love & Sexuality, Religion & Spirituality, Race & Racism, American Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Go Tell it on the Mountain is a semi-autobiographical novel by James Baldwin. Published in 1953, the novel tells the story of a teenager in 1930s Harlem named John Grimes as well as his wider family, dealing with themes of religion, sexuality, and race. This guide uses an eBook version of the Modern Penguin Classics edition of the novel. Plot SummaryGo Tell it on the Mountain is set on the 14th birthday of the protagonist... Read Go Tell It on the Mountain Summary

Grandma Gatewood's Walk

by Ben Montgomery

Publication year 2014

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Grandparents, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Aging, Death, The Past, Environment, Plants, Daughters & Sons, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Nation, Fame, Safety & Danger

Tags Travel Literature, Action & Adventure, Biography, Inspirational, US History, Trauma & Abuse

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk (2014) is a work of nonfiction biography by Pulitzer Prize–finalist journalist Ben Montgomery. The book chronicles the journey of Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, who at 67 became the first woman to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 1955. Carrying little more than a denim sack and wearing tennis shoes, Gatewood’s public feat masked her private motivation: escaping a life defined by decades of domestic abuse. A New York Times bestseller, Grandma Gatewood’s Walk... Read Grandma Gatewood's Walk Summary

Gunga Din

by Rudyard Kipling

Publication year 1890

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt, Memory, Shame & Pride, Disability, Masculinity, Race, Death, Colonialism, War, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Classic Fiction, Military & War

... Read Gunga Din Summary

Half City

by Kate Golden

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Romance

Half City (2026) is a fantasy novel by Kate Golden and the first installment in the Harker Academy series. Golden is a USA Today bestselling author known for her popular romantasy trilogy, the Sacred Stones. Half City blends popular subgenres, combining the character-driven romance of romantasy with the gritty metropolitan setting of urban fantasy and the moody atmosphere of dark academia. The novel follows Vivienne “Viv” Abbot, a young museum assistant in the divided metropolis... Read Half City Summary

Hard Times

by Studs Terkel

Publication year 1970

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Memory, Social Class, Shame & Pride, Race, Loneliness

Tags US History, Great Depression, Poverty, Depression & Suicide, American Literature, Business & Economics, Sociology, World History, Biography, Politics & Government

... Read Hard Times Summary

Heartland

by Sarah Smarsh

Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Social Class

Tags Politics & Government, Social Class, Business & Economics, Sociology, Social Justice, Poverty, Biography

Heartland (2018) is both a memoir of Sarah Smarsh’s upbringing in rural Kansas as the daughter of working-class people and an exploration of the class system in America today. The book is subtitled: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth; this hits the core of the book, as Smarsh seeks to use her family’s anecdotes and memories to get to the truth of why mostly honest, hardworking people... Read Heartland Summary

Heaven Official's Blessing

by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Teamwork, Social Class, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Chinese Literature

... Read Heaven Official's Blessing Summary

Holiday Romance

by Catherine Walsh

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Loneliness, Love, Nostalgia, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, The Past, Family, Self Discovery, Immigration, Fate

Tags Special Occasions, Romance

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Homebound

by Portia Elan

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Grief, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Race, Sexual Identity, Future, Climate, Environment, Family, Community, Immigration, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality

Tags LGBTQ+, Science Fiction, Literary Fiction

Homebound (2026), the debut novel from former Lambda Literary Fellow Portia Elan, is a work of literary science fiction that weaves together four distinct narratives across different time periods. The story follows a queer college student in 1983 Cincinnati grieving her uncle’s death from an AIDS-related illness, a hardened ship captain in a flooded 26th-century world taking on a mysterious group of passengers, a 21st-century scientist creating a line of sentient robots, and the centuries-spanning... Read Homebound Summary

Homeland Elegies

by Ayad Akhtar

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Immigration, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Hate & Anger, Race, Shame & Pride, Fear, Justice, Conflict

Tags Historical Fiction, Politics & Government, Immigration & Refugeeism, Social Justice, 9/11, Life-Inspired Fiction, Race & Racism, US History, Social Class, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

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Homeless Bird

by Gloria Whelan

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Coming of Age, Animals, Plants, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, World History, Indian Literature

Homeless Bird, a novel written by Gloria Whelan and published in 2000, was a New York Times Best Seller and winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. Marketed to middle grade readers, the novel has elements of historical fiction in its portrayal of cultural customs in India. Homeless Bird tells the story of Koly, a 13-year-old girl whose arranged marriage leads to her untimely widowhood. Through Koly’s coming-of-age journey from helplessness to... Read Homeless Bird Summary

Honor

by Thrity Umrigar

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hope, Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction

... Read Honor Summary

Hop-Frog

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1849

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Shame & Pride, Disability, Mental Health, Justice, Good & Evil, Social Class

Tags Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Bullying, Mental Illness, Social Justice, Trauma & Abuse, Disability, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Fantasy

“Hop-Frog” (originally titled “Hop Frog; Or, the Eight Chained Ourang-Outangs”) is among the last short stories by American horror and fiction author Edgar Allan Poe. First published in The Flag of Our Union in 1849, “Hop-Frog” explores themes of revenge, “madness,” and dehumanization. Poe explores similar themes in another short story published several years earlier, “The Cask of Amontillado,” a tale of betrayal and vengeance. Such thematic elements recur often in Poe’s work, given that... Read Hop-Frog Summary