The Possibility of Evil

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

• Dickens’s classic novel about Scrooge, a wealthy man who hoards his wealth and scoffs at his neighbors
• relates to themes of The Isolating Effects of Privilege and Morality Versus Appearances
• “A Christmas Carol” on SuperSummary

“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe

• Poe’s iconic story of a once-noble family’s deterioration of fortune and well-being
• connects to themes of The Isolating Effects of Privilege, The Power of Routine and Habit, and Morality Versus Appearances
• "The Fall of the House of Usher" on SuperSummary

“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe

• Poe’s short story in which a party of wealthy people attempt to carry on with their partying while the townspeople die of a plague
• relates to themes of The Isolating Effects of Privilege, The Power of Routine and Habit, and Morality Versus Appearances.
• "The Masque of the Red Death" on SuperSummary

Other Student Resources

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

• Rhys’s novel reimagines the story of Edward Rochester’s ex-wife in the Victorian classic Jane Eyre as a story of abuse at the hands of a powerful, wealthy man.
• relates to themes of The Isolating Effects of Privilege and Morality Versus Appearances
• Wide Sargasso Sea on Super Summary

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

• Fitzgerald’s classic novel explores the hypocrisy of the American Dream and capitalist notions of superiority and class warfare.
• relates to themes of The Isolating Effects of Privilege and Morality Versus Appearances
• The Great Gatsby on Super Summary

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

• Tartt’s debut novel and bestseller portrays wealth and class privilege as an obsession that ultimately destroys the rich and the poor.
• connects to themes of The Isolating Effects of Privilege and Morality Versus Appearances
• The Secret History on Super Summary

Teacher Resources

"Ethics" by Plato

• Stanford University’s comprehensive collection of Plato’s philosophies on ethics and morality
• connects to the theme of Morality Versus Appearances

"What Can Horror Teach Us?"

• University of North Carolina’s blog on the educational benefits of studying horror in literature
• relates to the theme of Morality Versus Appearances