In this Collection, we've gathered together a selection of fictional and real-life narratives that share the theme of Challenging Authority. These selections feature protagonists and real-world figures who stand up to both powerful individuals and oppressive systems in an array of cultural and historical settings.
Publication year 1955
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure
In 1954, writer and scholar of English literature J. R. R. Tolkien published The Fellowship of the Ring, the first of three volumes in his novel The Lord of the Rings. Considered a founding text of high fantasy, The Lord of the Rings is widely regarded as a modern classic. The saga’s roots in epic poetry, philology, and mythology have influenced both academia and popular culture, inspiring scholarship, Tolkien societies, and film adaptations, including Ralph... Read The Fellowship of the Ring Summary
Publication year 1991
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal
OverviewBook DetailsThe Firm is the second legal thriller written by attorney John Grisham. It followed his 1988 debut novel A Time to Kill. The Firm was the top-selling novel of 1991 on the New York Times bestseller list, bringing its author international fame. It focuses on new Harvard Law School graduate Mitch McDeere, who accepts a financially lucrative position with a Memphis law firm that he discovers is embroiled in unethical and illegal activities.Author HighlightsGrisham... Read The Firm Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance
Publication year 1643
Genre Poem, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Publication year 2003
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: War
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, WWII / World War II
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Birth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ
Publication year 1866
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Russian Literature, Existentialism, History: World, Romance, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 1794
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Lyric Poem, Religion / Spirituality, History: World, British Literature
Publication year 1923
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Anthropology, Sociology, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Education, Education, Anthropology, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1941
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags History: U.S.
Publication year 1873
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government
Tags American Literature, History: World, Humor, Classic Fiction, Satire, Historical Fiction, Gilded Age, Politics / Government
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Business / Economics, Arts / Culture, Class, Gender / Feminism, American Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1904
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, American Literature, History: U.S., History: World
The Golden Bowl is a 1904 novel by Henry James. The novel explores the intricacies of marriage and affairs in the early 19th century through the affair of Amerigo and Charlotte, who were once in love but too poor to marry. Amerigo instead marries Maggie, and Charlotte marries Maggie’s father, a wealthy American museum curator. While Amerigo is at first happy with his new wife, the time she spends with her father creates an opportunity... Read The Golden Bowl Summary
Publication year 1931
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Place, Society: Community
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, History: Asian, Education, Education, History: World, Chinese Literature
A measure of the quality, prescience, and veracity of Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth is that, nearly a century after its first publication, the book remains required reading in literature, world history, and social science courses. The novel is a simple, straightforward narrative about 50 years in the life of Wang Lung, an uneducated farmer in eastern China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While this era period was one of continual... Read The Good Earth Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Crime / Legal, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Biography, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber is a true crime biography of the life of Charles Cullen, one of the most prolific serial killers in US history. Graeber is an American journalist who spent time as a medical student before moving on to journalism, writing for many prolific news outlets. His joint history in medicine and writing provides him with the necessary expertise to explain the intimacies... Read The Good Nurse Summary