Bøger i Social Issues in Literature serien

This compelling volume examines Zora Neale Hurston's life and writings, with a specific look at key ideas related to Their Eyes Were Watching God. Essays discuss a variety of topics, including whether the novel can be viewed as an example for all women, whether it still relevant today, and whether it proves that romantic fantasies cannot last. The book also explores contemporary perspectives on women's issues, such as the idea of women creating their own model of a female hero and the impact of white stereotypes on modern black women.

"Social Issues in Literature meets the need for materials supporting curriculum integration. Each title in this distinctive new series examines an important literary work or body of work through the lens of a major social issue. Each volume presents biographical and critical information on the author, viewpoints on the social issue portrayed in the book, and contemporary assessments of the social issue as well as a chronology of important dates in the author's life, discussion questions, a guide to additional literary works that focus on the same social issue, a bibliography for further research and a thorough subject index"--

This critical volume explores the life and work of Ernest Hemingway, focusing particularly on the themes of war in his novel A Farewell to Arms. Readers are presented with a series of essays which lend context and expand upon the themes of the book, including viewpoints on the reasons for, and the aftereffects of, war. Contemporary perspectives on PTSD, foreign policy, and military spending allow readers to further connect the events of the book to the issues of today's world.

This informative volume explores Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation through the lens of the food industry. Coverage includes: an examination of Schlosser's life as an investigative journalist; Schlosser's view of the food industry as demonstrated in his book; how investigative journalism can be viewed as literature; how Fast Food Nation has changed people's perspectives and actions; criticisms of Fast Food Nation and its message; and contemporary perspectives on the food industry with commentary on topics such as food regulations and movements.

One of Kurt Vonnegut's most influential works, Slaughterhouse-Five is a science fiction-inspired tale that touches upon the experiences of Billy Pilgrim, an American soldier, in the time before, during, and after World War II. This compelling edition presents readers with a collection of essays on the theme of war as depicted in the novel. Topics discussed include the moral problem of Billy's fantasies, Billy's time-traveling as a psychological phenomenon, and deconstructing the war novel. The book also explores modern perspectives regarding war such as PTSD, child soldiers, and military secrecy.

"Background on Rachel Carson; The Environment in Silent Spring; Contemporary Perspectives on the Environment"--

First published in 1847, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre follows the title character through her journey into womanhood, shedding critical insight into the roles morality, love, and independence play in the Victorian world. Although the novel received lukewarm reception from its contemporary critics, Bronte's sharp analysis of society, and the proto-feminist messages embedded within the text, were in many ways ahead of their time. This critical volume offers readers a compelling collection of essays related to the topic of women's independence as they relate to Jane Eyre. The book also discusses the life and work of Charlotte Bronte, and presents contemporary perspectives on issues related to women's rights and independence, such as ownership of finance, the case against marriage, and the prospect of a matriarchal society.

This book offers an in-depth examination of war as presented in Stephen Crane's novel The Red Badge of Courage, as well as contemporary perspectives on this issue. Discussions include the impact of combat trauma during the Civil War, the relationship between the Industrial Age and army combatants, the main character's motivations in going to war, and war as both a cultural construct and as part of human nature.

When Hamlet's father, the King of Denmark, dies suddenly, the country is thrown into confusion with no clear leadership. After his father's ghost reveals that he was poisoned by Hamlet's mother and uncle, Hamlet must grapple with the dissolution of a world he once trusted. This book examines the topic of corruption in Shakespeare's Hamlet through a series of essays that touch upon topics such as the symbolic role of sickness and disease, parallels between the politics in the play and Elizabethan England, how Claudius created generational disorder, and the relationship between corruption and inequality. Promoting cross-curricular study, the text also invites readers to engage with contemporary perspectives on modern-day corruption.

A collection of essays discuss issues of gender, ethnicity, family, and class in Cisneros's novel.

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. The mantra of authoritarian government in George Orwell's dystopian novel pulls conventional wisdom inside-out, leaving characters, and readers, compelled to peek under the surface for meaning and truth. This informative edition provides an in-depth examination of abuse of power as presented in 1984, as well as contemporary perspectives on this issue. Discussions include the potential danger of big government, the threat posed by misuse of power, the book as promoting the values of the common person, and industrialization as a dehumanizing factor. Expert writers include Christopher Hitchens, Irvine Howe, and Erich Fromm.

In his novel Brave New World, writer Aldous Huxley extends the intersection of community and science to a dystopian conclusion: an entire world built upon the principles of Henry Ford's automobile assembly lines. This volume offers an in-depth examination of bioethics as presented in Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World, as well as contemporary perspectives on this issue. Essay topics include the misuse of science for power gains, the balance of good and evil inherent in certain scientific endeavors, the ethics of designer babies, the promotion and restriction of stem cell research, and the relationship between genetic science and civil liberties.

A collection of essays reflecting on Thoreau's environmental message and how it continues to influence modern opinion.

Jerry Renault, the protagonist of Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War, finds himself at the center of bullying efforts conducted by his high school's secret society when he refuses to comply with a school-wide chocolate sale. Cormier's 1974 novel remains a popular point of discourse in schools and academia for its effective rendering of peer pressure, bullying, corruption, and individuality. This compelling edition presents essays that examine the treatment of peer pressure in The Chocolate War, discussing such topics as pessimism, high school, activism, and standing against evil. The book also offers contemporary perspectives on modern-day peer pressure, urging readers to compare and contrast the themes of the novel with the issues of the today's world.

Stranded on a tropical island, a group of boys attempt to govern themselves but instead give into chaos and savagery. William Golding's 1954 novel, Lord of the Flies, utilizes the theme of violence to showcase the conflicts surrounding power. This compelling edition presents readers with a collection of essays that examine topics such as puberty, innate corruption, and class conflict as it relates to the theme of violence and power. Contemporary perspectives on violence are also discussed, examining topics such as the recruitment of young men to war and the effects of peer alienation.

Adolescence and coming of age are explored through the work of Romeo and Juliet with a variety of perspectives presented.

Collection of essays discussing whether Mark Twain's book is racist, the issue of race in the novel itself, and race relations in 21st century America.

Capturing a snapshot of the race relations that would set the stage for apartheid in South Africa, Alan Paton's 1949 novel, Cry, the Beloved Country, paints a complicated portrait of the widening divisions between dissolving tribal cultures and white communities. This necessary edition presents essays that examine the treatment of race relations in Cry, the Beloved Country, discussing topics such as whether or not the book's political vision was naive, how Paton's complex view on goodness and badness helped to inform his text, and how the novel's publication helped or hindered open conversations regarding race in South Africa. An in-depth biography of author Alan Paton and modern perspectives on race in South Africa, including an examination of post-apartheid conditions, are included as well.

Joseph Heller's satire Catch-22 presents war, driven by state bureaucracies, as a form of institutional psychosis. Soldiers, trapped in the circular logic of an obscure army regulation, find themselves in impossible circumstances, ones that threaten not only their personhood but their free will as well. This compelling volume offers a diverse range of views on Joseph Heller's interpretation of war in Catch-22. Essays discuss how the book engages with the hypocrisy of American culture during the war, how the novel anticipates the anti-war novels written after the Vietnam War, and how the military in the novel reflects American society. The text also offers readers contemporary perspectives on war, discussing topics such as the U.S. provocation.

Elie Wiesel witnessed the horrors of genocide firsthand when he and his family were sent to Auschwitz concentration camp and later to Buchenwald. Some critics characterize his book, which he published a little over a decade after the war's ending, as memoir. Weisel refers to Night as a deposition, one that constantly questions why genocide happened and what it reveals about human nature. This compelling volume interrogates these questions by introducing readers to a wide range of essays that explore themes about and surrounding genocide as they relate to Wiesel's work. The book also provides contemporary perspectives on genocide.

Bigger Thomas, a young man living in 1930s Chicago, takes a job with a wealthy white family, the Daltons. After a night of drinking with her boyfriend, Mary, the Dalton's only child, dies when Thomas accidentally suffocates her so as not to be heard by Mary's mother, who would not understand why Thomas was carrying her up to bed. Thomas's fate, to be tried and convicted of murder, speaks less to Thomas as a person than to the impossible circumstances racism creates within society. This compelling volume delves into author Richard Wright's life and the divide that made two separate Americas legal. Essays discuss Thomas's revolutionary consciousness, racial blindness, and the contemporary plight of the millions of African-Americans in prisons due to racism inherent in the justice system. Writers include Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and Irving Howe.