Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Defiance
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
by Ken Kesey
A patient in a mental ward fights against the oppressive authority of the head nurse.
The book is narrated by "Chief" Bromden, a gigantic yet docile half-Native American patient at a psychiatric hospital, who presents himself as deaf and mute. Bromden’s tale focuses mainly on the ... (Wikipedia)
Delirium
by Lauren Oliver
A teenage girl's struggle against a dystopian society's oppressive rules in order to stay with the one she loves.
The story is set in Portland, Maine , in 2091. Civilization is concentrated in the cities that escaped the severe bombings decades earlier. Travel between the cities is highly restricted. Electric ... (Wikipedia)
Alien
by Alan Dean Foster
A human-alien hybrid battles an intergalactic empire to save his home planet.
Based on the screenplay by Dan O'Bannon. The crew of the spaceship Nostromo wake from cryogenic sleep to distress signals from an unknown planet. One is attacked when they investigate a derelict ... (Goodreads)
The Fountainhead
by Ayn Rand
A story of a brilliant architect who refuses to conform to the establishment, challenging the status quo.
In early 1922, Howard Roark is expelled from the architecture department of the Stanton Institute of Technology because he has not adhered to the school's preference for historical convention in ... (Wikipedia)
Transmetropolitan, Vol. 2: Lust for Life
by Warren Ellis
An anti-hero journalist fights to uncover corruption in a futuristic dystopia.
Outlaw journalist Spider Jerusalem has become a household name in the future City he calls home. This latest collection of twisted tales showcases Spider's horrific yet funny screeds on subjects as ... (Goodreads)
Galileo
by Bertolt Brecht
Play about the life and trial of the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei.
Considered by many to be one of Brecht's masterpieces, Galileo explores the question of a scientist's social and ethical responsibility, as the brilliant Galileo must choose between his life and his ... (Goodreads)
Shirley
by Charlotte Brontë
A young woman's turbulent journey to find her place in a restrictive society.
Robert Moore is a mill owner noted for apparent ruthlessness towards his employees. He has laid off many of them, and is apparently indifferent to their consequent impoverishment. In fact he had no ... (Wikipedia)
Agnes Grey
by Anne Brontë
A young governess's struggles to find her place in the world, while teaching and caring for the children of a wealthy family.
Agnes Grey is the daughter of Mr. Grey, a minister of modest means, and Mrs. Grey, a woman who left her wealthy family and married purely out of love. Mr. Grey tries to increase the family's ... (Wikipedia)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou
Autobiographical account of a Black woman's journey to find her identity in a prejudiced society.
Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Her life story is told in the documentary film And Still I Rise, as seen on PBS’s American Masters. Here is a book as ... (Goodreads)
The Price of Salt
by Patricia Highsmith
Two women build a relationship against all odds, navigating a taboo romance.
Therese Belivet is a lonely young woman, just beginning her adult life in Manhattan and looking for her chance to launch her career as a theatre set designer . When she was a small girl, her widowed ... (Wikipedia)
Bitch Planet, Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine
by Kelly Sue DeConnick
A science fiction tale of a dystopian future, exploring the power of female resistance.
“... one of the most unique and subversive artifacts of pop culture in recent memory.” -,Salon.com, "Seldom do comics burst onto the scene and shatter our worldview by being entirely poignant, raw, ... (Barnes & Noble)
Catherine, Called Birdy
by Karen Cushman
An adolescent girl's story of rebellion, seeking freedom in a restrictive society.
The following is a description of the novel as it appears on the cover: "[T]he fourteen-year-old daughter of an English country knight keeps a journal in which she records the events of her life, ... (Wikipedia)
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
by Richard Bach
An exploration of self-expression and personal growth as a seagull learns to defy the boundaries of his flock.
The book tells the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a seagull who is bored with daily squabbles over food. Seized by a passion for flight, he pushes himself and learns everything he can about ... (Wikipedia)
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
by Hannah Green
A young woman's story of struggle to overcome her mental illness and reclaim her life.
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden is the story of a sixteen-year-old who retreats from reality into the bondage of a lushly imagined but threatening kingdom, and her slow and painful journey back to ... (Goodreads)
Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo
A young woman's journey to unlock the secrets of ancient magic and save her kingdom.
Alina Starkov is a teenaged orphan, a citizen of the Kingdom of Ravka. She grew up with Malyen Oretsev at an orphanage in Keramzin, which is sponsored by a wealthy patron. As the story begins they ... (Wikipedia)
The Heretic's Daughter
by Kathleen Kent
A dramatic tale of one family's survival during the Salem Witch Trials.
A courageous woman fights to survive the darkest days of the Salem Witch Trials in this "heart-wrenching story of family love and sacrifice" (,USA Today,). Salem, 1752. Sarah Carrier Chapman, weak ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Caine Mutiny
by Herman Wouk
A naval officer is court-martialed after leading a mutiny against his captain.
The story is told through the eyes of Willis Seward "Willie" Keith, an affluent but callow young graduate of Princeton University . Following a mediocre living as a nightclub piano player, he signs ... (Wikipedia)
The Awakening and Selected Stories
by Kate Chopin
Exploration of women's identity and social roles in a patriarchal society.
11 stories: The Awakening Beyond the Bayou Ma'ame Pelagie Desiree's Baby A Respectable Woman The Kiss A Pair of Silk Stockings The Locket A Reflection At the 'Cadian Ball The Storm ... (Goodreads)
The Queen of Attolia
by Megan Whalen Turner
A young queen must face political upheaval and a dangerous enemy to protect her kingdom.
Eugenides, the Thief of Eddis, has been caught spying on the Queen of Attolia. He expects to be hanged, but the Queen instead resorts to an ancient traditional punishment for thievery and has his ... (Wikipedia)
Cunt: A Declaration of Independence
by Inga Muscio
A powerful manifesto for reclaiming the word "cunt" and its power for female empowerment.
An ancient title of respect for women, the word cunt long ago veered off this noble path. Inga Muscio traces the road from honor to expletive, giving women the motivation and tools to claim cunt as a ... (Goodreads)
Anthem
by Ayn Rand
An individual's quest for freedom amidst a dystopian society determined to control thought and behavior.
Equality 7-2521, a 21-year-old man writing by candlelight in a tunnel under the earth, tells the story of his life up to that point. He exclusively uses plural pronouns ("we", "our", "they") to refer ... (Wikipedia)
Dietland
by Sarai Walker
A woman's determined search to find her own power, while challenging the beauty standards imposed by society.
The diet revolution is here. And it’s armed. Plum Kettle does her best not to be noticed, because when you’re fat, to be noticed is to be judged. Or mocked. Or worse. With her job answering fan mail ... (Goodreads)
I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced
by Nujood Ali
A young girl's fight against early marriage in Yemen and her victory in court.
“I’m a simple village girl who has always obeyed the orders of my father and brothers. Since forever, I have learned to say yes to everything. Today I have decided to say no.” Nujood Ali's childhood ... (Goodreads)
Blonde
by Joyce Carol Oates
A reimagining of Marilyn Monroe's life from her childhood to her untimely death.
« Alors, en début de soirée, ce 3 août 1962, vint la Mort, index sur la sonnette du 12305 Fifth Helena Drive. La Mort qui essuyait la sueur de son front avec sa casquette de base-ball. La Mort qui ... (Goodreads)
Heartless
by Gail Carriger
A steampunk-inspired adventure of a young woman determined to secure her future despite a scheming family.
Blending steampunk with urban fantasy , Heartless is set in an alternate history version of Victorian era Britain where vampires and werewolfs are welcomed as members of society, often in the upper ... (Wikipedia)
The Last Town
by Blake Crouch
A small town is cut off from the world by a mysterious barricade and its inhabitants must fight to survive.
Welcome to Wayward Pines, the last town. Secret Service agent Ethan Burke arrived in Wayward Pines, Idaho, three weeks ago. In this town, people are told who to marry, where to live, where to work. ... (Goodreads)
Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter
by Adeline Yen Mah
A young girl's journey of inner strength and resilience in the face of adversity.
Ever since Adeline was born, she had been rejected coldly because her family believed her to bring bad luck. Her father's first wife died two weeks after giving birth to her, the fifth child. Soon, ... (Wikipedia)
The Memory Police
by Yōko Ogawa
A mysterious power erasing memories of everyday objects, leading to a fight for freedom.
The story follows a novelist on an island under the control of the Memory Police. An unknown force causes the people of the island to collectively 'forget' and lose their attachment to objects or ... (Wikipedia)
In Dubious Battle
by John Steinbeck
A story of a labor strike and the power struggle between workers and landowners.
In Dubious Battle deals with a fruit-workers' strike in a California valley and the attempts of labor unions to organize, lead, and provide for the striking pickers. Jim Nolan meets Harry Nilson who ... (Wikipedia)
United as One
by Pittacus Lore
A group of teenagers fight to protect Earth from an alien race, while struggling with their own inner turmoil.
The seventh and final book in the #1 New York Times bestselling I Am Number Four series! With United as One, this action-packed series comes to a surprising, breathtaking, and utterly satisfying ... (Goodreads)
Bully
by Penelope Douglas
An unlikely romance between two high school students, challenging the social boundaries of their school.
My name is Tate. He doesn't call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all. No, he'll barely even speak to me. But he still won't leave me alone. We were ... (Goodreads)
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