Bøger i Social Issues in Literature serien

When four Chinese immigrant mothers meet through their church in 1949, they begin to play mahjong together, forming what eventually becomes the Joy Luck Club. The novel, which centers around these women and their first-generation daughters, tells varied stories about what it means to live, work, and love as an immigrant, with a focus on the bond of female empowerment. This essential edition presents readers with essays that examine women's issues in The Joy Luck Club, discussing topics such as gender and ethnic identity, cultural conflict, and stereotypes about immigrant women. The text also explores contemporary perspectives on women's issues in relation to immigration, urging readers to contextualize the themes of the novel within the issues of the present.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.