High School Literature

By G119smith
  • 800 BCE

    The Odyssey

    The Odyssey
    Classical Greek, written by Homer. Provides deep insight into the Ancient Greek world, shaped genre of heroic literature and approaches to storytelling.
  • 700

    Beowulf

    Unknown author. Medieval/Anglo-Saxon. The first epic poem written; most famous Anglo-Saxon work. Similar to Macbeth in its portrayal of heroes.
  • Period: 1300 to

    Renaissance

  • 1392

    Canterbury Tales

    Geoffrey Chaucer. Medieval. Functions as a satirical criticism of the different social classes of the time.
  • 1516

    Utopia

    Thomas More.
    Renaissance Humanism.
    Forwarded utilitarian rationing as a criticism of England's social structure. Similar to Flatland in its reference to modern society.

  • Romeo & Juliet

    Romeo & Juliet
    British.
    Shakespeare. Teaches the theme of passion through love and tragedy. Later adapted as West Side Story.

  • Julius Caesar

    Shakespeare. Renaissance. Revealed the premise of inner conflict in major political rulers. First play on the dangers of political turmoil.

  • Macbeth

    Shakespeare. Renaissance. Revealed the premise of inner conflict in major political rulers. Similar to Beowulf in its portrayal of heroes.

  • Paradise Lost

    John Milton. Late English Renaissance/Restoration. Referred to as the greatest English epic.

  • Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

    Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
    American, Puritan. Great Awakening.
    Jonathan Edwards. Similar to The Crucible in its coverage of Puritan Society.

  • Sense and Sensibility

    Sense and Sensibility
    British.
    Jane Austen. Showed the dichotomy between Romanticism and Classicism.

  • Frankenstein

    Mary Shelley. Gothic. First truly Gothic novel.
  • Period: to

    Victorian

  • Poe’s Short Stories

    Poe’s Short Stories
    British.
    Edgar Allen Poe. Some of the first Gothic works. Gothic, Romantic.

  • Wuthering Heights

    Charlotte Brönte. Victorian. Provides an accurate and honest portrayal of life during the early Romantic era.

  • Jane Eyre

    Jane Eyre
    British.
    Charlotte Brönte. Victorian. Merges Gothicism, Bildungsroman, and Romanticism. Similar to House on Mango Street in its feminist themes.

  • Great Expectations

    Great Expectations
    British. Victorian.
    Charles Dickens. Dickens' most autobiographical work which exposed atrocities in English Victorian Society.

  • Flatland

    Edwin Abbott. Victorian. Criticized the hierarchy of victorian England. Similar to Utopia in its reference to modern society.

  • Heart of Darkness

    Joseph Conrad. Victorian/Modern. Gave insight to the horror happening in the Congo.

  • My Antonia

    My Antonia
    American.
    Willa Cather. Modern. Highlights the experience of immigrants.

  • The Great Gatsby

    The Great Gatsby
    American.
    F. Scott Fitzgerald. Modern. Paints a picture of the American Dream.

  • Of Mice and Men

    Of Mice and Men
    American.
    John Steinbeck. Modern. Highlights the fallenness and predatory nature of humans.
  • Period: to

    Contemporary/Modern

  • 1984

    George Orwell. Political novel, warns readers of the dangers of a totalitarian government. Similar to Fahrenheit 451 in its predictions of modern society.

  • East of Eden

    John Steinbeck. Postwar. Demonstrates ongoing conflict between good and evil felt during the postwar period.

  • The Crucible

    The Crucible
    American.
    Arthur Miller. Exposes evils of the Salem Witch Trials and references McCarthyism that plagued society in the 1950s. Modern. Similar to Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God in its coverage of Puritan Society.

  • Fahrenheit 451

    Ray Bradbury. Modern American. Emphasizes importance of human expression, individualism, and horror of censorship.

  • Lord of the Flies

    Lord of the Flies
    British.
    William Golding. Post War Fiction. Teaches about the savagery of human nature and need for structured government.

  • A Separate Peace

    A Separate Peace
    American.
    John Knowles. Explores the cultural theme of Coming of Age. Modern American.

  • Night

    Night
    Polish.
    Ellie Wiesel. Modern/Postmodern. Memoir. Preserved the Jewish identity by detailing the events that occurred in concentration events.

  • A Man for All Seasons

    A Man for All Seasons
    British.
    Robert Bolt. Historical Drama. Explores themes of reputation and integrity.

  • West Side Story

    West Side Story
    American.
    Arthur Laurents. Contains references to Romeo and Juliet. Contemporary. Revisits themes of love and pain set forth by Shakespeare.

  • Malcolm X

    Alex Haley. Inspired the Black Power movement and popularized Malcolm X's ideas. Modern. Similar to Beloved in its discussion of African Americans.

  • House on Mango Street

    House on Mango Street
    American. Contemporary Chicana Literature.
    Sandra Cisneros. Similar to Jane Eyre in its feminist elements. Important piece of Chicana literature, preserves identity and dignity of chicanas.

  • Beloved

    Toni Morrison. Modern. Similar to Malcolm X in its discussion of African Americans. Brings to light the devastation wrought by slavery. Winner of Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

  • Into the Wild

    Into the Wild
    American.
    Jon Krakauer. Contemporary Non-Fiction. References Romantic and Transcendentalist attitudes purported by Thoreau and Emerson.

  • The Book Thief

    The Book Thief
    American.
    Markus Zusak. Showcases themes of the good and evil of humanity. Contemporary Fiction.