Table of Contents

Guest Foreword
“The Informed Dialogue: Interacting with Literature” by Anne Devereaux Jordan ix

Introduction xi

Literary Chronology xv

Acknowledgments xvii

Contributors xix

The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man (by James Weldon Johnson) 1

Author Biography 2

Plot Summary 2

Characters 4

Themes 7

Style 8

Historical Context 9

Critical Overview 11

Criticism 12

Further Reading 34

Black Beauty (by Anna Sewell) 35

Author Biography 36

Plot Summary 36

Characters 38

Themes 41

Style 42

Historical Context 43

Critical Overview 44

Criticism 46

Further Reading 57

The Damnation of Theron Ware (by Harold Frederic) 58

Author Biography 59

Plot Summary 59

Characters 61

Themes 63

Style 64

Historical Context 65

Critical Overview 66

Criticism 67

Further Reading 83

Dandelion Wine (by Ray Bradbury) 84

Author Biography 85

Plot Summary 85

Characters 87

Themes 89

Style 90

Historical Context 91

Critical Overview 92

Criticism 94

Further Reading 104

A Death in the Family (by James Agee) 105

Author Biography 106

Plot Summary 106

Characters 108

Themes 111

Style 113

Historical Context 113

Critical Overview 115

Criticism 116

Further Reading 132

Elmer Gantry (by Sinclair Lewis) 133

Author Biography 134

Plot Summary 134

Characters 136

Themes 139

Style 140

Historical Context 140

Critical Overview 142

Criticism 142

Further Reading 153

The God of Small Things (by Arundhati Roy) 154

Author Biography 155

Plot Summary 155

Characters 157

Themes 160

Style 162

Historical Context 162

Critical Overview 164

Criticism 164

Further Reading 177

The Name of the Rose (by Umberto Eco) 179

Author Biography 180

Plot Summary 180

Characters 182

Themes 184

Style 185

Historical Context 186

Critical Overview 187

Criticism 188

Further Reading 203

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (by Muriel Spark) 204

Author Biography 205

Plot Summary 205

Characters 208

Themes 209

Style 211

Historical Context 211

Critical Overview 213

Criticism 214

Further Reading 227

The Satanic Verses (by Salman Rushdie) 228

Author Biography 229

Plot Summary 229

Characters 231

Themes 235

Style 237

Historical Context 237

Critical Overview 238

Criticism 239

Further Reading 252

Sophie’s Choice (by William Styron) 254

Author Biography 255

Plot Summary 255

Characters 260

Themes 264

Style 265

Historical Context 266

Critical Overview 266

Criticism 267

Further Reading 285

The Woman in the Dunes (by Kobo Abe) 286

Author Biography 287

Plot Summary 287

Characters 289

Themes 290

Style 292

Historical Context 293

Critical Overview 295

Criticism 296

Further Reading 312

Glossary 315

Cumulative Author/Title Index 327

Cumulative Nationality/Ethnicity Index 333

Subject/Theme Index 339