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North and South is a Victorian-era novel that blends social life with romance. The story begins with Margaret Hale, a young woman from the rural South of England. Margaret has to move when her father, a clergyman, leaves the Church of England. The family moves to the industrial town of Milton in the North. In Milton, Margaret discovers a very different way of life. She's shocked by the harsh working conditions in the cotton mills and the divide between the wealthy mill owners and poor workers.
The Giver is a thriller dystopian society novel. While reading this book you never know what to expect and it keeps you thinking on every page that you turn. One reason that I really enjoyed this book was because of the overall concept. It takes you into a whole new world that you would never expect and it shows you new realities that can help broaden your imagination.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger describes two days in a sixteen-year-old teenager named Holden Caufield. But Holden Caufield does not live a normal teenage life as he does not have a healthy relationship with his parents or with anyone for that matter. As a result, he is an outcast with no desire to succeed in his education, causing him to get expelled from prep school and journey hopelessly across New York.
The Giver by Lois Lowry tells the story of Jonas, a boy who lives in a utopian society called the Community where “Sameness” is implemented in order to keep everything fair and prevent sadness. Concepts like color are gone in order to create equality. At the Ceremony of Twelve, where a child’s role in the Community is assigned, Jonas is chosen to receive special training from the Giver, who holds the only memories of the past.
Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, can fit into the Tragedy/Drama/Fiction genres. Willy Loman returns back home, while listening to a sweet flute. He realizes that he is a failure, as a father and a husband. Willy’s sons, Happy and Biff, are not successful, and Willy's career is falling. Biff, who constantly argues with his father, has nothing to say to him, even after coming back to his hometown. However, after one incident, everything changes.
A story that takes place in New York City in the 1920’s of the narrator, Nick Carraway, as he befriends the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby and helps him try and reunite with his former girlfriend. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this book. On the surface level, it is a very simple and straightforward read. Only 9 chapters, easy to follow, not a very complicated vocabulary. But what I enjoyed about this story was how there were so many aspects with hidden, deeper meanings. This is what really made the story worth reading for me.
After moving to London, Dorian Gray befriends an artist named Basil Hallward who paints him a portrait. After living with the painting, Dorian soon agonizes over the fact that he will be aging while the painting of himself will stay youthful forever. Dorian will go to great lengths to prevent himself from becoming a different man than the one in the painting.
Citizens of Maycomb are racists and prejudiced. They judge each other by how they look, speak, or what gender they are. After Atticus Finch is asked to defend Tom Robinson, a colored man who is accused of raping a woman, his children learn true lessons, some being that people in Maycomb side with others over others. Essentially, this story depicts a young girl coming-of-age, who is raised into a society where people are not as innocent compared to others. It is up to her father to teach her real life lessons and behaviors.
