This Victorian Bildungsroman is about Victorian society and values ranging from accounts about upper-middle to lower class. The novel follows protagonist David Copperfield through his life and especially highlights the social issues of Victorian times. David is orphaned being quite young, visits a boarding school, and is handed from guardian to guardian. He encounters middle-class […]

This movie explores poverty in regard to social class differences, as well as identity construction, gender stereotypes, and homosexuality. Billy Elliot is an 11-year-old boy of poor family background. His father and brother are miners who stick to clear gender roles. When Billy is sent to take boxing lessons, he witnesses a ballet class and […]

“This is how I speak. Even the river stutters. Like I do.” This beautifully illustrated children’s book tells the story of a young boy finding his voice. Struggling with stuttering, he feels uncomfortable speaking in front of the class. He finds comfort in driving out to the river with his father, where he’s told that […]

“Yes, that day they both learned that, no matter your size, we all have a mouse and a lion inside.” In this adorably illustrated children’s book, a mouse sets out on a mission to learn how to roar. He’s tired of being ignored by other animals and is convinced that, if he could only roar […]

For her 11th birthday, Kate’s present is all she could have ever wanted… a magical locomotive! She immediately wants to take it for a spin, but her brother and she aren’t the only passengers. The train is filled with endangered animals that need to be returned to their natural habitats. From a lost polar bear […]

In a middle school in Oklahoma, a young boy tries to tell his story. His name is Khosrou, but everyone calls him Daniel. His classmates think he’s weird and usually don’t believe a word of what he says. Khosrou’s stories are full of beautiful moments from his family’s past, but also full of pain as […]

This movie adaptation of the musical “Hair” focuses on the American 1960s counterculture movement. The story follows Claude, a Vietnam War draftee, and his encounters with a group of hippies. They introduce him to their lifestyle of drugs and peace rallies, but Claude struggles with his political views that don’t align with his new friends’. […]

Set in mid-19th-century New York City, this musical navigates themes like the American Dream, class relations and othering. After being fired from his job, Phineas is desperate for a new occupation to support his family. But it’s not just about the money; he craves to change the world with his knack for magic and entertainment. […]

Made up of two acts, the musical Hamilton narrates the life of Alexander Hamilton. Set in 1776 during the American Revolution, the plot follows Hamilton working as George Washington’s assistant as well as his courtship of Eliza Schuyler. After the war he goes on to become the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United […]

When 17-year-old Marko wakes up in a psychiatric cell, he’s disoriented and unsure what is real and what isn’t. He remembers an earthquake and nothing else, but is convinced that his doctor is trying to kill him. Unsure of what is real and what isn’t, he needs escape this precarious situation; but who can he […]

This illustrated coming-of-age book series is about politeness and friendship. An anthropomorphised bear from Peru is found at Paddington station and taken in by the Brown family. Because his Peruvian name is too hard to pronounce, he is named after the place he was found. Paddington has a liking for marmalade and always carries a […]

A children’s book about friendship, individualism, and the difference between luxury and simple values. Corduroy is a teddy bear in a department store waiting to be sold. He is discovered by a young girl whose mother, however, refuses to buy the beer who is even missing a button. Hearing this, Corduroy sets out to find […]

The cartoon “The First Illegal Immigrants” by Andy Singer, published in 2013, critically investigates the occupation of America, the forced displacement of native Americans and the exaggerated border controls of the US homeland security. Based on the scenery, three members of the first nations interrogate a family of settlers, arriving from England, asking: “No Greencards? […]

This picture book is a fable of colonisation. While both the writer and the illustrator live in Australia, the stylised illustrations and the abstract descriptions manage to provide a more general understanding of the experience of a culture feeling overrun by another. The story is told from the perspective of numbat-like creatures who experience how […]

Ongoing web cartoon series on social media and remote work that was started in 2007. Each cartoon usually consists of one image and a caption. They depict relatable situations at home or at the workplace, such as the particular example shown here. A woman working from home while she is laying on the couch calls […]

The painting Nighthawks by Edward Hopper is often described as timeless and univeral. It shows three customers and a waiter in an all-night diner, but none of these ‘night owls’ portrayed here appear to talk to each other. The fluorescent lighting, which was a new development in American restaurants in the 1940s, as well as […]

“Zombie” by the Irish band The Cranberries problematises the violent troubles in Northern Ireland. The protest song was composed after two kids were killed and dozens of people injured in a bomb attack in Warrington city on March 20, 1993. Written in memory of the young victims and the mental trauma caused by the conflict, […]

The song “Hunger” by the English indie rock band Florence + the Machine contemplates a relation between eating disorders and youthful loneliness. The singer Florence Welch has stated in interviews that this lead single from the album High As Hope originally started out as an autobiographical poem but morphed into this song throughout the years. […]